Discussion Topic
Symbols in To Kill a Mockingbird
Summary:
In To Kill a Mockingbird, the fire at Miss Maudie's house symbolizes a cleansing and unification of the community, revealing both the resilience and courage of Maycomb's residents. It also highlights the racial tensions as the snowman's black core is exposed. The mad dog, Ol' Tim Johnson, symbolizes the irrational racism in the town and foreshadows Tom Robinson's fate. Atticus's reluctant heroism in shooting the dog illustrates his moral courage in confronting societal dangers.
What does the fire symbolize in To Kill a Mockingbird?
Miss Maudie's house fire also serves as a symbolic means of cleansing the neighborhood of both real and metaphoric obstacles. The fire destroys the house which Maudie claims to detest: It allows her to build a new and smaller one which will allow more room outside for her precious flowers. It blackens her plants outside, as well as melting the Morphodite Snowman's white outer coating: In doing so, it reveals that there is really little difference between white and black (a symbolic reference to the racism found in Maycomb). The fire also serves to clear the air once and for all about the good intentions of Boo Radley: While Scout stands outside in the cold, Boo stealthily places a blanket upon her shoulders. When Atticus explains how it got there, the children recognize that Boo is their silent and still invisible friend.
The fire symbolizes the closeness and courage...
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of the community.
The fire is one of the most memorable early events in the novel. It serves a couple of important purposes. First, it gives us a glimpse of the town in the face of a crisis it can directly confront. It is easy to vilify the townspeople due to their treatment of the Robinson trial. The fire demonstrates their protection of one another and courage in the face of physical danger.
Second, it shows us how close-knit a community it really is. Everyone in the town shows up, and they risk bodily harm to rescue Miss Maudie’s furniture and belongings. They struggle together to get the fire truck there when it won’t start. Even Miss Maudie is brave, as her house burns down. Boo Radley demonstrates courage when he comes out of the house and puts the blanket on Scout’s shoulders.
Everyone in Maycomb is there to support Miss Maudie, but also to view the spectable. Everyone knows what is happening to everyone else.
What does the dog symbolize in To Kill a Mockingbird?
Atticus has to be persuaded to meet the dog. He sees that the dog is clearly a danger to his family and the public, and further appears to be in great misery. The important point is that Atticus is reluctant (a) to hurt the dog; (b) to demonstrate his marksmanship; and, I suspect, (c) to appear as a public hero. Before shooting the dog he takes off his glasses; afterward, he grinds them underfoot. I see two messages here: first, Atticus is ashamed to hide behind his glasses; second, he is distressed about having to fire a weapon close to home and having to appear as a hero. Atticus is aware that he really is a warrior hero and is conflicted in that he is ashamed of his heroism. His confidence and his willingness to go into danger are part of his motivation for defending Tom Robinson against a public opinion that is repugnant to him.
I agree with the others. I put Ol' Tim Johnson in the category of a foreshadowing, as well. Here he is, just livin' his happy dog life when he's struck with hydrophobia. However he got it, it's nothing he did deliberately, and it's not really his fault. What happens after he gets it isn't particularly his fault, either. That makes him kind of a mockingbird, symbolically. Atticus has no choice--the dog is mad and must be killed, foreshadowing the death of another mockingbird symbol, Tom.
The mad dog in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is symbolic of a few things. First, the mad dog represents the "madness" that Atticus has to face now that he has taken on Tom Robinson's case. The community has rallied against Atticus because they believe that Robinson is guilty simply because he is black. Throughout the book, the Finch family has to buffer themselves against this racism (i.e. fighting off the mob). So the mad dog represents the community's madness that is based on racism. Further, the mad dog (and the scene surrounding him) is symbolic of Atticus's strength and resolve and his desire to protect his family. When the mad dog threatens his family, he immediately grabs a rifle and shoots the dog. The children are surprised by this because normally Atticus is very calm and laid back. However, he is a good shot, and the dog dies quickly. This scene shows that Atticus will do anything to protect his family from the madness around them.