To Kill a Mockingbird is a brilliant novel by Harper Lee that etches moral lessons into its pages. The novel touches on many themes such as the true meaning of courage, the importance of education, and that a child's perception is wiser than an adult's. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee uses skillful language to tell her story and connect with her audience. Harper Lee uses literal language, symbolism, and imagery to bring the meaning of To Kill a Mockingbird to life. Lee manipulates literal language, such as dialogue and dialect, to fundamentally connect his meaning to readers. Each character has their personality, their emotions and their life, but the meaning of each life and their words only become clear in the dialogue. “'Little by little, I told him about the misfortunes of the day. “…and she said you taught me all wrong, so we can never read, ever again.” Please don't fire me, please, sir. […] “First of all,” he said, “if you can learn one simple thing, Scout, you'll get along much better with all kinds of people. You never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view... - Sir? “…until you climb into its skin and walk around in it” (Lee 39). Dialogue helps readers learn and understand the characters and inherent meaning. Dialogue helps readers understand what the characters are thinking, what they are feeling, and what they stand for as well. For example, when Atticus explains to Scout why he is taking Tom's case: "If you shouldn't defend him, then why are you doing it?" » “For several reasons,” said Atticus. "The bottom line is, if I didn't do it, I couldn't hold my head up in town, I couldn't represent this county in the Legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem, to stop doing something." “You mean if you d... middle of paper... image blurred by my sudden tears” (Lee 362). The image of Arthur Radley gives the reader a chance to see Arthur and Arthur's devastation. experiences. Harper Lee powerfully applies imagery to help readers connect and experience her novel. The use of literal language, symbolism, and imagery drives To Kill a Mockingbird, helping to bring Harper Lee's meaning to life. Harper Lee uses literal language to give characters a unique voice and add meaning. She practices symbolism to give her novel a deeper understanding. His use of imagery gives readers the opportunity to personally experience the story and connect to its purpose. Harper Lee cleverly uses language to bring her novel to life and allow her purpose to connect in a fundamental way with her audience. Works Cited Lee, Harper. To kill a mockingbird. Ed. 50th anniversary. New York: Grand Central, 1982. Print.