Perhaps the most relatable event to the symbolism, the Tom Robinson case depicts the destruction of innocence first hand. Robinson, a respectful black man, is wrongly accused of raping and beating Mayella Ewell. Atticus clearly shows the whole courtroom that Tom is incapable of this crime, and even brings light to the person who actually beat Mayella. Instead of recognizing Tom Robinson's innocence, the jury was blinded by racism and found him guilty. This directly relates to the symbolism Harper Lee implemented previously in the book, showing how wrong it is to harm something, or someone, that did nothing but sing, and in Tom’s case, help Mayella.
The aspect of the ‘mockingbird’ in the text occurs frequently. The topic of a mockingbird symbolizes the distorted lives of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson and there lives make the readers lose a piece of innocence through their perspectives. The children are warned that it is a “sin to kill a mockingbird because all it does is sing”. Tom Robinson is an example of a gentle person who has done no harm and only tried to help others however his life is made a mockery from the town’s people and this realization for us makes us loos the innocence we have before reading this. Additionally, Boo Radley has a distorted version of what might have been a normal life but because of his background and individual circumstances such as the knowledge that “he lives with his brother, and Miss Stephanie claims that she saw Boo Radley stab
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.
Courtney McPhillips How to Kill a Mockingbird vs. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird are two timeless American classics. Though the two novels seem to be very different when not looked deeply into, there are many comparisons that can be made between them. A lynching mob goes after Colonel Sherburn in a scene in Huck Finn. This scene is very similar to a scene in To Kill a Mockingbird in which a group of men from Maycomb confront Atticus at the jailhouse.
Why is “To Kill a Mockingbird” such an effective title “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee explores the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the thirties. “To Kill a Mockingbird” is an effective title in many ways as it is used as a symbol for many concepts throughout the book. A mockingbird is a type of bird from the family of finches which “mocks” or mimics other birds’ song. It is an innocent, small and plain bird of which some are known to be endangered. It is thought that their habits differ according to their adaption to specific environments.
As the reader begins to see the unfairness of the actions against black people, mostly because of Atticus’ speech, the theme of discrimination is developed through the motive of ‘walking around in their shoes.’ The title, To Kill A Mockingbird is very symbolic and meaningful. The quote which corresponds with the title is also said by Atticus and is, ‘Shoot all the blue jays you want if you can’t hit ‘em, but it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.’ There are two characters in the text which are metaphorical to the mockingbird. One is the obvious one, Tom Robinson, a black man accused of the rape of a white girl, whom Atticus defends, and the other is Boo Radley. Just like a mockingbird, Tom Robinson only did good and in the end was accused of a crime he didn’t commit. He helped Mayella Ewell every time she asked, for free, and for it he was accused of raping her.
1) The Mockingbird "Thus, to kill a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. Throughout the book, a number of characters (Jem, Tom Robinson, Dill, Boo Radley, Mr. Raymond) can be identified as mockingbirds—innocents who have been injured or destroyed through contact with evil. "http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/mock… 2)"The waxy camellia, the "Snow-on-the-Mountain" (118), could be a symbol of courage. She built her spirit little by little just as when she was making the camellia. Now it is Jem's turn to build his own.
For example, the dead canary can symbolize many things. Mrs. Hale compared the dead canary to Mrs. Wright, “…was kind of like a bird herself—real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and—fluttery.” (191) Those were just personality characteristics, but going more in depth the canary could also be compared to Mrs. Wright’s singing voice. Mrs. Hale realizes that the Mr. Wright could have possibly killed the bird by pointing out that, “… Wright wouldn’t like a bird—a thing that sang. She used to sing. He killed that, too.”(192) The canary was killed was just the way Mrs. Wright’s husband was killed, both being strangled.
Racism is used when Mayella, a character in this story, accuses Tom Robinson, a local black man, of rape. Also, the Lynch Mob was an example of racism because they had gone to the jail where they were holding Tom to kill him. Courthouse segregation was another example. The blacks could only sit on the balcony during court hearings. When Tom was accused of rape, this was the most racist point in the book to me.
To Kill a Mockingbird Symbolism In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses symbolism as a way to represent prejudice in Maycomb. The three symbols that are used to explore the prejudice theme are; a mockingbird, the fire and the snowman. This novel is a true story based on Harper Lee’s life when she was a 6-year-old child. The mockingbird symbol represents the injustice of Negroes, for they don’t harm anyone. It is sinful to shoot a mockingbird.