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Summary Of Chapter 8 To Kill A Mockingbird

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A Mockingbird is an elongated tail like songbird. Instead of having a unique call of their own they mimic other birds or sounds. What is the true meaning of a mockingbird? This bird gives off beauty and pure innocence, they are harmless to anyone; this bird reflects some characters in the book To Kill a Mockingbird. This story takes place in a time period of three years when the Great Depression was happening. Many events and characters in this book portray a mockingbird because of the harmless and innocence ways.
The first section of the book which is Chapter seven is when it shows Boo Radley depicting a mockingbird. Days after the incident of the shotgun Jem finally speaks up about what happened that night. “‘When I went back for my breeches …show more content…

In the previous chapter soon after they find other presents in the tree, they realize the knothole in the tree has been filled up with cement. When Jem asks Mr. Nathan Radley why he filled the whole he told Jem it was because the tree was dying. He later asks Atticus if he thought the tree was dying and that’s when he said the tree seemed healthy to him. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird Scout states, that Jem stood outside until the night came upon them while she waited for him. When he went inside the home she noticed his tear stained cheeks although she thought it was strange that she didn’t hear him cry (Lee). Scout doesn’t realize that the reason Jem was crying was because Mr. Nathan Radley filled the knothole out of pure evil. Jem was upset at this whole thing but only hid his feelings. In chapter eight is when Miss Maudie’s house caught on fire. During the fire, Scout was so involved at what was happening that she didn’t realize someone draped a blanket over her. Jem then realizes Boo put the blanket on Scout and tells Atticus about everything. “‘… Mr. Nathan put cement in that tree, Atticus, an‘ he did it to stop findin’ things – he’s crazy, I reckon, like they say, but Atticus, I swear to God he ain’t ever harmed us, he ain’t ever hurt us, he coulda cut my throat from ear to ear that night but he tried to mend my pants instead… he ain’t ever hurt us, Atticus – ’” (Lee). It was in this moment that Jem lost …show more content…

When Atticus is talking to Jem about why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, he’s only trying to explain why people do the things they do. In an article it claimed, “Atticus symbolizes logical thinking; he is able to act on the right thing while still trying to keep the peace in the small town he loves. His upstanding morality is characterized by a lack of pride, in stark contrast to Bob Ewell (we see this when his own children don't even know he's a perfect shot, for example). As he instructs Scout and Jem on the proper ways to behave, he symbolizes a teacher for all of the novel's readers as well” (Cook). Atticus always cared about Jem and Scout out of pure innocence which makes him symbolize a mockingbird. The author was only trying to show us readers to know what comparison to make to the characters. This whole book is very symbolic in a way that everything has its own

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The next time Jem and Scout find something in the tree it is a piece of gum, and two indian head coins which are really valuable. These two coins are really valuable and somebody must have really treasured them, Boo and Jem keep these coins safe. Then later on Jem and Scout find something in the tree it is a soap sculpture of the two of them. This is what gets them thinking that whoever is putting the items in the tree is watching them and knows how they look like.

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The mockingbird in To Kill A Mockingbird is symbolic of innocence. Early in the novel, Atticus, the father tells the children Scout and Jem that it is a "sin to kill a mockingbird". Later Scout asks Miss Maudie what he meant by that because she has never heard her father say anything was a sin. Miss Maudie explains his reasoning by saying that all mockingbirds do is provide beautiful music. They do not harm anyone, they don't bother anyone, and they "sing their hearts out for us."

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While walking back from school several times, Jem and Scout found gifts in the knothole of a tree next to the Radley house. Scout didn’t understand fully that the gifts were coming from the man they were previously scared of. Although, Jem knew that he had been exchanging gifts and was upset when someone cemented the knothole and closed his only method of communication with the Radley’s(Boo Radley specifically). While the trial was going on, Jem paid full attention and when Tom Robinson was found guilty even though he wasn’t, Jem became really upset. When he got home he cried because he knew and understood how racism was affecting Maycomb.

