Mockingbirds are innocent in the sense that they do nothing wrong, but yet they are destroyed by vicious gossip and painful actions. Tom Robinson was seen as guilty and destroyed by false accusations, leading him to an early death. Boo Radley is seen as a fearful, dreadful person through town gossip and put through years of torment from Maycomb citizens. In the end, Boo finds the courage to leave his house to save Jem, only making rumours start again. Tom and Boo are both social outcasts, yet live in completely separate worlds.
The mockingbirds in the story, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley get undeserving treatment during the novel until it is known to the people of Maycomb that they are good and pure. In the case of Tom Robinson it was too late as they killed him before they could learn what a good person he actually was. He got charged for a crime he did not commit, and Boo Radley got rumors spread about him that were anything but true. “It is wrong to kill the mockingbird just because you don’t like its
“Every great advance in natural knowledge has involved the absolute rejection of authority.” – Thomas H. Huxley The novel To Kill a Mockingbird told an unforgettable story of doing what a person thought was right no matter what the cost. Author Harper Lee used the character Atticus Finch to show a rejection of authority when he went against the social codes in his town and defended a black man in court. Lee showed Atticus’s penetrating defense that ended up revealing the town of Maycomb’s inherit racism. Atticus Finch challenged social justice and prejudice by defending Tom Robinson just as he would any other person. Atticus’s whole town went against him because he was defending a man of a different race.
As a white living in this County, I can see how visible and evident racial prejudice against the blacks has clouded the minds of many. Bob Ewell is one example of which racial prejudice has taken over his righteous mind. He had accused the innocent Tom Robinson for raping his daughter, Mayella Ewell. During the proceedings of the trial, however, was humiliated by Atticus Finch as he pointed the lies and flaws that lied in his testimony. Just yesterday, he had done another act which is hideous of mankind, taking revenge on Atticus Finch’s children, Jeremy Finch and Jean Louise Finch.
All Boo did was mind his own business and got punished and judged for it. Boos innocence was hidden behind his way of protecting himself from turning into a cruel citizen of Maycomb like the rest. Boo was judged unfairly his whole life but in the end the only thing he did was save two young lives, this making him a representation of the mockingbird. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee there are several people symbolized by the mockingbird. The mockingbird symbol is used to represent innocence and people getting judged unfairly which teaches those who read the novel, empathy and not to judge others by things heard by a second-hand
In the 1930s, African Americans were already treated unfairly, but, Tom being accused of raping a white woman made his life awful. Tom was ruled guilty in the trial even though all the evidence pointed toward him being innocent. For example, in the movie version of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus makes a point to ask the sheriff what side the bruises on Mayella's face were. After he told her that they were on the right side, Atticus knew that Tom's left arm could not move so, how could he have hit her? Anyways, even Tom knew that he would be guilty, for example, in chapter 19 it says "'Mr.
Three characters openly state their prejudice against the accused boy because of his background. The 3rd Juror is prejudiced against him because of the antagonism between himself and his own son: “I think we’d be better off if we took these tough kids and slapped ‘em down before they make trouble, you know?” The 10th Juror believes, “These people are born to lie. Now, it’s the way they are and no intelligent man is gonna tell me otherwise. They don’t know what the truth is…They are different. They act different.” The 4th Juror has similar beliefs to the 10th Juror: “This boy, let’s say he’s a product of a filthy neighbourhood and a broken home.
Tom Robinson is later seen as guilty. Even though it is very obvious that Bob Ewell is guilty, mainly because Tom’s left hand is useless. Because of Tom’s race, the people who see him as innocent will be looked down upon. Racism killed Tom.
A few things that I think are unjust in the book were Tom Robinson’s trial and the teachers. Some things that are just in my eyes but were not legal was when Boo Radley killed Mr. Ewell, it was just because he saved Jem and Scout’s lives, but unjust because he did not abide by the legal system. First, Tom’s Robinson’s trial was completely unjust. Tom Robinson was falsely convicted of rape. He was wrongfully convicted by an all-white jury, which at that time, racism was the norm.
(Page 105, Line 23). Unlikely, Michael is a man fraught with anger and hate. He revenges the man who is against him in prison; he kills the guy who sets Lincoln up; he cuts a guy loose who is escaping with him but tried to kill him before. Also, Atticus is very stern and foolish while Michael is social and smart. Atticus treats his kids (Jem and Scout) like adults and expects them to act and speak like adults, considering they are only six and ten years old.