The mockingbird is the symbol of innocence in Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird. It symbolizes the essence of peace and guiltlessness in a world of chaotic evil that has been plaguing the world all around Scout. It is through her that the mockingbird is revealed and it is sad to see that Scout has to experience such a cruel thing happen at such a young age. Tom Robinson: the symbol of all things good in a man, is the most righteous man out of both the black and white communities, and is without a doubt an icon for what a man can be. All the terrible deeds done to him came from Robert Ewell, the evil of Maycomb as he destroys the innocence of such a good man. Tom Robinson, out of all the men in Maycomb county, is the unlucky one who Bob Ewell …show more content…
condemns as a criminal. He is made out to be a sinful man by Bob and Mayella but the reality is that Tom is by far the most decent and spiritual black man in their county. He is courteous to everyone no matter their skin color or their background, this is the way he lives his life and he has strong morals that back him up and make him an outstanding worker. Mr. Link Deas exclaims during the trial, “That boy’s worked for me eight years an’ I ain’t had a speck o’trouble outa him.”(261) he outright defends Tom without a second thought, and gives hope that there are some people willing to stand up against evil. This is very courageous of Mr. Deas to do this because not many white men would defend a black man as he did and this really goes against the way white people function in their society. Tom’s kindness towards the Ewell family, which he honestly did not need give to them, is being put to wrong use as they later use his affection to convict Tom.
This abuse of Tom’s sympathy is really unfair and Tom does not deserve this unjust conviction as he did nothing wrong. When the jury finally finds Tom guilty, there is no way how anybody could not feel disappointment towards the way the case ends because the court is suppose to save the innocent not the guilty. In today’s standards, this ordeal would have never happen as there would be a fair jury, judge, and more evidence to back up both sides giving the case a fair trial, but because of the racism of the jury this case is completely one sided. Atticus knows that the jury is discriminating Tom but he has hope, at the end of his rebuttal he says, “A court is only as sound as the jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up.”(274). Atticus being such a modern man in his time, he can see the differences between the people of Maycomb; he can recognize the racism towards the black community but he abominates the discrimination; for him to have hope really makes the situation more dramatic. If every man in Maycomb acts like Tom and Atticus then this tribulation would have never gone to court and actually be given a “fair” trial. Tom’s morals by itself transcends beyond all the hatred and racism in Maycomb, his actions compare to that of the singing of a mockingbird. He does not mean to harm anybody or anything; …show more content…
Tom’s innocence stands as an icon for the type of way a man can and should act. He understands that people as unfortunate as the Ewells need help from time to time and that is why he assists Mayella in doing certain chores. When Atticus asks the question, “Were you paid for your services?”(256) and he responds, “No suh… I was glad to do it…”(256).
This is self evident that Tom loves to work and help people in any way he can, he has been offered payment in the past but he refuses to accept it because he is too kind and humble to do so. When Scout and Jem go with Cal to her church they learn from Rev. Sykes that Tom is a God-fearing man when he says, “... He has been a faithful member of the First Purchase since he was a boy…”(160). Tom’s attendance of mass is exceptional and it is a perfect example for those who are Christian because if a man like Tom can be able to attend mass weekly so can everyone else. His faith represents him as a virtuous man that is willing to be loving to everyone, no matter the color of their skin and the opinions they
have. Tom is a righteous man, if he is not why would the poor black community all come together and pitch in ten dollars for his family? There is no other reason they would do so other than Tom’s integrity for what he stands for and the morals he carries with him everyday. He is the mockingbird in every way, he does good things for the world and he tries his best not to harm anything. He does not deserve the evil that is done to him but he does deserve a second chance at life because it is unjust that Bob Ewell wins the case and leaves the court a free man. There is so many reasons that are important to the innocence of Tom Robinson, he is clearly the mockingbird but sadly the evil succeed in destroying the innocence of a mockingbird, thus explains why the title of the novel is To Kill a Mockingbird.
Protecting the innocent is a major theme in To Kill a Mockingbird. It is shown in many ways. Some ways include how Atticus tries to protect Tom Robinson, how Boo Radley saves Jem and Scout, and how Heck Tate tries to protect Boo. Harper Lee may be trying to show how society should protect the innocent through her characters and their actions.
