The document discusses the symbolism of mockingbirds in 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' emphasizing characters Boo Radley and Tom Robinson as representations of innocence that are unjustly harmed by society. It explores themes of racism, moral complexity, and the loss of innocence as experienced by the characters, particularly through the children Scout and Jem's evolving understanding of their world. The narrative illustrates how societal prejudices impact individual fates and moral perceptions, highlighting the importance of empathy and moral growth.

1. Essay To Kill A Mockingbird
To Kill A Mockingbird Timed Essay "It's a sin to kill a mockingbird." Throughout To Kill A
Mockingbird, there is symbolism behind the title. Mockingbirds are portrayed as harmless and
innocent which relates to several characters in the passage. Although there are many characters that
can convey this symbolism, Boo Radley and Tom Robinson best fit the metaphor because they are
the most misjudged characters throughout the novel, they have not shown or caused any harm to the
people of Maycomb. The title, To Kill A Mockingbird, has a connection with the overall main idea
of the plot. It carries a large amount of symbolism in the book. According to Miss Maudie,
"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy... they don't do one...show more
content...
Tom Robinson is an innocent man, convicted for the rape of Mayella Ewell for being colored.
Tom is not guilty of this crime but the jury was afraid to speak the truth since the society of
Maycomb believes a white man's word is stronger and contains more justice than a colored man's.
Tom Robinson has testified that he helped Mayella with her labor because of his generosity but
when Mayella Ewell forces herself on Tom, he chooses to run away and not physically harm the
Ewell's in any way which allows the Ewell's to use him as an escape during the court–case.
Therefore, once Tom is killed, the truth is revealed. In the novel, Mr. Underwood submits a section
about Tom Robinson's death in the paper. In the passage, it states "He likened Tom's death to the
senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters." Through this quote, Mr. Underwood is showing how
the Ewell's killed Tom's innocence to the community. It proved that although the jury knew the truth,
they decided to take the easy way out in order not to cause any conflict and offend the large
population of Maycomb, the whites. In the process, they killed a mockingbird, one that caused no
harm to anyone through his kindness and generosity, Tom Robinson. In summation, Boo Radley and
Tom Robinson both convey the metaphor of the mockingbird best. They are both mockingbirds that
lived without being affected by the rumors of Maycomb and the rules of
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2. To Kill A Mockingbird Essay
Raising children in the era of Jim Crow laws provided a unique teaching experience for Atticus to
provide to Scout and Jem. These laws followed the Southern societal ideas of the separation between
races, but also demonstrated a division between a community where individuals held different moral
ideas. To Kill a Mockingbird explores human morality from the perception of a six year old child,
providing a different perspective on important issues of this time period. Scout's understanding of
morality develops from her once simple idea of an individual being either good or evil to a much
more complete comprehension of its complexity. In retrospect, Scout as the narrator revels in her
naivety and child–like innocence throughout her...show more content...
Harper Lee continually utilizes topics of classism and racism to frame the way the children are being
taught from many influential interactions in this novel. Aunt Alexandra reinforces classism as the
ideal world when she disapproves of Scout's convening with Walter. Referencing the Cunninghams,
Aunt Alexandra replies, "Because he is trash... I'll not have you around him, picking up his habits
and learning Lord knows what...there is no doubt in my mind that they're good folks, but they're not
our kind of folks." (299–301) Scout is faced with a moral dilemma when these conflicting
perspectives arise as she begins to realize that judging someone as good or bad is an incomplete
assessment as shades of grey exist. This idea of separation is also held by Lula, a black woman,
which is made apparent when Calpurnia brings Scout and Jem to her church. Calpurnia defends the
children's right to worship in the African church when Lula approaches them, "You ain't got no
business bringin' white chillum here–they got their church. We got our'n..." This showed the kids
that black people, whom carried most of the weight of discrimination, could also encourage and
uphold this division. The story's point of view is used to show a childlike understanding of the
social world and its transition and differences from that of an adult's perception. Scout is the youngest
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3. To Kill a Mocking Bird Essay example
Through the course of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Jem encounters a series of
events that cause him to grow up. During Tom Robinson's trial, Jem's eyes were opened to the
racism and prejudice of the South: loss of innocence, a major theme in the novel, is a realization of
the cruelty and injustice in the world, and that one must develop a tolerance for it. Jem is young and
carefree in the beginning of the novel. He is just starting to take on the responsibilities of an older
brother: "Jem condescended to take me to school the first day, a job usually done by one's parents,
but Atticus said Jem would be delighted to show me where my room was." (p.20). Atticus is trusting
Jem to safely get Scout to school, and help her...show more content...
