To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, is a novel which utilises the symbolism of a mockingbird throughout the text. Mockingbirds are gentle, harmless creatures, therefore making it “a sin to kill a mockingbird” as Atticus so proudly announces. Lee depicts a dysfunctional American society with a narrow-mindedness towards racial segregation and inequality, and uses the imagery of the mockingbird to symbolise the destruction of innocence, This representation can be seen within Tom Robinson, who was killed by corruption within the system and racial prejudice, Boo Radley, who was slain by society’s judgement towards those who don’t conform, and Dill, who shows the happiness a mockingbird can bring, flitting in and out of one’s life, and then his loss of innocence after the trial.
Senseless Slaughter of Songbirds People can do horrible things when their thoughts are taken over by prejudiced and hateful thinking. In Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” this theme is shown clearly many times in the novel. From the death of childhood innocence to the death or possible persecution of innocents. This story shows how prejudice and hate fueled actions pose serious threats to the innocent. In chapter 10 of the novel Miss Maudie says, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy .
Killing a mockingbird is all about prejudice and the many different forms it comes in. In the novel, it’s expressed through a seemingly innocent and harmful act of the children’s perceptions of Boo Radley, as well as in an ugly form like that of the false accusation and ultimate death of Tom Robinson. These two characters are ‘mockingbirds’ in a sense because they are kind, unassuming and selfless – they bring nothing but pleasure to the people they know. Boo’s kindness to the children is downplayed, and reflects significantly on his nature. Arthur literally becomes ‘Boo’, a boogieman.
Innocence Destroyed by the Evil of Mankind In Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Tom Robinson and Boo Radley symbolize mockingbirds that “sing their hearts out for us” (90), but mimic other bird’s songs. Since mockingbirds have no song of their own, they are judged by what other birds sing. Neither Boo nor Tom has their own song and they are labelled through silent gossip and hurtful actions from Maycomb citizens. Boo Radley is a mockingbird because he is seen as a “malevolent phantom” (8), judged by his lifestyle of not leaving his house. Tom Robinson is seen as a rapist, judged by the colour of his skin.
EED202K Assignment 1 Question 1: To Kill a Mockingbird In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, one of the main themes which is explored is that of people’s prejudice and judgement of other people who are different to themselves, namely in the way of racism. This is made clear by looking at what Mr Dolphus Raymond says to Dill in chapter 20 of the book. He says “Cry about the simple hell which people give other people – without even thinking.” This part of the statement is quite clearly about people having preconceived prejudices of other people and judging them because of this and because they are different to themselves. It also incorporates the fact that people don’t bother consider why they are different or that a difference is not necessarily
Arthur “Boo” Radley, is the most glaring outsider in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Boo Radley is a man who had some problems with the law when he was a teenager. Ever since then, his father kept him in the house. Readers never encounter Boo throughout the whole novel until the final chapters. They do hear plenty of rumours though from characters in the novel, building an aura of mystery and fear around Boo.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, the most important symbol is the mocking bird. It symbolizes innocence. For instance, Tom Robinson was the mockingbird, because “It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”. He was killed even though he was an innocent man. Jem was also a mockingbird.
Justice is shown in Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ in an ironic sense when Bob Ewell who is the cause of the climax of racial tension in the novel, falls on his own knife. The context of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is very similar to that of ‘The Tracker’ in that there was racism from the beginning and the story is about a peak in this racism and one man who tries to challenge the respective status quos of their societies. Where Atticus and the tracker differ is in their contexts. Atticus is not responsible directly for the death of Bob Ewell but in a way by Atticus making people think as he stood up for Tom Robinson in the court case, people began to look down on Bob Ewell even more than they had previously, the opposite reaction to what Mr Ewell had hoped for, which ended up killing him. Strangely enough the antagonist in the Tracker is also dead at the conclusion as penance for the evil deeds he has committed however the Tracker is directly responsible for his death as he hangs him to avenge the Aboriginal victims he killed as well as his own white colleague.
“Every great advance in natural knowledge has involved the absolute rejection of authority.” – Thomas H. Huxley The novel To Kill a Mockingbird told an unforgettable story of doing what a person thought was right no matter what the cost. Author Harper Lee used the character Atticus Finch to show a rejection of authority when he went against the social codes in his town and defended a black man in court. Lee showed Atticus’s penetrating defense that ended up revealing the town of Maycomb’s inherit racism. Atticus Finch challenged social justice and prejudice by defending Tom Robinson just as he would any other person. Atticus’s whole town went against him because he was defending a man of a different race.
The mockingbirds in the story, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley get undeserving treatment during the novel until it is known to the people of Maycomb that they are good and pure. In the case of Tom Robinson it was too late as they killed him before they could learn what a good person he actually was. He got charged for a crime he did not commit, and Boo Radley got rumors spread about him that were anything but true. “It is wrong to kill the mockingbird just because you don’t like its