More handpicked essays just for you.
A critical study of "to kill a mockingbird" by harper lee
Exampls of symbolism in to kill a mockingbird
Themes in to kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Response To Literature- To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
“Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Is this lesson so significant that it's worth putting it on the cover of the book? It is. This quote is an essential expression of the theme of To Kill A Mockingbird. Harper Lee uses symbolism and an extended metaphor to convey that it’s moral to not harm anyone or anything that does no harm to you.
“Atticus said to Jem one day, “I’d rather you shoot all the tin cans in the back yard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.' That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it.' Your father's right,' she said. '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's a sin to kill a mockingbird.'" (90)
Those lines from Chapter 10 ...
Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That is why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. " We see how Boo is portrayed as a mockingbird figure when he is locked. away from any sort of normal life and society.
“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.
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's a sin to kill a mockingbird" (Lee 90). This quote relates to Boo because instead of singing, Boo was like a mockingbird in his house, leaving gifts and helping the children. For example, he leaves gum and coins for the children and when Jem was running and got his pants hooked on the fence, Boo folded it nicely and left it there for him. This represents how Boo is a very innocent and loving mockingbird.
In part one of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus proves that he has a civilized heart by informing Scout and Jem about the sin of killing mockingbirds, showing his views about equality and the Ewells, and defending Tom Robinson even when the odds of winning are slim. Firstly, when Scout begins taking interest in guns, Atticus proclaims one rule for her to follow when he says, “‘Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.’” (10). Mockingbirds are known for singing loud and beautiful songs. Atticus believes that one should not mindlessly shoot at something that works hard to please others. Also, the mockingbirds do not harm other birds, thus Atticus concludes that they should
“Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird." A quote from the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird depicts the hardships of growing up and seeing the world around you being controlled by prejudice and racism. Lee implies that innocence is not seen as the assumption that people are naturally good but is more of a mature perspective gained from facing immorality.
In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Atticus tells Jem and Scout to, "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird," he is referring to the notion that a mockingbird is a harmless creature and does nothing but sing and bring happiness to the world. Harper Lee takes the title for her novel from this passage because the imagery of the mockingbird is analogous to the characters of both Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. These two characters are "harmless songbirds" who are sinfully destroyed.
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
In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee utilizes the significant symbol of a mockingbird to convey the coming of age theme of knowing someone’s background before forming opinions. When Scout and Jem get airsoft guns for Christmas, Atticus knows they will go “after birds,” so he allows them to “shoot all the bluejays” as long as they do not “kill a mockingbird” because it is “a sin” (Lee 119). Through close analysis, the advice Atticus presents has a much deeper meaning to it than originally perceived. The “mockingbird” is a symbol for all of the innocent people that are portrayed unjustly and the “bluejays” represent the malevolent individuals. Also, Lee’s decision to use the word “sin” suggests that killing a mockingbird is absolutely iniquitous,
"I'd rather you shoot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want , if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." This is what Atticus Finch tells his children after they are given air-rifles for Christmas. Uniquely, the title of the classic novel by Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird, was taken from this passage. At first glance, one may wonder why Harper Lee decided to name her book after what seems to be a rather insignificant excerpt. After careful study, however, one begins to see that this is just another example of symbolism in the novel. Harper Lee uses symbolism rather extensively throughout this story, and much of it refers to the problems of racism in the South during the early twentieth century. Harper Lee's effective use of racial symbolism can be seen by studying various examples from the book. This includes the actions of the children, the racist whites, and the actions of Atticus Finch.
I’m Brook, and will be telling you about the movie To Kill A Mockingbird. The book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee was published in 1960, the film came soon after in 1962. As you're reading this essay I will tell you about the plot of the movie, the conflicts in the film, my opinion of the movie, and about my favourite character. The story is told from the perspective of Scout, she narrates the film as a flashback.
...Shoot all the blue jays you want but it is a sin to kill a mockingbird” I believe this quote relates to the theme of the novel because Tom is the symbol of the mockingbird he minded his own business, and was charged guilty even though he was proven innocent. And the racist people in the town are considered the mocking jays, because they are rebelling against a white man sticking up fro an African American. So I believe it means you can either do the good or the bad thing , it will only affect your future.,
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is an emblem of racial jurisdiction. All throughout the book it shows how the law applies to blacks as opposed to whites. Lee shows how unjust the treatment of blacks is and the disregard for their human rights. Though through the actions of the characters in the book; it can be said that their actions show a glimmer of hope for this very prejudiced society.
“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.
As Jem and Scout are shooting, Atticus says: “I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want. but remember its a sin to kill a mockingbird” (90). With this said, mockingbirds are put in a new category of respect and can even be seen as sacred since it is a sin to kill them. This moral law that Atticus presents gives protection to the beautiful creatures.
Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn cribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” This conveys the loss of innocence in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and thus killing a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. A number of characters (Jem, Tom Robinson, Dill, Boo Radley, Mr. Raymond) can be identified as Mockingbirds who have been injured or destroyed through their contact with evil.