In addition, Jem abandons all of his childish morals: "Jem looked the floor. Then he rose and broke
the remaining code of our childhood. He went out of the room and down the hall. 'Atticus,' his voice
was distant, 'can you come here a minute, sir?'" (p.187–188). Dill, Jem and Scout's best friend, ran
away from his home and came to the Finch's house. Jem has broken "the remaining code of our
childhood" by telling Atticus about Dill, rather than keeping it a secret. He has matured past his
childhood years, and realizes that sometimes it is best to involve adults. Jem is exposed to the racism
and prejudice of the South through Tom Robinson's trial, and it makes him question what he never
thought twice about before. [insert lead–in] "'...if the jury's still out, you can wait with us. But I
expect it'll be over before you get back.' 'You think they'll acquit him that fast?' asked Jem. Atticus
opened his mouth to answer, but shut it and then left us." (p.277) Jem sees Tom Robinson's trial
through eyes untainted by prejudice and discrimination. To him, Tom is obviously innocent. Atticus,
on the other hand, is older and more cynical. He knows about racial discrimination, he knows it
strongly influences a person's judgement, and he knows Tom will be found guilty. Jem realizes this
when Tom Robinson is convicted. As a result, he learns that racism can cloud a person's judgement
to the point that they will convict an innocent man. Jem's loss of innocence
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4. To Kill a Mockingbird Essay
To Kill A Mockingbird Essay In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird a major theme is the loss of
innocence. Whether from emotional abuse, racial prejudice or learning, Boo, Tom, and Scout all
lose their innocence in one sense or another. The prejudice that each character endures leads to their
loss. Through the responses of Boo, Tom, and Scout, Harper Lee shows how each character
responded differently to their loss of innocence. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbirdthe character of
Boo Radley is the first to suffer the loss of his innocence. As a teen, Boo experienced trouble with
the law and for his consequences his father imprisoned him in his own house. Because of the harsh
consequences forced upon him by his father, Boo grew up without a...show more content...
With the racial tension so high during this time period, Tom's innocence was lost before he could
even defend himself. This was shown through Atticus's reply to Scout's question of, "Will we
win?" Atticus answered no because the case was lost before it began. Tom Robinson's response to
his loss of innocence was to simply run away from the problem that had befallen him. For his
attempted escape Tom suffered the highest consequence, "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" (235). Due to Tom's decision on how to respond, he was
killed even though he was placed in his position no thanks to himself. Tom Robinson chose poorly
when it came to his response towards his loss of innocence and it cost him his life. The main
character of the novel, Scout, was the only character that suffered a loss of innocence and
responded in a way that did not ruin her life. During the novel Scout gradually lost her innocence
due to the fact of her ever–increasing knowledge of the world. Being the child that she was, Scout
had a kind of blind faith in her community that it was as good and as moral as she believed it to be,
but she realized after the trial how wrong she was. Throughout the
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5. To Kill a Mockingbird Essay
Learning lessons is a very important part of growing up. Children learn new things every day of
their life. Even adults learn something every once in a while. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee, the character Scout is very adventurous and loves to learn; she has many
experiences that lead to her being taught many different things about life. On page 12 of Cliff
Notes for this novel, John Sova writes "each experience is designed to give Scout a further
understanding about certain things in life and about people. In one way or another, every episode
leads to some type of learning experience for Scout". Scout learns a lot of different things about her
town's views, the people who she's heard about but never really knew, and...show more content...
Scout was also very into thinking that Boo Radley was a terrible monster of a man. She has never
seen him in person, but all the stories Jem had told her made her believe that he was too scary to
even think about.
Jem explains Boo Radley to Scout by saying: he's about six–and–a–half feet tall, judging from his
tracks, he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that's why his hands were
bloodstained–if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off. There was a long jagged
scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he
drooled most of the time. (14)
With a description like that, Scout thought that Boo Radley was the scariest man alive. Scout
didn't know any better at the time than to believe whatever she heard about him from others.
When Scout finds gum in the knothole of the oak tree near the Radley house, she starts to think
that maybe Boo isn't so bad. When he saves Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell, they realize that Boo
actually cares about them and wants to keep them safe. Scout and Jem always believed Boo to be
evil, when he is actually a good–hearted human being. At the close of the novel, Scout talks about
Boo to Atticus, saying that "he was real nice" (323). Scout learns that people are not always what
they seem to be at first, and there is always something good underneath every harsh surface. Scout
always talked about but never
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