A mockingbird is a harmless bird that makes the world more pleasant. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the mockingbird symbolizes Boo Radley and Tom Robinson, who were both peaceful people who never did any harm. To kill or harm them would be a sin. Scout's father, Atticus, tells Scout and Jem, "I'd rather you shoot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.
Maudie, try to teach the children not to hurt mockingbirds as they don't harm anything and "...don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy" (90). While the comparison of a mockingbird to Tom Robinson illustrates the sin of hurting the innocent, it is also used to show the goodness of an unknown neighbor, Boo Radley. I. Describe what Tom Robinson is on trial for. A. summarize one of the reasons we believe he is innocent 1. his left arm is useless a. find quote where Tom says it got caught and the muscles were ripped (#).
The Symbolism of the Mockingbird in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy...but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (90). In Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” the mockingbird represents innocence. It is shown in 3 different ways. The meaning of killing a mockingbird, how it represents Tom Robinson and how it represents Boo Radley.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee uses a small, yet effective symbol to portray innocence, human goodness, and morals of a society. This symbol, a mockingbird, stands for much more than a bird. Although the symbol is discreet, the mockingbird can represent almost every situation and moral that occurs throughout the book, but is only mentioned in a few paragraphs of a chapter. After Jem and Scout receive toy guns for Christmas, their father, Atticus, tells them that they can shoot birds if they'd like, but that they should never shoot at a mockingbird. He explains that it's a sin to kill a mockingbird, because they don't do anything bad to anyone, they only sing.
The racist views of the town are against Atticus defending Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman, and Atticus is often discriminated against for not agreeing with them. His children, Scout and Jem, also feel the hatred of others against them because of what their father's beliefs are. "But Mrs. Dubose held us: "'Not only a Finch waiting tables, but one in the courthouse lawing for niggers' ... 'Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for.'" Although Atticus is criticized for what he decides is right, he bravely ignores the disapprobation. Mrs. Dubose is courageous because she recognizes she has a flaw and that she has to help fix it to make it go away.
In the end, after a long trial, he was pleaded guilty, even though his lawyer, Atticus Finch, proved he did not do it. He was accused of such a crime because he was a black man. Which in the thoughts of many, made it impossible for a white girl to defend herself against him. Not only did coloured people get picked on, but white people did, too. “You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here - they got their church, we got our’n.
Maudie) to kill one. Atticus tells Scout and her brother Jem, “I'd rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit'em, but remember it's a
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus defends Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman, in a court trial. The town of Maycomb turns against him due to this. Atticus, furious about the reaction from his town, explains, “…why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a negro comes up, is something I don’t pretend to understand” (Lee 88). Atticus does not have any racial biases, and he does not agree with the views of the majority of the people of Maycomb. Atticus, describing his beliefs to Jem, “…The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be
To Kill A Mockingbird: Compare and Contrast Essay The Mockingbird “Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”(Lee, 90). In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch explains to his daughter Scout, that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because these birds do not do anything to harm or bother others. All they do is sing pretty music for all to enjoy. Within the novel, the theme of the mockingbird is present through the characters of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. These two execute the theme of the mockingbird through the misinterpretation of themselves by the people of Maycomb, their innocence, and bravery throughout the novel.
HOW DOES HARPER LEE PRESENT THE THEME OF PREJUDICE IN ‘TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD’? Prejudice is defined as an "opinion formed without taking the time and care to judge fairly", and this is a theme that Harper Lee distinctly exploits throughout ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. The majority of people in Maycomb shared the typical mentality of prejudice, which was present in the 1930’s Southern States of America. There are several characters throughout the novel who have been victims of prejudice from the judgements of Maycomb society and even the reader. The novel does not solely highlight racial prejudice, through characters such as Tom Robinson, but it also illuminates the gullibility of society and how dubious figures of evidence can cause prejudice to an individual, such as Boo Radley.