The plots and themes of this classic of American literature have been considered and revised many times, but not enough readers pay attention to all the metaphors and the symbolism that are intertwined with the text. While To Kill a Mockingbird has many values ​​of equality on the surface, the hidden meanings and symbolism allow it to take on a deeper stance than one might immediately notice. Some notable examples are the encounter with the mad dog, the mud and snow man, Atticus' light in the prison, and of course, the references to mockingbirds. The rabid dog, a menace to the town of Maycomb, was wandering down the street, no one daring to confront him except Atticus. Even Heck Tate, the town sheriff, didn't have the courage to shoot. Clearly, this scene goes deeper than what's on the surface. Atticus was the only one brave enough to pull the trigger, but he was also the only one brave enough to go against the general bigotry of the town. Like the poison of prejudice, the dog walked freely down the street in his own twisted way. To everyone the dog seemed seemingly unstoppable. Furthermore, this symbolic language also explains the next statement (said as the jury returned to the courtroom) “it was like watching Atticus walk down the street, shoulder the rifle and pull the trigger, but watch the whole time knowing the gun was empty. (Lee 211)”The mud and snow man and the resulting fire could also symbolize the racism of the town. Jem's decision to build the basic snowman with dirt and then add the details with snow is representative of his sense of equality. At first, the snowman was all black with dirt, but by adding white snow, Jem's "morphodite" looked just like the man he was portraying; Mr. Avery: Something almost unattainable using just one. This could symbolize Jem's impartiality, as most children would never think of using dirt in a snowman. Atticus may have noticed this too, bringing what I think would otherwise be an excess of pride. After seeing his snowman, Atticus said, "...from now on, I won't have to worry about what becomes of you, son... (Lee 67)" Of course, trying to treat the whites and the blacks as equals in the city of Maycomb he could not go unpunished. Later in the chapter a fire breaks out