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Symbolism in how to kill a mockingbird
Symbolism in harper lee's to kill a mockingbird
Essay on atticus finch as a person
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Recommended: Symbolism in how to kill a mockingbird
Songs of the Heart
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird it discusses how it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, a beautiful songbird. It is considered a sin to kill this beautiful bird because all this bird does is sing and provide us with wonderful music. It would be sinful to kill a creature as innocent and pure as a mockingbird. “They don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” states Miss Maudie on page 119. Everyone has a song in their heart that makes them as pure and sweet as a mockingbird.
Atticus Finch is a man of truth and justice. He is a lawyer in Maycomb and the two most important things in his life are his children, Scout and Jem. Atticus is a good man that will always do the right
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He never comes outside in the daytime and rumor has it that he peeks into the neighbor's windows while their sleeping. The children are fascinated by Boo and are constantly trying to get a look at him throughout the novel. One day when the children are walking back from school the find some chewing gum in the knott hole on the tree in the Radley’s property. They continue to find objects there and one day they find soap figures carved to look like Jem and Scout. This freaks the children out again because they start to realize that in order to make these carvings so spot on someone must have been watching them pretty closely and they suspect it might be Boo. Boo continues to watch over the children throughout the novel and in the end when Bob Ewell attacks Scout and Jem, Boo was able to swoop in and save them. If Boo were to play his song it would be How to Save a Life by The Fray. The song sings, “And I would have stayed up with you all night, had I known how to save a life.” All Boo wanted to do was play with the children but he couldn’t go outside in the daytime. If Boo was able to save his own life by making it possible for himself to go outside in the daytime and live a normal life then he would have been able to play with the children and would have had the childhood he longed
That in turn, ruins any. hope he has a normal life. However, Boo stays out of sight for many. years and his only communication with anyone other than his family for many years when he left gifts for Jem and Scout in the tree outside. his house.
“I’d rather you shoot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after the birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mocking bird.” Atticus Finch recites these lines to his two children, Jem and Scout after he gives them air-rifles for Christmas. Scout is curious, as this is the first time that she has ever heard her father refer to anything as a sin, Scout asks Miss Maude what Atticus meant by this. Miss Maude tells Scout that mocking birds don’t rip up people’s garden’s or annoy them in any way, all they do is play beautiful music for us to listen to.
Throughout the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch demonstrates himself as an honest lawyer, a loving father, and a symbol of righteousness through his beliefs that he instills in his children. Atticus Finch values empathy, respect, and bravery, and he proves himself as a moral compass by teaching both Jem and Scout these values in the form of life lessons.
Jem begins to understand that Boo is not dangerous instead he wants to help him and Scout. Boo leaves gifts for the children in hole in the tree and Mr. Nathan puts cement in the tree to stop Boo from communicating With the children. Also later in the story they find out that Boo put a blanket over them during the fire.
Killing a mockingbird is a sin. The quote by Atticus listed above is about killing life, but is also an extended metaphor for the corruption of innocence. Miss Maudie explains Atticus’ mockingbird quote when she says, “Your father’s right,” she said. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (119). Mockingbirds are harmless birds that sing songs by mimicking, or “mocking” the noises of other animals, including birds. When they sing and flutter about, they are not harming anyone, but merely minding their own business. For this reason, Miss Maudie and Atticus are both right. As long as mockingbirds mind their own business and do not bother anyone, there is absolutely no reason to kill them. The metaphor relates to gossip and innocence when Maycomb takes an innocent person and gossips about him or her, causing the town to have a bias against them even though they did nothing. For that reason, killing a mockingbird is a sin, just as well as gossiping about an innocent per...
Atticus Finch is a well-rounded and respected resident of Maycomb County, Alabama. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus takes on the duty of being an attorney and a single father of two adventurous children. He believes in equality among races, although a lot of Maycomb County’s white community thinks they are high and mighty compared to the black folk. In a time of injustice, Atticus represents an innocent black man accused of rape making him respected among the black community. At home, Atticus taught his children important life lessons about equality and putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. This character represents the importance of morality and reasonability. Throughout the novel, Atticus has very good morals and
As the story progresses, Boo becomes more of a symbol of kindness and bravery than that of the "town freak" which he is made out to be. Boo leaves presents for the children in the hollow trunk of an old tree, as well as covers Scout with a blanket during Miss Maudie's fire. However, it is not until he saves Jem and Scout's life from the hands of the deranged Mr. Ewell, that Boo shows his true heroic character. Even though Boo is a physically weaker man, he shows no fear when it comes to protecting Jem and Scout's life.
