“You cannot understand a person until you climb into his skin.” To Kill a Mockingbird is a compelling story by Harper Lee. The description of the story is enhanced through the use of symbolism. Lee has used foreshadowing to present the theme effectively. Irony has been used by Lee to express her opinions about prejudice and racism. Therefore, the writer uses the best blend of many literary devices to present the theme of the story effectively.
Symbolism gives the reader a deeper meaning. The most apparent use of the metaphor in the story is its title. The mockingbird is an animal that hurts nothing and sings a sweet song. It is meant for enjoyment. It has been used as a symbol of innocence and purity. In the story, Tom is the mockingbird who hurt nobody and is innocent but found guilty just because he was a black male.
Foreshadowing allows the reader to gain insight into the character’s point of view. For instance, the scene of Atticus shooting the dog foreshadows multiple things; firstly, the dog adds fear to the situation, which foreshadows the presence of negroes in the area and the horror the community has of them. Secondly, the dog runs around and is finally shot; it is the story of Tom, who would run around and eventually be convicted of rape.
Irony has been used by Lee to express her opinions about prejudice and racism. It is best demonstrated in the scene of calling the full name of Bob Ewell during the trial of Tom Robinson: Robert E. Lee Ewell, which is the name of the writer who was a Confederate soldier during the Civil War and was against slavery by all means.
To Kill a Mockingbird presents the perfect blend of the many literary devices. Symbolism has enhanced the description of the story. Foreshadowing has been used to present the theme and irony by the writer to express her opinions about prejudice and racism. Therefore, the use of irony, foreshadowing, and symbolism allows the writer to represent the theme of inequality.