This demonstrates to the reader that Maycomb was an area where prejudice against black people could be traced back to their ancestors, and this prejudice had been passed down from generation to generation. At that time, the people of Maycomb disapproved of Atticus attempting to win the case. They had expected him to take it on as a mere formality, not to try and secure Tom's acquittal. Despite their displeasure, the people of Maycomb were, in fact, allowing Atticus to do something that some of them secretly desired but lacked the courage to attempt. As Aunt Alexandra notes, "They're perfectly willing to let him do what they are too afraid to do themselves.
Innocence evidently comes with birth and is kept through existence as time moves forward, but it soon becomes corrupted with specific life changing occurrences. In the film To Kill a Mockingbird directed by Robert Mulligan, which is based upon the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” written by Harper Lee, there are three prominent characters in which innocence is rendered within. The three characters are Jem Finch, his sister Scout or Jean Louise Finch, and their neighbor Boo Radley or Arthur Radley. They each possess a different form of innocence because of the diverse personalities and consequently have their innocence obliterated in distinct ways. The
The two characters in this book that represent this symbol are Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley. Tom Robinson is a “mockingbird” because he is wrongfully accused of raping a white girl. Through the prejudice of the people in Macomb he later convicted and killed, even when he never did anything to Mayella Ewell. Boo Radley is also another great example of a “mockingbird” because no one accepts him throughout the town, which forces him to hide in his home. He had rumors spread about him saying that he was a bad guy.
Innocence is defined as the state of being not guilty of a crime or other wrong act. The definition does not have any exceptions depending on race, age, gender or other physical characteristics. Yet in the south, the innocence of a guilty white man, is more important than the innocence of an innocent black man. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, is about a young girl named Scout who lives in Maycomb County, Alabama. The novel is separated into two parts, the first part is about the adventures of Boo Radley. While the second part is about the trial of Tom Robinson. In the first part of the novel, Scout along with her brother Jem and her friend Dill investigate the mysterious life of their neighbor, Boo Radley. Boo has not left
In the courtroom that night it is revealed that the alleged crimes of Tom Robinson, a decent Negro man, most likely did not happen. As Atticus says in his closing argument, "The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence to the effect that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place. It has relied instead upon the testimony of two witnesses whose evidence has not only been called into serious question on cross-examination, but has been flatly contradicted by the defendant. The defendant is not guilty, but somebody in this courtroom is” (Lee 271). Showing the clear innocence of Tom Robinson due to lack of evidence, Scout thinks that the white jury will do the right thing only to find out that they still, unfairly, accuse him of being guilty. Scout and her brother, Jem, get very upset when they hear the verdict, however, it allows them both to learn the lesson that the county is unfair towards anyone who is not white. The county demonstrates this evil racism due to the social divisions in Maycomb between the whites and the blacks and because the whites see the blacks as unworthy of rights and freedoms. It was not just the trial itself that displayed evil in the world, but the comments and arguments surrounding the case did
Also the most significant symbol in this novel is the mockingbird symbol which represents innocent people victims of a cruel society. There were two mockingbirds that were killed because one was black and the other was creepy. This was a case of injustice because two people’s lives were taken away from them because of one’s race and one being different from others. Even in a court of law some people do not get a fare trial. Only in the end when we all stand before God he will give us all a fare trial. Mockingbirds and Finches are type of song birds. Harper Lee gave the main characters’ the last name “Finch”, because the family was innocent and accepted all their neighbors.
In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee tells the story of coming-of-age and the loss of innocence through the character Jem. Through recurring events, Jem is faced with the realization of society’s injustice, and is left questioning the world he lives in. During a time of rampant racial discrimination and prejudice in the south, Jem transforms from naivety to maturity.
