Abstract

Nelle Harper Lee was a well-known American female writer in twenty century. To Kill A Mockingbird was written by Nelle Harper Lee and it was her only long novel, which was first published in 1960. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. It shows to the reader of the unfortunate people living under the American social reality at that time especially the black people who were under the pressure of discrimination through the eyes of Scout and Jem. It touched upon the darkness of human nature and the dark and unfair side of the American society in 1930s through the stories happening in Maycomb town. This paper will discuss the symbol of the mockingbird in the book and help readers to have a deeper understanding of discrimination in South America during 1930s.

Key words: mockingbird symbolism discrimination 

Contents

Abstract

摘要

Introduction-2

1. The biological meaning of the mockingbird-6

2. The symbolic meaning of the mockingbird-6

2.1 Unbeloved kind person-6

2.2 Innocent victim of discrimination-9

2.3 Victim of father’s authority and social rules-11

2.4 Victim of family indifference-13

Conclusion-15

Acknowledgments-18