Family In To Kill A Mockingbird

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The county of Maycomb Created by Harper Lee, while appearing quaint, is bustling with activity. There are three easily recognizable family lines presented in the novel, consisting of the Ewell’s, the Finch’s, and the Cunningham’s. Each family is known for their unique attributes. While some have morals and values that frowned upon, such as the Ewell’s, others like the Cunningham’s are honest people with strong morals. They “never took anything they can’t take back,” for they, “are country folks, farmers, and the crash hit them the hardest” (Lee, pg. 26-27). Scout and Jem befriend Walter, a Cunningham, in their class and invite him over for dinner, to which he hesitantly agrees after much persuasion. In accordance with their family’s morals, …show more content…

The mockingbird, a harmless creature that does nothing to hurt anyone, sings songs to bring joy to everyone. Killing one, is an act of cruelty, as the mockingbird does nothing but invoke happiness. In the story the slave, Tom Robinson, devotes his life to serving his master and providing for his own family. He can be seen as a mockingbird, singing his song. Society can be seen as the killer of the mockingbird. In particular, Bob Ewell is the man responsible for wanting to kill the bird as he is the man who claims Robinson raped the young girl. Along with Ewell the other members of the community set out to destroy Robinson with no evidence that the allegations were true. Also, the childlike innocence seen in Scout can be used to associate her with the mockingbird. Having never done anything with evil intentions, Scout sees the world as an equal place because of what her dad taught her. As she matures her eyes open to the meaning behind the cruel words and deeds of society. It finally registers that people aspire to hurt her because she doesn’t conform to society’s norm. She too can be seen as a mockingbird, being destroyed by society. The novel provokes soul searching that causes the reader to examine their own lives and to examine their own role in society. Are they killing mockingbirds themselves? Does the reader live in their own society not paying mind to what effect they have on others? The novel is subtle, but charges the reader to examine their behavior. The novel can also be seen as a challenge to live life as the mocking, bird making sure you do no harm to

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