To Kill A Mockingbird – Symbolism in Chapter 6

“We thought it was better to go under the high wire fence at the rear of the Radley lot, we stood less change of being seen. The fence enclosed a large garden and a narrow wooden out-house. Jem held up the bottom wire and motioned to Dill under it. I followed, and held up the wire for Jem. It was a tight squeeze for him (56).”

This quotation impressed me because of the incredible symbolism that it portrays. The children’s search through the darkness, the several wire fences, the vegetables in the yard, and then the dark window with curtains is somewhat symbolic of the children’s search through layers of ignorance and rumor to find the truth underneath it all at the very core. By searching for the man who has been made into a monster by society, they will bring back his basic common humanity and unite him with everyone else in spite of his unusual personality. The faint light that Dill sees represents the inner personality and true demeanor of Boo Radley. It illustrates that under all the stereotypes and rumors that encompass Boo, there is good at the very heart of his soul. This theme also ties in with the theme of increasing savagery in The Lord of the Flies.

The theme of savagery in The Lord of the Flies depicts that everyone has savage inner instincts, but this barbarism is hidden by the laws and regulations of civilized society. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the author also a similar theme which illustrates that everyone is equal at heart, and their true personality is covered by society’s stereotypes and thoughts. Both novels show that people’s true personalities arise when they are removed from society and discrimination, but The Lord of the Flies states that man’s inner essence is evil, while on the other hand, To Kill a Mockingbird states that man’s inner intentions are good and righteous. These two novels thus provide a striking yet interesting contrast to each other about the inner nature of mankind.

Several more themes are evoked by this extravagant quotation. The dark house and the faint light symbolizes the unity of different races. It shows the reader the theme of racial equality because at the heart of every man, which is symbolized by the house, they are all the same. This theme depicting that everyone is equal can be perfectly seen in the quotation. The dark house, which represents flesh, contains a faint light, something that all homes contain. This shows that despite outer appearances, all mankind is equal despite their race or color. Similarly, Atticus wants to make it possible for black people to exist on the same level as white people and not be subjugated to prejudice.

He wants the black people to no longer be subjected to an inhuman existence, but rather be considered equals of the white people.. Color is extremely significant so far in the novel. Boo Radley is described as an extremely white individual, while Tom is defined as being extremely dark character. Both of these men are at opposite ends of the color spectrum in Maycomb’s society. They both share the common dilemma of being marked different from the color that is considered to be normal in Maycomb. By having two individuals being discriminated against in the novel, the author shows how Atticus and the children, old and young, learn to accept different races and embrace them as equals to themselves.

Courage is another motif that is expressed in this quotation, and continues to play an integral role throughout the remainder of the novel. In the novel, curiosity finally got the better of Dill and Jem. It instilled in them the courage to sneak up to the Radley house and peer in the windows until they had to run away. Curiosity wasn’t the only thing that led to the children’s courage. Because Jem didn’t want to disappoint Atticus, he was forced to go back to the Radley house to retrieve his pants so that he wouldn’t have to explain where he’d lost them. Although he knew it was dangerous and he was scared to go, Jem went to the Radley place because the courage to go there was easier to gather than the courage to face Atticus and tell him that he had disobeyed his father’s rules. Jem didn’t want to disappoint his father again like the last time when Atticus became angry with him for playing the game about the Radley family.

Atticus was ashamed by his behavior, which is shown when said, “You want to be a lawyer, don’t you? (54)” Jem then replied, “I thought I wanted to be a lawyer but I ain’t so sure now! (54)” In the second line, Jem said that he didn’t want to be a lawyer anymore because he didn’t want to disappoint his father by being such a bad lawyer and apprentice, bringing shame to his family and father’s reputation. By never wanting to disappoint his father, Jem had to go retrieve his pants and risk being caught by Boo Radley. However, he was never caught, but came back to the house with his pants and an incredible terror, which I will delve into further in the next chapter.