Summary Of Harper Lee's 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

To kill a mockingbird can mean many things. It’s the title of a book that has been bought 40 million times. But, it also has a definition. To kill a mockingbird means to destroy innocence. The theme of my literary analysis is mockingbirds. Mockingbirds in TKAM are innocent things tainted by the skewed society of Maycomb. Some of these mockingbirds are Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and the children. To Kill a Mockingbird is a book set in a small Alabama town in the 1930’s. The main character and narrator is Jean Louise Finch, but is almost always called by her nickname, Scout. Scout, her brother, and her summer friend Dill get into all kinds of mischief while living in the racist society of a 1930’s Alabama town. Scout’s dad, Atticus, is a prominent lawyer in Maycomb and is appointed to a controversial case, and is defending a black man. Scout and her brother, Jem go through many troubles and learn many lessons from the days leading up to, and during the trial. The trail makes their family some friends and a lot of enemies. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a story of courage and despair. Throughout TKAM, mockingbirds are used as an example of something innocent being tainted by the skewed society of TKAM. Some great examples of these are Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and the children.

The story of Atticus Finch and Tom Robinson, the second of the two main conflicts in this book also represented the sin of killing a mockingbird. Atticus Finch, the father of Jem and Scout was a lawyer, and in a court case, Atticus was assigned a black man, Tom Robinson. Atticus was tasked with defending Tom from a false conviction of rape by the Ewell family. Atticus was given a very hard time,and was even threatened by Bob Ewell, who was angered that Atticus ruined the reputation and respect he thought he’d gain. . Bob even tried to murder Atticus’ kids. Atticus

Tom Robinson is an example of a mockingbird in To Kill a Mockingbird. Tom Robinson was a black man in 1930, therefor it was unfair from the start. Tom Robinson was nothing but a kind man, he never harmed anyone. Tom saw Mayella struggling around the house. Her father was a drunk that left her to fend for her and the children. She did her best but once in awhile when Tom was passing by the EWell house Mayella would invite him inside the fence to see if her would help her with little tasks. One day she invited him inside to fix a door. When he got inside to fix the door her found there was nothing wrong with the door. That is when Mayella kissed Tom, however Tom is wrongfully charged with rape.

The mockingbird also extends to relationships between human beings. Some people are gentle and would never harm anyone, like a mockingbird. Yet, there are people who unjustly see past the kindness and simply see what they want to see or what society tell them to see, this leads to issues about race and sex among others. These people then become prejudice towards certain people and may even ‘kill’ the people who are genuinely kind human beings simply because they are different in their opinions, looks or behaviors’, therefore not diseased like everyone else. Lee reveals the ruthless and cruel views, reactions and opinions that the town hold toward Tom and Boo to illustrate the prejudice relationships that occur between

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is set in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. Racism is ever present toward blacks and the trial of Tom Robinson, an African American, clearly displays this. Tom Robinson was accused of raping a white woman. The huge detail in this is that it was a white woman. Racial issues are really brought about because of that detail. People during this time would easily take a white man’s word over that of a black man, so nobody would ever trust Tom Robinson, especially since he was a black man being accused of a crime against a white woman. Tom Robinson really can’t do anything to help his case. The only person that can help him is Atticus. While Atticus does not believe that he will win the case, he knows that it is right to do everything he can to help Tom. He knows right from wrong and he will do everything in his power to help people see that, and to help Tom survive this case. Tom Robinson could also be described as a Mockingbird in this story. If proven innocent, he would be

The book "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a story of life in an Alabama town in the 30's. The narrator, Jean Louise Finch, or Scout, is writing of a time when she was young, and the book is in part the record of a childhood, believed to be Harper Lee’s, the author of the book..

On the other hand, Tom Robinson could also be the symbolic “mockingbird”. For instance, while examining Toms behavior, Scout realizes that, “Tom Robinson 's manners were as good as Atticus 's.” and say’s, “Until my father explained it to me later, I did not understand the subtlety of Tom 's predicament: he would not have dared strike a white woman under any circumstances and expect to live long, so he took the first opportunity to run” (Lee 197) This belief indicates that Tom is a very polite gentleman who is innocent. Being a man of color, he ran that night as self defence, not because he did something wrong. He did not want to hurt Mayella, as the gentleman he is, but in such circumstances he was forced to do so. Therefore, during the trial, he does not claim that mayella is a liar, instead he says, “I say she’s mistaken in her mind”. (Lee 167) He is a gentleman and an innocent man who doesn 't mean any harm. Also, while explaining about Tom’s death, ‘They shot him,’ said Atticus. ‘He was running. It was during their exercise period. They said he just broke into a blind raving charge at the fence and started climbing over. Right in front of them...”(Lee

In 'To Kill a Mockingbird' many morals about the themes in the novel are portrayed through different issues and events. The major themes are appearance vs. reality courage, maturity and prejudice. Each of these themes has an event in the novel that help the reader understand its message.

