Symbolism In To Kill A Mockingbird

Tom Robinson’s character exemplifies the mockingbird because he is a black man who is denied justice based on racial prejudice. After Mayella Ewell accuses Tom of rape, there is no way for him to be judged fairly because the narrow-minded, white townspeople are unable to get past their prejudices towards blacks. At his trial, Tom’s lawyer, Atticus, argues,

Mockingbirds do not do anything but to make music for everyone to enjoy. In a society where people tend to discriminate another; mockingbirds represent the innocent ones who are being victimizes upon. Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, emphasizes the fact that lives are not always equal and also to remind people that it is a sin to accuse someone of a crime based on personal opinion. Everyone likes to gossip, and everyone likes to spread rumors for their own entertainment. For this reason, the town of Maycomb insists to degrade Atticus Finch because he chooses to defend Tom Robinson, an African American worker. Atticus symbolizes a mockingbird in multiple ways, including taking the blame for teaching his child, being a disgrace when trying to defend Tom, having difficulties, discipline Scout and Jem, and constantly

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.

Tom Robinson is another mockingbird figure. He was a genuinely caring person who is destroyed by his willingness to help Mayella Ewell. Just like a mockingbird, Robinson never hurt anyone. Yet, he was also persecuted by society for his kindness and his race. Tom Robinson was killed because of his kindness and the color of his skin; “ a harmless songbird that was shot down by a senseless hunter.” Lee uses the character of Tom as a mockingbird figure to express the innocence of the mockingbird and exhibit the narrow-mindedness and biased opinions of the towns folk.

In the nineteenth century, mockingbirds were kept in cages so they could sing their beautiful music. Because of this, mockingbirds were nearly almost wiped out of parts of the East Coast. All Mockingbirds do is bring beauty to the world. Mockingbirds symbolize innocence and do not deserve to be wounded by the cruelness of the world. In the story To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Dill, Mayella Ewell, Mr. Dolphus Raymond, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are all mockingbirds. They are innocent people that have been harmed or injured in the past and have learned the misery of the world.

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

Mockingbirds are a powerful means used by Lee to convey the deep-rooted prejudice entrenched in the fictional town of Maycomb. The title of the novel is symbolic of Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. Lee writes that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. However, one

The mockingbird metaphor applies to several characters in the book. One particular character that may not be as obvious to some people is Jem Finch. In Jem’s case, he starts out as a young boy full of innocence. As he grows up his father, Atticus, teaches him to judge an individual based on their character instead of how society teaches us to treat people; as well as, do what is right. Atticus reinforces this belief when he says, “They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions... but before I can live with other folks I've got

It's a sin to kill a mockingbird because they don't do anything to hurt people; they only help farmers out and sing beautiful songs. To Kill a Mockingbird is about a little girl named Scout who sees her town as a beautiful place where nothing unpleasant happens until accusations of rape occur. Then she realizes how racist and negative her town people can be. This occurs when her dad defends an innocent African American man. She realizes that Macomb has deplorable individuals living there, and this reality hit her hard. Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley are metaphorically portrayed as mockingbirds.

Mockingbirds may sing, but it is never their own song, they steal the songs of other birds and sing it as their own. They are also known to lay eggs in other birds nests, leaving their own young to be taken care of by another bird. (Northern Mockingbird) Mayella Ewell is one of these mockingbirds. Mayella, like a mockingbird, repeats the things her father told her to say when in trial. As a mockingbird takes advantage of another bird's nest, Mayella takes advantage of the fact that a black man's word couldn’t surpass that of a white woman's. Mayella also abandons Tom Robinson, like a mockingbird sometimes abandons their young, even though he showed her nothing but kindness. The metaphor of the mockingbird can be seen on many levels in this story, and this is just

Raymond. Boo Radley symbolizes the mockingbird because he just watches the neighborhood and protect the kids. The night Boo killed Bob Ewell, Scout understands why Atticus and Mr. Tate are not dragging Boo into court. Scout says “Well it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?”(66-68). The mockingbird can also symbolize Tom Robinson and his innocence to the rape of Mayella. During Tom Robinson’s testimony, Tom says “he felt sorry for Mayella,” which leaves the jury devastated. The fact that Tom says he feels sorry for Mayella makes the jury and the judge jump to conclusions. Mr. Raymond can also symbolize the mockingbird because he has to pretend to be a drunk just to be with his family. Everyone judges him and verbally abuse him and his family because he is married to a white woman and has mixed children. The city of Maycomb and the citizens in it criticize people based Thus, to kill a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. Throughout the novel, it covered the importance and innocence of the mockingbird.Mockingbirds have been known to be “songbirds”,and they tend to cause no disruptions.“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”(Miss Maudie;Chapter 10;Page 119).In addition,to the marvelous works of the Mockingbird they are an uplift to some that are down.They provide a beneficial comfort.Mockingbirds are innocent creatures that do kind works without the desire to have anything in return.The Mockingbirds of “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper E. Lee represents the innocents of the African American people,Tom Robinson,Arthur Radley,and

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee provides three characters that symbolize the loss of innocence. These symbols are linked to the mockingbird. They are Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, and Mayella Ewell.

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, symbolism is used throughout the story. The main symbol, however, is the mockingbird. It used over and over throughout the novel and it also has a literal connection to the main plot of the story. This story is about innocence being destroyed by evil. The mockingbird represents the innocence. Therefore, if you kill a mockingbird, you are destroying innocence. There are many characters that could possibly represent the mockingbird, and most of them have come in contact with some type of evil or pain in their lives.

Mr.Robinson is a kind, honest, and hardworking man who has never hurt anyone in anyway, shape, or form. Tom Robinson is also referred to as a mockingbird also because of his innocence. Before he was accused of raping Mr. Ewell, He would help anyone with whatever they needed without asking for anything in return especially with Mr. Ewell chores. Ever since the trial begun the town assumes that he is guilty because of his skin color. Even after his death the town assumes that it's "typical of a African American to cut and run"(Lee 276).

Tom Robinson is the most easily identifiable mockingbird in this story. Although he is a peaceful, respectful man who helps Mayella Ewell without asking for anything in return, he is falsely accused and dies tragically as a result. Mr. Underwood, Maycomb’s newspaper editor, likens Tom’s death to the “senseless slaughter of innocent songbirds by hunters and children” in the editorial he writes immediately after the Negro’s death. As shooting a mockingbird results in the loss of a sweet song-maker, the death of Tom brings no good fruit—it only satisfies the destructive racial prejudice of the South. Tom is also targeted for the same reasons that mockingbirds are targeted