But Boo tends to be a misunderstood character, just like the mockingbird. In chapter 28, when Jem and Scout were walking back home from school, they took the shortcut which happened to be pitch black. Jem heard a sound which alerted them. At first Jem thought it was Cecil Jacobs (a boy who liked to pull jokes on Jem and Scout), but then they realized it was someone else. They heard footsteps running after them to find that it was a grown man. Jem called out to Scout to run but she fell due to her costume.When Scout finally got back up to find Jem, the man squeezed her until she could barely breathe. Worriedly, Scout called out for Jem but didn’t get a response. She saw two men underneath the tree besides Jem and herself. She called out “Atticus?” but there was no answer once again. She noticed a man laying the ground that had the awful essence of booze, she got up and made her way over the road, and within the light of the street lamp Scout sees a man carrying Jem. The man headed towards the Finch house, where Atticus let him in. Scout eventually realized that “the man” was no other than Mr. Arthur or commonly referred to as Boo Radley. Mr. Arthur, despite his poor perception of
“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 94). This quote, delivered in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, introduces the mockingbird which is incorporated symbolically throughout the novel. The mockingbird, in presenting its gifts of music and beauty, is the symbol of Atticus’s practice of altruism because he believes in society’s responsibility to protect those who are vulnerable and innocent.
In Conclusion, Today in our world many people see someone as an admirable leader and heroic figure. Whether it’s a sister, brother, parent, or celebrity, everyone has someone they look up to. Just like the people of Maycomb look up to Atticus Finch. Atticus Finch is a good man who displayed so many characteristics and he is definitely the heroic figure of Maycomb. Atticus presented himself as a calm, courageous, and an open-minded person. His great qualities and personality also won him the respect of African Americans. Only someone with such great pride and honor would be able to accomplish that. When Atticus put his reputation at risk, he knew it was troubling but he was not going to be seen as a typical Maycomb person. Therefore, Atticus is a great impact in the novel, To Kill a MockingBird By Harper Lee.
He was known to get outside at night where no one could see him and he stayed hidden. Boo is lonely as it seems because he was grounded by his parents and its for life. Boo cant get out of the house only at night when his parents are not awake. Boo has never been seen for so long only as a kid he was seen before what he did.
...l along Boo just wanted to have someone to call a friend because of suffering from lonesome. Even though he may have been involved in the fires and other acts he did in Maycomb he was not like what anyone said a bout being a nocturnal monster or a heartless person. Boo was a normal human being living in his own world for the longest time till he broke out of his shell when Scout and him met on Halloween night. The Change that happens in the Radley house is dramatic Boo goes for being the towns "night phantom" to being a Hero in the end. Lastly how did Scout have the courage to walk up to the Radley's porch was because Scout believed Boo to be a big hero for what he had done. Another reason Scout had walked with Boo home was to go see Jem who was there from when Boo carried him from the fight that night back home. Scout saw Boo as a positive at the end of the story.
“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (p.90) Miss. Maudie, one of the main protagonists in To Kill a Mockingbird, warns the young girl Scout that mockingbirds should not to be killed or hunted down because they represent those who are kind and innocent. So, on a broader spectrum, the term “to kill a mockingbird” symbolizes cruel and improper behavior towards people with good hearts and intentions. In the town of Maycomb, unethical behaviors, such as prejudice and gossip, are most commonly used against the “mockingbirds”. Three of those “mockingbirds” that are featured in this novel are Arthur “Boo” Radley, Tom Robinson, and Atticus Finch. Due to the depiction of the mockingbird symbol in the novel, the reader understands the consequences that immoral attitudes have towards those who are innocent and kindhearted.
Boo is a character who shows how courage doesn’t need a voice or a strong body behind it. All true courage needs is real motives and real action. Boo is an example of how courage can be shown without the use of words. He places items, such as a medal, soap dolls, a packet of chewing gum, twine, and a pocket watch in the hole of the Radley tree, for Jem and Scout to have. Mr. Nathan Radley, Boo’s brother, found out about the tree communication between Boo and the Finch children, so he filled the hole with cement.
But remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. " It was very unusual for Atticus to say something like this, as he never tells Scout or Jem that anything is a 'sin'. This makes Scout a bit surprised and so Miss Maudie explains that it is because mockingbirds are neither harmful nor destructive and only make nice music for people to enjoy. Here is what she said: "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up peoples gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.