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Jem was lost in society throughout this part of the novel, yet towards the end of the novel he had learned more to understand his community. At the

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Atticus Finch is considered a mockingbird because he does not show any type of prejudice. An example of this is when Atticus takes on Tom Robinson's alleged rape court case. This shows a lot of courage and attitudes of a mockingbird because he knows that the case is going to be very hard because it is a white man's word against a black mans. Even though Atticus does not win the court case, which he should have because all the evidence was showing that Tom Robinson did not rape Mayella Ewell, but

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Atticus is also very cautious about how he explains certain delicate topics to her, such as when she brings up the issue of rape he says that “Rape was carnal knowledge of a female by force and without consent.” (Page 149) explaining it in such a manner that she is still a bit curious as to the nature of rape yet does not inquire further and lets it go. " 'I asked him if I was a problem and he said not much of one, at most one he could always figure out, and not to worry my head a second about botherin ' him.” (Page 249)These lines show how skilled Atticus is not only in comforting his children but also in showing them how much they mean to him. The relationship between Jem and Scout is much like any other sibling relationship, full of love, support and trust.

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Throughout the book Jem, who is one of the main characters, has shown that he can be caring, demanding, and brave towards other people like Scout and Atticus. Jem being the older brother he has to show that he is caring towards Scout and others. When Miss Maudie’s house catches on fire Jem starts to comfort Scout and tells her that everything will be alright. Jem says to Scout, “Don’t worry, Scout, it ain’t time to worry yet” (Lee 79).

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In Chapter 7, Scout begins 2nd grade. Jem tells Scout that when he went back to get his pants, they had been sewn up and folded. Jem is pretty freaked out by this, because he thinks someone read his mind. Scout calms him down, saying that only someone who lives in the same house as him could do that. On their walk back from school, they find a ball of yarn in their knot hole tree.

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According to the novel, “Jem was twelve. He was difficult to live with, inconsistent, moody... Atticus said..”Jem was growing. I must be patient with him and disturb him as little as possible,” (115). After the second part begins it is obvious that Scout feels like something has come between them.

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In chapter 11 Mrs.Dubose an old sick lady who always sits on the porch of her house one day told Jem and Scout that Atticus isn’t any better than “the “niggers and trash he works for,” and Jem loses his temper. Thus Jem takes Scout baton which he bought for her and destroys Mrs.Dubose’s camellia bushes. When Atticus found out as punishment Mrs.Dubose told Jem must go to her house every day for a month and read to her and Atticus agreed. Scout comes along with Jem everyday and each session they are reading it gets longer. Mrs. Dubose dies a little more than a month after.

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This idea is shown after the knothole of the tree is filled with cement and Scout finds Jem crying, “When we went in the house I saw he had been crying; his face was dirty in the right places, but I thought it odd that I had not heard him,” (Lee 84). Jem starts to recognize the deeper issue of what Boo Radley goes through, he empathizes with Boo and has a bitter feeling for Boo Radley. In the courtroom when the jury convicts Tom Robinson as guilty Jem becomes angry with this news, “It was Jem’s turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. ‘It ain’t right,’ he muttered,...”

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He is concerned that Scout will fall with the rest of society and discriminate because of her friends. We also learn that Atticus is not as concerned with Jem. He knows that Jem is more mature and calm and will make the right decision. Atticus’s parenting style is based off of his beliefs in equality and justice. He tells his children to call him Atticus instead of father so that they can interact on equal terms.

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(Lee, 58). Atticus becomes aware that Jem does not have his pants, and Dill says that Jem lost them in a game of strip poker to Dill. In fear of his father asking about the pants, Jem returns to the Radley house, only to find his pants mended and folded, sitting on the fence. One day, Scout noticed a peculiar tree with a knot hole in it. She finds gum in it, and shows it to Jem.

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He knows the rest of the town will disapprove, but he believes in the innocence of this man and does not care of his complexion. In this moment, Scout and Jem only see how everyone will downgrade them and see them differently. Atticus shows, it does not matter what others think, all that matters is that you support what you believe in. This shows how Atticus is a strong character who contributes a lot to the overall lesson

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In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee the term mockingbird symbolizes innocence in a person. In the novel it focuses on the fact that innocence, represented by the mockingbird, can be wrongfully harmed. There are two characters: Tom Robinson and Arthur “Boo” Radley that are supposed to represent the mockingbird. In the novel, Tom Robinson is the best example of a mockingbird because he is prosecuted for a crime he did not commit. Also, he was judged unfairly based on the color of his skin in his trial.

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