Another symbolic bird in this novel is the Blue Jay. They explained as territorial, loud, and aggressive bullies. They represent the prejudice people of Maycomb, such as Bob Ewell. Blue jays are constantly chasing mockingbirds out of their territory for no reason other that to make themselves look better. This is exactly what Bob Ewell did when he accused Tom Robinson of raping his daughter.
Those are symbols in the novel but several others exist in the novel. Atticus reads a story entitled the “Grey Ghost” to Scout. I feel that the Grey Ghost represents Boo Radley, as he shares many similarities with the main character of that novel. Boo is constantly getting blamed for things that he had not done, and is feared for that reason much like the main character in that novel. Also nobody has ever seen the Grey Ghost just like nobody has ever actually seen Boo.
Even the main character’s nickname holds symbolism. Jean Louis Finch has a nickname of Scout, a scout is a position in the army, they are usually the people who go out and search for intelligence, but they are also prepared to fight when ready. This represents Jean Finch perfectly; she is a very smart person, always looking for new knowledge. But when she feels it is necessary she can fight for what she believes is right, just as a military scout would.
At the end of chapter 22 Jem noticed that he was growing body hair. This is usually a sign of puberty. This is normally associated with growth both mentally and physically. Jem growing this hair symbolises his loss of innocents and his entrance into man hood. He had learnt a lot in the preceding chapter and this was perfectly represented by his growth of body hair.
As Atticus leaves the courtroom after loosing the Tom Robinson case all of the Negroes in the upper deck stood. This symbolises the respect he had gained by defending Tom to the best of his ability. By Atticus made a small step in bridging the gap between the white and black people. If Atticus would have done anything but try his best he would not have received the standing ovation.
This novel is riddled with symbolism and when it is truly understood it makes for a very interesting novel.
What if I was White
Blond hair, blue eyes The whole shibangI know one thingPolice wouldn't always be watching mePull me over for nothing, constantly jockin me (Can I get your autograph?)Yellow cabs in the cities that stop for meI wouldn't need collateral to buy propertyIf I was whiteWouldn't matter if I was rich or poorSECURITY wouldn't follow me around the storeLike I'd steal something Because I'm black I robAnd automatically assume I ain't got no jobOn my own land I feel like an immigrantIf I was whiteI wouldn't thought O.J. was innocent
-Eminem
