I believe that this quote refers back to the time when Scout and Jem get new rifles for Christmas and Atticus tells Jem that it would be considered a sin if they shot a mockingbird. Mockingbirds are not predators and they will not harm anything or anyone; the only thing they do is make music with their mouths. Scout is remembering that time and comparing it to what had recently happened in her life. I think that she sees Tom Robinson and Boo Radley as the mockingbirds. Tom Robinson didn’t harm anyone, and the only thing that he did was help those who needed assistance. He was convicted for no reason, and Scout compares that to killing an innocent mockingbird. Although Boo Radley stabbed Bob Ewell, he did it to protect Jem and Scout because Ewell was about to stab them to death. Robinson and Radley’s kindness and helpfulness turned them into the mockingbirds of Maycomb. This quote displays Scout’s understanding that taking away someone’s innocence is …show more content…
For example, Mayella takes advantage of Robinson when she accuses him of raping her and gets him convicted. It makes me really sad that people like her got away with these things and that no one in Maycomb said anything. Boo Radley is much luckier, but in both cases, they are the mockingbirds or the people who were the most harmless. Another thing this quote helps me better understand is the role of innocence in To Kill a Mockingbird. Innocence plays an important role because, throughout the book, characters like Atticus and Miss Maudie remind Scout that killing a mockingbird is not all right. When Scout is asked to say that Ewell fell on his knife she says to Atticus, “Well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it” (317). This shows us that she has become more mature and understands that doing harm to those who didn’t harm you is not something that should be tolerated despite your