In To Kill A Mockingbird the book indicates the importance of a mockingbird. In the book the symbol of the mockingbird represents a person who is innocent and harmless, yet has been inflicted with the corruption of society's belief. An example of a mockingbird in the book is Tom Robinson. He is a black man who was convicted to rape. He was innocent and was in no way harming anyone, but society's view of him was forever changed. Even Link Deas, his boss, said he has been working with that boy for eight years and never had trouble (Lee 261) . The people of Maycomb had their judgement clouded, and this lead to his death. Not only was he actually killed, he was metaphorically killed by the people of Maycomb. His reputation was twisted into lies,
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,
The idea of mockingbirds in this text carries great symbolic weight, mockingbirds are considered the innocents in the novel. It is considered a sin to kill a mockingbird, which symbolizes the destruction innocence. Tom Robinson, Arthur “Boo” Radley, Jem and Mr. Raymond can all be identified as mockingbirds - innocents who have been injured or destroyed through contact with evil.
The Mockingbird has a very deep and powerful meaning in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird. It represents peacefulness, innocence and kindness which is portrayed through the characters of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. The mockingbird's influence can also be applied to the relationships between humans. The Mockingbird is a powerful symbol that echoes a strong meaning throughout the novel.
An instance where the mockingbird is mentioned in the novel is when Atticus tells his children that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird and they consult Miss Maudie about this and she replies with, “‘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’” (94). This quote is significant because its meaning is that mockingbirds are generally harmless and shouldn’t be killed because they have done no harm to humans. The theme of the mockingbird can relate more to just the bird, as it can also relate to Tom Robinson because he has done no harm to humans, yet he is being put on trial and has a chance of being executed. It can also relate to Boo Radley because he was kind to Scout by placing the blanket on her, yet the people of Maycomb are frightened by him and spread nasty rumors about him. In brief, the theme of the mockingbird has a deeper meaning than it appears and is an important life lesson in the
There is a dominant motif in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, regarding the symbolic importance of the mockingbird and how it relates to some of her characters. In Harper Lee’s portrayed world as well as our present day world mockingbirds represent nothing but pure innocence, thus to kill a mockingbird would be to destroy innocence. Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley are all perfect examples representing a mockingbird; innocents who have been injured or destroyed through contact with
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.
Throughout this book, the author uses multiple techniques of symbolism to achieve a goal which is for the reader to stir up empathy for the characters. Take notice in the middle of the book, when the author mentions the main example of symbolism, which is said by Atticus while speaking to Jem. During Christmas when the Finch’s are at Finch's landing Atticus gives Jem and Scout their own air rifles. He then tells Jem, “I’d rather you shot a tin cans in the back yard, 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) Mockingbirds are innocent and only play soothing music for people. They don’t destroy gardens, only soothe us with the music they produce. So, mockingbirds are innocent and so it’s a sin to kill them because they do not do anything wrong. In short simple words, it is a sin to kill the innocent. In the courtroom, Tom who is being accused with rape, is in the hot seat while everyone is judging him without knowing the whole story. It makes things worse when he is charged guilty. This makes the reader feel empathy for him because he is being accused
To Kill a Mockingbird is a book with several examples of symbolism. Although the story is seen through a child’s perspective, it includes multiple instances of symbolism, some more obvious than others. Mockingbirds, Mayella’s geraniums, and the Radley household are all big symbols in To Kill a Mockingbird.
In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird’ a major theme is the mockingbird but what does the mockingbird really mean? The mockingbird symbol represents the innocence of characters such as Tom Robinson, Boo Radley and Dolphus Raymond, and how killing them just because they’re different would be a sin. In the novel the character, Tom Robinson is accused of raping a white girl (Mayella Ewell). He is a hard working, honest black man who has a wife and three kids and a crippled left. Arthur “Boo” Radley is an adult man who as a kid was sentenced to stay in his house for life. He is known as a lunatic but is really just starving for love and affection and is harmless and well-meaning. Dolphus Raymond is a white man who would rather spend his time with black people. He is known as a drunk because he drinks out of a paper bag but he is really only drinking coke and only drinks out of a paper bag so people will have another reason to
It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird said Atticus Finch, a person in To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, who is admired for his courage to stick to his morals, no matter what people in his town say. This title shows the main reasoning and the direction of the story and that is why the title of the novel is so fitting. This novel has two main narrative strands and both have a fitting character that shows the symbolic meaning of a mockingbird, innocence and benevolence.
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, there is a major symbol. The symbol is the mockingbird. Symbols always represent or symbolize someone or something. So, in To Kill a Mockingbird, what does the mockingbird symbolize? There are many different things that could be said on who or what the mockingbird represents, but according the story, what is the reason that the mockingbird is used as a symbol?
In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, different symbols are used that are reflective throughout the book either directly, or more often, obscurely being tied to the ultimate theme of the book, which is being able to understand someone from their point of view. Whether it is in literature or even shown in pictures, when people use things to represent something with a deeper meaning, it is called symbolism. The most apparent reoccurring theme though is equality because of the fact it is symbolized through people, birds, and even inanimate objects Scout and Jem encounter over the course of the book. By doing this, the reader is able to obtain a better and deeper sense of what Lee is truly trying to say, and their connections to the story and the way they help make the reader experience the time period of the 1930’s. Equality was and still is a problem as reflected in the book, but it is the way Lee brings those symbols to our attention that makes us realize how close to the exact same spot we were over 80 years ago that is able to make the reader that much more intrigued. A few examples of equality symbols in the book include: Tom Robinson, mockingbirds, Atticus Finch, and the snowman built from both mud and snow.
So far, I think that "To Kill A Mockingbird" is a very well written text, although, most of the time I have found it very confusing. There are some parts I eventually figured out the meanings to, but this book is pretty much written in an old fashion way (i.e. most people don't talk or write this way today). I did understand that the narrator's mother was dead and the narrator had a brother named Jem, etc., but I never really caught onto why there was so many new characters coming into the story all at once. So many characters at once is starting to really confuse who is who and why they're important to the story. I have a feeling I might not be hearing of some of these characters again until maybe the middle or the end of the story. This
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
In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird, the reader is introduced to the extended metaphor of the mockingbird. The mockingbird is symbolic of many characters throughout the novel. It is a sin to kill a mockingbird, as mockingbird do nothing but sing and bring joy to the world. Tom Robinson is the main character in the novel who symbolizes the mockingbird because he is an innocent man who works hard to help others in any way he can, but because he is black he is treated unfairly. In today's society many groups of people symbolize the mockingbird just like Tom Robinson. Both the muslim community and the African American community are treated differently because of what they look like.