He was a black man, who dared to feel pity for a white woman, and for it he ends up dead. (Lee 264)Harper Lee Contrasts Tom Robinson with the final mockingbird, Arthur Radley, more commonly known as Boo Radley. If a Mockingbird should not be shot because all it does is sing, then Boo Radley is the ultimate mockingbird. He stays away from society and allows them to whisper about him, but when he is needed, first giving Scout a blanket, then giving Jem and Scout things like gum and coins, and finally by saving their lives, he acts as the ultimate mockingbird. It is when Atticus is talking to Scout about the decisions of the sheriff that Harper Lee makes the way that mockingbirds are treated in society clear, “Atticus looked like he needed cheering up. I ran to him and hugged him and kissed him with all my might. “Yes sir, I understand,” I reassured him. “Mr. Tate was right.” Atticus disengaged himself and looked at me. “What do you mean?” “Well, it’d be sort of like shootin‘ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?”” (Lee 370) This is one of the aspects of this book that makes it so well written, the ending is very full circle, in the first half Scout learn about mockingbirds, and at the very end she is able to fully understand it. However, the racial status of that time is also something Scout comes to fully understand, Harper Lee even emphasises this racial separation with the mockingbirds, Tom Robinson, a

In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout narrates the novel by telling the story of how Jem broke his arm. Atticus Finch is the father of two kids, Jem and Scout, who always get into trouble and are the most mischievous and nosy kids around. Atticus is a lawyer who is in a case defending a black man named Tom Robinson, who is harmless and innocent, while the kids are always tormenting and bothering the innocent Boo Radley. Because they are innocent and harmless, but treated with suspicion, both Boo and Tom exemplify the symbol of the mockingbird in this novel. Tom Robinson is represented by a mockingbird in this story by always being innocent and never harming, but always being tormented.

Prejudice and discrimination is looked down upon, yet people still continue to be judgmental and have preconceived assumptions about others. It is a common thing that still happens in today’s society. To be particular, racial discrimination is one example of prejudice and is based solely on the color of one’s skin. In the story To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson is a caring individual who tries his hardest to treat everyone he meets with appreciation and respect. However, he is African American, which influences him and the other characters' lives in different ways. All he wants to do is help out another character, Mayella, which inevitably costs him his life in the end. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the character of Tom Robinson to illustrate the fact that innocent people are sometimes victimized to a racist society.

Boo can be considered a mockingbird because of his innocence that he portrays in the book. In particular, Miss Maudie described a mockingbird and said “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.” (P.119). This quote perfectly characterizes Boo because he never harassed anyone and only did good. Boo always stayed inside his house and rarely left it. Boo did only good such as, watching over all the kids and protecting them when things got bad. In addition, Atticus tells Jem “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it” (P.30). After Jem finds out who Boo really is, she sees that he is a nice and innocent person who does only good, which shows that he can be considered a mockingbird. To summarize, Boo’s personality and his way of life shows how he can be considered a mockingbird in the

Harper Lee’s successful novel explores the issues of prejudice and racism using the symbol of a Mockingbird. Set in the 1930’s Deep South, a time of great intolerance and racial prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird carries us through an account of injustice to the most innocent yet accused citizens of Maycomb. The novels exploration of the moral nature of human beings, that is whether people are essentially good or bad, bring to light the innocence that has been damaged or destroyed through the influence of evil. Mrs. Maudie, a neighbor of the Finches had said, “Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy… They don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.

He is innocent of all of the claims and stories made up about him. He is robbed of friendship and trust with the entire town and is hurt by the cruel remarks made by the townsfolk. He had never done anything to harm anyone or anything in his lifetime; instead he strove to help people whenever he could, but tried to help them as best he could without being seen or noticed. One cold night when Scout Finch was standing frozen cold outside the Radley house, Boo secretly slipped a blanket over Scout’s shoulders to give her warmth. He also gave the two children, Jem and Scout, a few presents in a knot hole of a tree to show his compassion and warm heart. He even helped to protect the two children when Bob Ewell tried to murder them both. These examples show his innocence and that he is obviously not a monster. Scout comes to realise that he has inner goodness that must be cherished, alike a mockingbird. The town had committed a sin by harming him from the cruel things they had made up about him. And it was a sin when Tom Robinson, an innocent man, was killed when it came to his turn in the novel.

It was Atticus Finch who said that “it is a sin to kill a mockingbird,” It was him who said “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy… but sing their hearts out for us.” A mockingbirds are innocents who have been injured or destroyed through the contact with evil. To Kill a Mockingbird holds a mirror to justice of colored and human prejudices in relation to mockingbirds. People all over the world have been prejudice based on the color of people’s skin.