In the historical fiction novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the mockingbird symbolizes a metaphor for killing something's spirit and causing someone harm that did absolutely nothing to deserve it. It is a sin to kill a mockingbird because a mockingbird is a harmless creature that only ever sings. "Don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy" (Lee 117). In the novel, Tom Robinson, Jem Finch, and Dill Harris can be viewed as “mockingbirds.” All three of them had never done anything to deserve the misfortunes that were brought upon them. Tom Robinson can be viewed as a mockingbird. Tom was exposed to a lot of racism growing up as a black man in Maycomb, but he persevered. He was an amazingly generous and kind man. Out of this he got nothing …show more content…
The evidence given made it obvious that Tom was an innocent man. However, he was sentenced to a death penalty despite his innocence due to the color of his skin. “Seventeen bullet holes in him”. they don't have to shoot him that much.” (Lee #) This is the event that quite literally “Kills the Mockingbird” for Tom Robinson when the court declares Tom guilty and he gets shot. Tom Robinson's spirit is killed before he is shot. He comes to a realization that people let racism blind them from the truth, no matter who he actually is as a person. Dill Harris is a very positive little kid. He has lots of energy and becomes good friends with Jem and Scout Finch. Together, they play innocent games oblivious to big word issues going on around them. The event that “Kills the Mockingbird” for Dill is when he starts to believe his family doesn’t want him around anymore. His parents send him away every summer and he feels like a burden. “The thing is, what I'm tryin’ to say is-they do get on a lot better without me, I can’t help them any.” (Lee #) Towards the end of the book Jem runs away and stays with Jem and Scout because he feels they want him more than his
In Harper Lee’s, “To Kill A Mockingbird” a true definition of the mockingbird is shown, a symbol extremely important to the novel. In the beginning of the novel, Boo Radley is condemned – not because of his own actions but the misdeeds of those around him. Many stories were forged to generate a bad vibe for the name Boo Radley to the point that his house was essentially taboo. Later on Tom Robinson is proven as the Ultimate Mockingbird, Tom is just an average negro who tried to help out a white person, which was obviously a bad decision. Another definition of a mockingbird is innocence, which is evident in Atticus’ daughter Scout. The unwritten law, “It is a sin to kill a mockingbird” is often overlooked and also obeyed in Maycomb County.
In the novel, Atticus Finch shows true heroism when standing up against the racism in the town and stands up for Tom Robinson in court, or when he raises his children to become respectful and loving adults. Atticus teaches them that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because in doing so you are killing something that has not done any harm to you. 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.’
In conclusion, Mockingbirds are caregivers. They provide beautiful music for those they try to help. They never did anything else but to sing their hearts out through their good deeds. Tom was misjudged based on wrong accusation. Black people did not have their own song instead, others sang their songs based on beliefs about them. People only knew Tom Robinson through what others said about him. He was the outcast of the society. They never did anything to hurt anyone they never deserved to be shot down by society.
Mockingbirds do no harm to anything they just sing. The two characters in this book that represents this symbol is 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 accepts him throughout the town which forces him to hide in his home. He had rumors spread about him how that he was a bad guy. But he was nothing but kind to the children and even saved their lives (Dave).
...ly all the children, especially Jem, and Scout are mockingbirds and the adults, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley who suffer from certain members of society’s actions. Despite the fact that they have done nothing wrong, they are destroyed by the evil that surrounds them especially Tom who is exactly like the title; killed. The title shows how this is wrong, and ‘a sin,’ a very big one because Tom never hurt anyone. Overall, all the mockingbirds in the novel are in some way affected by the evils that exist in the world and the title hints at the prejudice theme that runs throughout the book with mockingbirds as symbols. The title can be viewed in another way, as a warning, a warning to think about your decisions, to see if they have the innocence of the mockingbird. It is a reminder to judge what a person is actually like instead of what you might see at first glance.
A closer look at the ways of the South during the time period 1925 through 1935 reveals the accurate representation of society in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. Many of the fictional events occurring in the novel are closely related to actual historical events that took place in the South during the time period in which the book is set. Most importantly, the trial of Tom Robinson illustrates how life was for a black man in a world dominated by white men. Tom Robinson’s trial can be paralleled to the trials of the Scottsboro boys, the horrific lynching that occurred in the South, and the general attitude of white society towards black society during the time period. Historical evidence verifies that Tom Robinson is proven guilty before his trial ever begins.
“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.
Has evil always been around, or did man create it? One could trace evil all the way back to Adam and Eve; however, evil came to them, but it was not in them. When did evil become part of a person? No one knows, but evil has been around for a long time and unfortunately is discovered by everyone. In many great classics in literature evil is at the heart or the theme of the novel, including Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. This classic book demonstrates the growing up of two children in the South and illustrates the theme of evil by showing how they discover, how they deal, and how they reconcile themselves to the evils they experience.
