I am reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The book is about a court trial where a black man was put on trial for a crime he did not commit. In this journal I will be evaluating on how Boo Radley and Tom Robinson remain represented by the symbol of the mockingbird.
In the novel, there are two people who are obviously symbolized by the mockingbird. The first man that is symbolized is Tom Robinson. Just like a mockingbird, Tom Robinson is innocent but had most trying to shoot him down. Scout thinks, “Jem said Atticus was trying to show the jury that Tom had nothing to hide”(Lee 255). Tom, comparable to the mockingbird, is an innocent creature who just happens to be targeted. From reading the quote, I gather that Tom remained an open and honest
…show more content…
Scout says, “Jem seemed to have little fear of Boo Radley now that Walter and I walked beside him”(Lee 31). From this quote, I can sense that most of the children were fearful of Mr. Arthur. In the novel, Boo Radley is shown as scary and intimidating, but by using context I can tell he is innocent and just longs to stay inside. As I was reading, it seemed as if people in Maycomb had a tendency to target Boo as the town gossip and criminal. Jem warns, “Don’t blame me when he gouges your eyes out”(Lee 17). Just like people target the mockingbird, people would tend to target Boo Radley. Boo Radley was innocent of all the crimes people claim he committed, but he just desires to stay inside and keep to himself. While reading the novel, I believe he yearns to stay inside because he does not wish to face the false rumors that have been spread about him. One of the last ways Boo is symbolized by the mockingbird is Boo protects Scout and Jem from harm. The mockingbird also protects people, not in the obvious ways, but the mockingbird sings music to comfort people and cause them to feel safe. Scout says, “Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap