Who Is The Mad Dog In To Kill A Mockingbird

228 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: The loss of innocence

One of the most important symbols in To Kill a Mockingbird is the mad dog. The dog itself represents social disease in Macomb county and it is killed by Atticus, which is also symbolic. This, however, is a simple and surface meaning. On a deeper level, the dog can represent the succession of a normal Maycomb resident’s life. As someone is young, he is not contaminated with the disease of racism and discrimination, but as he get older, his ideas are corrupted and the innocence is lost. In a literal sense, when Atticus shoots the dog, he is protecting his children. Throughout the book he is also shielding them from the social disease in which the adults in Maycomb are infected. Scout is reminded of the mad dog when she is sitting in the court

Show More
Related

  • Comparing The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck and To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

    1318 Words  | 3 Pages

    Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, communicates a central idea that society has good and bad qualities by using an epigraphic symbol and dynamic characterization of the novel’s protagonist, Scout. The theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is that individuals affect society in both good and bad aspects. Lee demonstrates this idea by utilizing a mockingbird as the primary symbol of the novel and characterizing Scout to reveal and understand that both good and bad exist in the world. Scout learns that all a mockingbird does is good, it sings, but never does anything that people hate (Lee 90). In the novel, mockingbirds ...

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Dbq

    805 Words  | 2 Pages

    To some it is very unclear whether Mayella is powerful or powerless. In the book to To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, a family tries to defend a ‘Mockingbird’ who is being charged with crimes of rape. The book ironically takes place in the mid 1930s after similar events have just recently happened relating to blacks vs. whites. While Mayella Ewell can be considered as powerful based on her race, her class and gender indicates that Mayella is powerless based on the circumstances during the mid 1930s.

    Read More

  • A Pivotal Moment In To Kill A Mockingbird

    576 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee, the author, wrote about the journey of a little girl, named Scout, as she grows up. Scout’s father Atticus serves as a grand part of her aging because he teaches her many life lessons. The most significant of all the lessons and a pivotal moment in the novel occurs when Atticus tells Scout that “you never really a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them,”, which contributes to one of Scout’s intellectual changes and the theme, understanding requires time (Lee 372).

    Read More

  • Examples Of Figurative Language In To Kill A Mockingbird

    509 Words  | 2 Pages

    The symbolism of the mockingbird plays a huge role in the development of the theme in the novel. The mockingbird symbolizes innocence. In the book, it is believed that it is a sin to kill a man mockingbird because they bring about no harm, only beautiful music to enjoy. In the same sense, killing a mockingbird would be the equivalent of evil defeating good. This is represented multiple times in the novel through characters like Atticus Finch, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson. All of whom try to bring about the good in people rather than focus on the evil in the community.

    Read More

  • Coming Of Age Symbolism In To Kill A Mockingbird

    424 Words  | 1 Pages

    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,

    Read More

  • Examples Of Evil In To Kill A Mockingbird

    822 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout Finch learns a variety of concepts about the way the world really is. However the main concept that Scout discovers is the evil that surrounds her and her hometown of Maycomb. Scout discovers the evil in the world through her experiences in Maycomb and these are the events that help her grow and mature into who she is. Mainly, the trial of Tom Robinson opened Scout’s eyes to the evil and wrongdoings in the county, as well as in the courtroom. The trial gives way to the prejudice remarks about the Finch family’s involvement in the case. The trial of Tom Robinson, the county’s comments on Atticus’s involvement in the trial, and getting attacked at the end of the story

    Read More

  • Innocent Victims in To Kill a Mockingbird

    872 Words  | 2 Pages

    Who would want to kill a mockingbird that sings and keeps people at peace? Only mean and cruel people for example Bob Ewell, a drunk and abusive father. This symbol of mockingbird appears in the story many times. According to Merriam-Webster’s Middle School Dictionary a mockingbird is a songbird of the southern U.S. that is noted for the sweetness of its song and for imitations of the notes of other birds (482). The symbol of killing a blameless bird is repeated through out the story when Harper Lee describes Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and Calpurnia. The following words of Atticus to his children explain it “…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.” (Lee 90). To Kill a Mockingbird, is the expression of the mocking bird and some people as innocent victims.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Essay: Use of Symbolism

    1709 Words  | 4 Pages

    "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.