In chapter 10, Atticus talked about rifles and told Scout and Jem that “it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because mockingbirds are harmless creatures who do nothing but singing for our enjoyment”. In the story, Tom Robinson is clearly one of the “mockingbirds” who is killed both by fear and by prejudice. He is a kind-hearted and hardworking man and just like the mockingbird never did anything harmful to anyone. He symbolizes the innocent part of our humanity which is shot to death on its way escaping from injustice and prejudice. Atticus, our honored hero, is obviously another “mockingbird”, who fighting on behalf of justice and righteousness against evilness. He represents the bright side of our humanity, being upright and bravery, he had always been the “rays of light” that dark power afraid of. Arthur Radley, our Boo, who had been suppressed by his family then the whole society but never lost his beautiful heart, is also a “mockingbird”. He presents the goodness which has been misunderstood, repressed and even twisted by the society. We also have kindhearted Calpurnia, gentle Miss Maudie and even the old, weird Mrs Dubose who showed no harm and bravery in her sickness. In addition, Scout and Jem, gradually understanding the world and gaining a new value of life, would follow the steps of their father became “mockingbirds”
In the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird", Harper Lee, wrote the words that Atticus said to his children, Jem and Scout Finch. Atticus said "...it is a sin to kill a mockingbird," mockingbirds are known as gentle creatures who do no wrong and makes music for everyone's delight. To kill a mockingbird would be similar to killing an individual who does not wrong anyone and tries to be as helpful as they can. Mockingbirds have the characteristics of nobility, innocence, and valor that are mirror the characters Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Arthur “Boo” Radley. Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley are portrayed as mockingbirds for their actions, and for the good they did for the individuals surrounding them and the negative treatment they endured for their actions.
In the classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, an ongoing theme throughout the book is it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. This theme comes from Atticus instructing Jem not to shoot mockingbirds with his air rifle, because it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Miss Maudie tells Scout that Atticus is correct; mockingbirds don’t do anything to disturb people, all they do is sing beautifully for everyone to hear. Author Harper Lee shows this theme using characterization. First, Tom Robinson is a lucid example of a mockingbird.
“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. Thats why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (119). In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the first mention of a mockingbird appears when Jem and Scout are learning how to use their new air rifles. Atticus doesn’t want to teach them how to shoot the air rifles, but he gives them one rule to follow: do not kill mockingbirds. Later Scout, the main character, is told by Miss Maudie about how it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because they are innocent and they don't do anything to anyone. Throughout this story, there are several characters who are portrayed as mockingbird figures. Jem, Scout, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley all fit the symbol of a mockingbird because they all start off innocent but are later changed dramatically by the brokenness of the world.
In this world, everyone has an equal right; however, many people are getting falsely accused of acts they did not commit even though they are innocent. Mockingbirds, one of the most innocent birds, sing their heart out for people to enjoy, however, they getting killed every day. In this novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, there are many racial prejudices going on. Finches stand near the top of the social hierarchy, with Cunningham and Ewells underneath. Black community in Maycomb is even below the Ewells, even if they were a hard worker; they were not treated equally. The “mockingbirds” represents the idea of innocence, so killing a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. Throughout the book, many characters are considered a mockingbird. Three examples are Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, and Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Those three characters are innocent; they are kind and were never harmful to others. However, they were destroyed through contact of evil. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the mockingbirds symbolizes the idea of innocence, and Tom, Boo, and Mr. Raymond are considered one of it.
“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). Although the title of the novel has little literal connection to the actual storyline, it holds a huge amount of symbolic weight in this tale of innocents wounded by the evil surrounding them. The ‘mockingbird’ represents various characters in the novel that are harmed one way or another, particularly by the judgmental, prejudiced ways of the Maycomb townsfolk. Throughout the course of the book, the innocence they once had is destroyed, figuratively ‘killing’ the mockingbirds.
...of innocence in good people. The primary symbol in To Kill a Mockingbird is obviously the mockingbird, which is supposed to symbolize an innocent being who gets hurt because of the cruelty and injustice of humankind. By this definition, Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are clearly mockingbirds. Miss Maudie and Atticus both have strong views on how wrong it is to kill a mockingbird. Miss Maudie states, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . they don’t do but one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” It’s wrong to kill a mockingbird because, in short, they are naturally good creatures and they should not be punished because of that. Tom Robinson is a mockingbird because the court ruled him as guilty for a crime he did not commit, all because he wanted to help a poor girl who needed help.