The meaning of killing a mockingbird, how it represents Tom Robinson and how it represents Boo Radley. To kill a mockingbird means to kill something innocent, something pure, something that does no harm to anyone. Mockingbirds do nothing but make music for people to enjoy that is why “it is a sin to kill a mockingbird” (pg.90) In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” Tom Robinson is one of the characters who represent the mockingbird. He is a lot like the mockingbird because he did nothing but try to help Mayella Ewell who is the daughter of Bob Ewell. Tom Robinson was blamed for raping Mayella Ewell because her father has caught her kissing a black man, Tom Robinson, and at that time it was unacceptable to do so.
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.
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.
YEAR 10 ENGLISH Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) Practice Exam Topics • ‘To Kill a Mockingbird emphasises why it is important for people to stand up for those who are powerless.’ Discuss. • ‘Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird shows how even the most subtle act of courage can make a difference.’ Discuss. • “There are many types of folk...” How does To Kill a Mockingbird show that prejudice in any form is wrong? • “It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” How does To Kill a Mockingbird support the idea that it is wrong to punish those who have done no wrong? • ‘To Kill a Mockingbird suggests that courage is the most important personal quality for a person to have.’ Do you agree?
Therefore, to kill a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. Throughout the book, a number of characters can be identified as mockingbirds - innocents who have been injured or destroyed through contact with evil. One of the main examples of the mockingbirds mentioned throughout the story is Tom Robinson. Tom is an innocent black man who has been wrongly charged with the rape of a white female. The racism and stereotypes presented in America at this time was one of the main and only reasons Tom was found guilty of his charges although everyone knew that he was innocent.
The mockingbird is a major symbol in the novel because of Atticus’ belief that it is a sin to kill this bird. He says, “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you hit ‘em, but remember, it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 103). This belief stems from the concept that mockingbirds are innocent and do not harm anyone, so they should not be
He explains that it's a sin to kill a mockingbird, because they don't do anything bad to anyone, they only sing. This same lesson can be applied to characters in Lee's novel, such as Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, based on the fact that they're innocent people that are harmed and wronged by the evils of humanity. In some way, each of them are like mockingbirds, and by harming them, innocence is destroyed. The idea of mockingbirds representing innocence is a lasting one for the duration of the novel, and forces readers to take a look at the bigger picture. Perhaps the most relatable event to the symbolism, the Tom Robinson case depicts the destruction of innocence first hand.
The Mockingbirds of Maycomb In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, a resident of Maycomb referred to as Ms. Maudie made the statement that killing a mockingbird is wrong because “ ‘mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy…that’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’ ” (90). Most simply put, Ms. Maudie is saying that it is wrong to kill an innocent creature that cannot protect itself, yet alone harm others. This statement found itself as the theme of the overall novel and moreover as a lesson to society as a whole. The characters in the novel that personify this so called “mockingbird” would Tom Robinson, an African-American man wrongly accused of rape, and Arthur “Boo” Radley, a grown man who was shunned by society and then locked within his own home upon his father’s wishes. Both of these static characters possess innocence in terms of wrongdoings and have only performed helpful deeds for those they came into contact with.
Atticus Finch is ridiculed by the townspeople for being a moral human being and sticking to his beliefs in defending an innocent colored man. As explained by Lee through her characters Tom Robinson, Boo Radley and Atticus Finch, the mockingbird is a symbolic representation of innocence, purity and virtue. To begin, the community of Maycomb basically indirectly murdered Tom Robinson. Despite the fact the man was helpful and kind - especially toward Mayella, who charged him of raping her - Tom was sent to trial and then found guilty even after Atticus Finch had verified his guiltlessness. His responsibility was all based on the color of his skin, not his true moral character.
Underwood simply figured it was a sin to kill cripples, be they standing, sitting, or escaping. He likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children…” (241). Tom’s comparison to a song or mockingbird was best conveyed in the novel by the previous quote, which refers back to Atticus’s earlier quote. Atticus’s quote is best clarified by Miss Maudie, who states that mockingbirds not only have no detriment to people, that they create music for people (a benefit). Tom Robinson died a mockingbird because not only did he not