A Comparative Analysis of Bird Images in To Kill a Mockingbird and The Book of Songs

Abstract

Image is the carrier of writers' sentiments. Understandings towards image under diverse cultural backgrounds may reach a consensus. Meanwhile, for the literary works of different nations, the same images are occasionally demonstrated in different symbolic meanings due to dissimilarities in geography, culture, history, climate and traditional mindset.

In this thesis, the study of The Book of Songs and To Kill a Mockingbird explores the different symbolic meanings of bird images in the two works. This thesis is divided into four parts. The first part briefly expounds the definition of image and the previous research on image; the second part introduces different bird images symbolizing love, praise, satire, etc. in The Book of Songs; the third part explores the bird image of the innocence and kindness as well as the brutality and greed in To Kill a Mockingbird; the last part compares the similarities and differences of bird images in the two works and analyzes the causes of differences in bird images. 

This paper finally draws conclusion of differences in emphasis, writing style and culture connotation of bird image are effected by the geographic conditions as well as ancestors’ traditions. In this part, the writer discovers two main reasons leading the differences including literature origin and aesthetic taste: romanticism, enthusiasm and passion in American literature comparing with bird totem culture and euphemism in expression in Chinese literature. Hopefully, this thesis gives a boost to help readers understand the cultural connotations of various nationalities. And it is hoped that readers could appreciate the commonality and individuality of different cultures.

Keywords: images; birds; The Book of Songs; To Kill a Mockingbird