Essay On The Flowers In To Kill A Mockingbird

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, there are many situations where the characters are affiliated with flowers. Each of the flowers; Camellias, Azaleas, Geraniums, and Calpurnia’s; give a deeper understanding of each of the characters. Through these symbols Harper Lee provides the reader a deeper understanding of Miss Maudie, Mrs. Dubose, Mayella Ewell, and Calpurnia. Like the Camellia’s, Mrs. Dubose is deep rooted. Camellia’s symbolize how ugly things, like racism, can hide under pretty shells. They are deep rooted and can grow rapidly. Mrs. Dubose’s roots are deep. She’s “infected” with racism. When Mrs. Dubose said to Jem, “Thought you could kill my snow-on-the-mountain, did you?... Next time you’ll know how to do it right won’t you? You’ll pull it up by the roots, won’t you?”(Pg. 82), she is saying that not everything is that easy to go away. The next flower is the Azalea’s. In the novel, Miss. Maudie Atkinson grows these flowers. Azalea’s are very hardy flowers and can grow in poor soil conditions. These flowers symbolize spirit and determination. Miss Maudie is stronger than most girls in Maycomb. There is a point in the book where her house …show more content…
The Calpurnia grows in two different forms; such as pods and flowers. Their seeds are ground to heal wounds and ailments. It symbolizes how Calpurnia lives her double life - her life with the Finches’ and her life at home. She takes care of Scout and Jem as if they were her own kids.Calpurnia exposes them to her home life when she escorts the children to her church. It is here when the differences between her two lives becomes apparent to the children. As she took the children up to the church, a women from Calpurnia’s church rejected the kids because the color of their skin. Calpurnia merely stated, “... You’re not gonna change any of them by talkin’ right, they’ve got to want to learn, there’s nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language.” (pg.