“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy....That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” The mockingbird then comes to represent true goodness and purity. Tom Robinson is one example of a human “mockingbird”. He stands accused of raping and beating Mayella Ewell, the daughter of Bob Ewell, but is innocent of the charges. The town commits the ultimate sin by finding Tom guilty and sentencing him to death. In effect, they have killed a mockingbird.
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.
It is symbolic for the simple fact that Tom Robinson is just an innocent man trying to live his life. All he ever did was try to be a good, honest person and help Mayella Ewell when she was in need. In return he lost his freedom and his life. All because Mayella Ewell felt the need to cover up the fact that “she kissed a black man” and broke “a rigid and time-honored code of our society, a code so severe that whoever breaks it is hounded from our midst as unfit to live with”(232). Another event compared to killing a mockingbird is Boo Radley and the death of Bob Ewell.
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
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.
“The boy was dead the moment Mayella opened her mouth and screamed. It’s not right, but sometimes we can’t change the minds of white men.” Tom Robinson was innocent and most people know it. Mayella Ewell was obviously coached to lie- she stopped answering questions at one point. Mr. Bob Ewell was a low man who no doubt abused his children. It was obvious that Mr. Ewell beat his daughter, not Tom Robinson.
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.
To Kill a Mockingbird, a classic tale with a meaning deeper than the simple story of childhood shenanigans, remains a staple in many classes throughout the US. The people of the town consistently express their racist values, and how there prejudice clearly divides white and black people. Beyond that, the contrast between knowing and not knowing consistently appears throughout the story. There are many different types of ‘not knowing,’ ranging from innocence to ignorance. The people of Maycomb are ignorant when it comes to race, and the Finch children are innocent and do not know what’s really involved with the case taken up by their father.
Bob Ewell, who is above Tom in the social standard, accuses Tom of the rape just because he is black. Bob makes these accusations without any evidence. Atticus defends Tom Robinson because believes he is innocent. Atticus doesn’t see color and teaches his children this strong moral value. The townspeople respond by calling Atticus a “****** lover.” Mrs. Dubose, an old racist woman, shows disrespect towards Atticus and his children.
Because of the monster's cruel act of causing death, Victor faces inevitable conviction. Justine confesses she is the murderer of Victor's brother, William, when she was placed on trial. However, she is innocent and claims she is the murderer hoping to gain salvation. Not only does Justine blame herself, Victor knows she has nothing to do with the case and he feels horrible. “Anguish and despair had penetrated into the core of my heart; I bore a hell within me, which nothing could extinguish.” (Shelley 75) However, Victor cannot explain the truth because he is afraid people will think he is crazy.