Symbolism

A mockingbird is a bird that is completely harmless and enriches the world with its presence.
The mockingbird is a symbol of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson, two characters in Harper
Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Both of these characters were calm and harmless
individuals who never caused damage to others. Assaulting or killing them would be a sinful
act. Atticus, Scout's father, tells Scout and Jem, "I'd rather you shoot at tin cans in the
backyard, but I know you'll go after birds." Scout and Jem understand what Atticus means. If
you are able to strike a blue jay, you should shoot as many of them as you like, but keep in
mind that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird.(on page 69)

Due to the fact that it does not have its own song, the mockingbird also serves as a symbol for
these two personalities. In contrast to the blue jay, which is a noisy and annoying bird, the
mockingbird exclusively sings tunes that belong to other birds. Because of this, the
mockingbird may be observed via the eyes of the other birds. Boo Radley and Tom Robinson
were only known to the residents of Maycomb via the words of those who had spoken about
them. As a result of the fact that none of these personalities really have their own "song" in
the traditional sense, they are characterised by the perspectives of other individuals.

He lived his whole life with the intention of never inflicting pain to a single fly. The items
that he left for Scout and Jem were gum, coins, and wax dolls. In order to make it easier for
himself to retrieve Jem's trousers, he stitched them and then placed them on the fence. In
addition, he rescued the lives of Scout and Jem while putting his own life in danger. "Boo"
was a delicate and kind-hearted individual. The "mysterious" Boo Radley is a subject of
fascination for Scout, Jem, and Dill throughout the whole of the book. This is due to the fact
that Boo Radley never ventures out of his home and does not interact with anybody in the
neighbourhood. The youngsters in Maycomb are terrified of him as a result of the many tales
that they have heard about him from the people who live there. During the time when Boo
was sitting in the living room cutting a magazine, for instance, Miss Stephanie informs the
children that he "drove the scissors into his parent's leg, pulled them out, wiped them on his
trousers and resumed his activities." Boo returned to his hobbies. (page 11) After listening to
tales such as these, the youngsters have formed the opinion that he is a villain.

There is a gradual increase in the number of assumptions that are made about Boo due to the
fact that he never plays outdoors or with anybody else. As a result, the youngsters are not
persuaded differently. Boo Radley is turned into a game for the youngsters, and they play out
events from Boo Radley that they believe to be genuine. It was the gossip that circulates
around their neighbourhood that served as the basis for these tales. Nobody knew anything
about Boo Radley, as the truth of the matter was. Over the course of his time in Maycomb
County, he remained a recluse and remained inside his home.