All the while I can only imagine what Tom must be thinking. It is an awful situation, yet Mayella is white and he is black, and there is nothing anyone can do about that. More people start to flood into the courthouse, trying to snatch up the best seats as if they were fighting over one hundred dollars. After a half hour passes, I spot Tom and Atticus making their way to his table. This has been the most anticipated moment and day in Maycomb ever since Atticus decided to take the case. When I saw Tom it sent chills down my stiff spine. I need to be here, I have to be here for the town, for the sake of me knowing what happened. For a second, I caught a meaningful glimpse of Tom’s sorrowful eyes and saw that he wasn't a monster and that those were the eyes of an innocent
Tom Robinson’s trial, and in fact his entire life, was badly affected by racism. It is truly a testament to the corruption of society when a person who has earned a bad reputation is held in higher esteem than a person who was born with it, as is the case with Bob Ewell and Tom Robinson. Even though Tom was obviously honest in his testament, the jury sided with Bob Ewell because he was white. They made this decision despite the fact that the Ewell family was widely known to be a worthless part of society. Jem, not being racially prejudiced, could not understand this mentality. As Atticus pointed out, “If you (Jem) had been on the jury, son, and eleven other boys like you, Tom would be a free man.”
The reader can then infer that in To Kill a Mockingbird, society believes that white people are a symbol of the superior race, and colored people are a symbol of the inferior race. Neither of which is true because no one person is one-hundred percent honorable or evil. Unfortunately, stereotypes and beliefs of the time lead the people of Maycomb County to be unable to view everyone as equal and instead only focus on race. Tom’s situation is an overall representation showing that when people treat others differently based on color that someone will have to face the consequences of this thought process. In the book, Tom fails to receive a fair trial just because he is black, yet many years earlier in the 19th century, Sir William Garrow coined the term “innocent until proven guilty.” The phrase itself never specifies only being true for white people or any certain group of people, for that matter. Due to personal bias, the people of the time are able to twist that phrase and unfortunately warp it into something closer to “guilty until proven innocent.” The reader can infer based on his actions of distancing himself that Atticus feels misunderstood and even alone. He is fighting a battle
The illusion of innocence is deeply instilled in the outlook of children. Reality soon takes its grip as kids begin to grow and mature, and they lose their pure qualities that they have once possessed. Their father Atticus shelters Jem and Scout from the town’s disease, teaching them the act of sympathy and how to distinguish the good aspects over glaring at the imperfections of people. The loss of innocence portrayed in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is exposed as the lives of Jem, Scout, and Dill go through their racist and prejudice society, learning how the worlds dreamlike qualities is nothing more than just a childhood fable. The children’s judgment of people and society quickly sheds as Lee displays the harsh realities to Jem, Dill,
Racial prejudice is widespread in the county of Maycomb, and a prime example is the Tom Robinson case. Tom, a black man, was accused of raping Mayella, a white woman. Atticus puts forward all evidence from his witnesses that clearly proves Tom was innocent, Jem even says, ?and we?re gonna win Scout. I don?t see how we can?t? (pg 206), but Tom still received a ?Guilty? verdict. Atticus tried removing the prejudiced thoughts of the jurors by saying, ??the assumption - the evil assumption - that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings??. (pg 208). Atticus? saying insinuated the point that all of God?s children were created equal. To the jury, the only important thing was that Tom was black and the accuser was white, he never stood a chance under those conditions. These racial tensions between blacks and whites had made their way into the courtroom, a place where everyone should receive a fair trial no matter what race or colour, but an unjust verdict was reached. The prejudice that was felt towards Tom made him lose all hope of freedom, and as a result, he died upon an escape attempt. Tom was victim of racial prejudice and loss of hope.
This man is unfortunately victimized since his society does not believe he is innocent due to the color of his skin. Being the black man that Tom is, it is clear that “Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella opened her mouth and screamed” (241). There is no way that a black man’s words would override the voice of a white person. No testimony, evidence or speech can help Tom prove he is not guilty. Atticus understands that Tom is victimized by racism, so he explains: “When it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins” (220).
Two main protagonists, Jem and Atticus, represent the pure goodness of a mockingbird because they are innocent, bring joy to others and receive undeserved violence. With the presence of these characters whose goodness mirrors that of a mockingbird, Harper Lee is arguing that even in a community such as Maycomb that has so much racism and bigotry, goodness can coexist with evil. In this tragic story in which the innocent character of Tom Robinson is unfairly killed, there is insurgent hope in the goodness of people like Jem and Atticus