To Kill a Mockingbird - Essay

"The Scarlet Ibis" by James Hurst, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and "Shaving" by Leslie Norris show many examples of symbolism. Symbolism is an object, person, place or action that has meaning in itself and it also stands for an idea, belief or value. Hurst use symbolism to show the real meaning and conflicts in his story. Lee uses symbolism to show how the title carries a great deal of symbolism in the book, and Norris uses symbolism to show how taking on an act of an adult shows maturing. "The Scarlet Ibis", To Kill a Mockingbird, and "Shaving" all show symbolism in different ways.

The Scarlet Ibis on the bleeding tree symbolizes Doodle dying because the scarlet ibis was limp and it is a red bird; when Doodle dies, he was bleeding out of his mouth, making his shirt stained bright red and he was limp just like the bird. The bird had traveled all this way to get back home just to die; Doodle had come so far in his progress of trying to walk before school start just to be left by his brother to die. "I lay there sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis from the heresy of rain". The old woman swamp also shows symbolism because it represents peace and happiness. This is where the brother taught Doodle to walk, swim, and row a boat, so when Doodle came here he would be happy and it would be peacefully for him. Also this is where Doodle and his brother bonded and formed that brotherly relationship with each other.

The title of To Kill a Mockingbird shows that killing a mockingbird is like destroying innocence. The mockingbird symbolizes Tom Robinson because he is innocent and did not do anything wrong, but was kill through the contact with evil. Tom is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, when really it is just a cover up for Bob Ewell, her father, for beating her. After Tom is shot, Mr. Underwood compares his death to "the senseless slaughter of songbirds." Boo Radley is a mockingbird because he is a peaceful person who never did any harm to anyone and he is trying to make the world a more pleasant place. He saved the kids from Bob Ewell and that shows that no matter how much pain he has gone through he still found the good in his heart to go save the kids even if it meant he might get killed. The mockingbird symbolizes Tom Robinson and Boo Radley because to kill them, it would be a sin. "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but... that's why it is a sing to kill one."

Barry, the main character in "shaving", takes on the act of shaving his father's beard before he is going to die. Him taking on the act of taking care of his father shows he is growing up and maturing because he is acting like an adult taking care of a child. When Barry accepts that his father is going to die, he accepts all the pressure that someone must receive when they lose a parent or guardian. When Barry goes into the bathroom window to watch the "dying sunlight",