    Read More

  • The Mockingbirds of To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

    1256 Words  | 3 Pages

    “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.

    Read More

  • Human Nature In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

    1566 Words  | 4 Pages

    Jones, C. (1996). The Mad Dog as Symbol. In T. O'Neill (Ed.), Readings on To Kill A MockingBird (pp. 36). San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, Inc.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Life Lessons Analysis

    1025 Words  | 3 Pages

    While Scout and Jem discover a sick dog, they alerted their neighbors about it. Atticus took his rifle and shot the sick dog. Staying close to Miss Maudie, Scout listens to Miss Maudie’s story about Atticus. She tells him how he had a great shot and almost never missed. Scout wondered why he didn;t go hunting anymore. Miss Maudie explains to her by saying, “Maybe he put his gun down when he realized that God had given him an unfair advantage over most living things” (130). Miss Maudie means that because of the advantage he has on wild animals, he found it unacceptable to kill things that couldn’t fight back. This shows how Atticus is, that he is honest with himself and shooting for sport is not ok.Atticus showed an example of his integrity. Scout sees this and understands the lesson of being fair and sticking to your principles. Also, Atticus has a different opinion than the majority in Maycomb. Being a lawyer, he defends Tom Robinson. Scout talks to Atticus and talks how lots of people in Maycomb believe he is wrong, while Atticus believes he is right. Atticus the states, “The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person conscience” (140). Sticking to what he believes, Atticus shows his person integrity. He doesn’t follow something because everyone else believes something, it is more because he sticks with and is strong with his principals.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Democracy In To Kill A Mockingbird

    535 Words  | 2 Pages

    The mockingbird represents innocence because it causes no harm to others and therefore it is “a sin to kill a mockingbird”. The innocence from the bird is parallel to the innocence of Tom Robinson. The bird and Tom both did not cause harm to anyone. However, Tom never hurt Mayella, but he was still being punished for a crime he did not commit. The birds could also symbolize for a deeper meaning. Maybe back in time it was okay to kill a mockingbird even though it never harmed anyone because people did not view the bird of having any value. This could foreshadow that when this book was written whites felt superior to blacks and they saw black of having little to no value. Therefore, the bird could also represent hope in the fact that maybe it will just take some time before white people realized they are no different than black people. The book was written as the civil right movement was taken

    Read More

  • Theme Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1298 Words  | 3 Pages

    Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird: The Significance of a Mockingbird In a society surrounded by corruption, racism, and cruelty it is rare to find purity. Innocence is constantly being destroyed. For this reason, the harmless citizens need to be treasured and protected. Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird portrays the injustices of the 1930’s that expose the innocent to the malice of the society’s intentions. Some characters in the novel are characterized as harmless and pure and are symbolized by mockingbirds.

    Read More

  • Symbolic Mockingbirds

    926 Words  | 2 Pages

    Symbolism is used extensively in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The theme of prejudice in the novel can be best perceived through the symbol of the mockingbird. Atticus advised his children that if they went hunting for birds to "shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" (96). Miss Maudie explains this further by saying that "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" (96). Bluejays are considered to be the bullies of the bird world. They are very loud, territorial and aggressive. The bluejays represent the prejudiced bullies of Maycomb, such us Bob Ewell. Mockingbirds, on the other hand, are innocent and all they do is sing beautiful songs; they would not harm anyone.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Theme Essay

    497 Words  | 1 Pages

    The main theme in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ was distorted to fit the time limit of the movie, which made the good versus evil theme seem less important and less of a big deal. In the book two main metaphors were given, that were directly linked to characters. On page 122 we as readers get introduced to the mad dog down the street. Tim Johnson, the neighbor’s sick dog, continued run wild down the street until Atticus shoots and kills this dog. Similar to Tom Robinson, in the case that the people of Maycomb continued to accuse him of a crime he did not commit. The second metaphor that compared a mockingbird and Boo Radley, was not as prominent and did not seem as important in the movie. After Jem and Scout’s Uncle Jack gave them air rifles (p. 119), Atticus tells Jem to remember that “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Miss Maudie later explained to Scout that mockingbirds do not harm. (p. 119) “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.” Boo Radley was not killed literally, but he was cut off from the outside walls, and he had only ever seen the inside of the same four walls for a long time.

    Read More

More about Who Is The Mad Dog In To Kill A Mockingbird

Open Document