The design is inspired by elements from Andy Warhol’s style, and Roy Lichtenstein’s halftone style. The mood carried forward was meant to be more sombre, as the theme of the book is about maturity and growth of a child in this harsh society.
There is deeper meaning to the cover than it looks. The four birds represent different stages of the child’s (Scout) life and the lessons learnt in each particular stage. Slowly, she begins to see a darker side of the world but learns that the world cannot be balanced without evil. The blood represents the black man (Tom Robinson) who was crucified because of Racism. She starts to accept the bad in people by stepping in their shoes to understand their situations and hope for better. When she dons the pocket watch given to her by her wise father (Atticus), it signifies that she has truly grown up.
