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Symbolism In To Kill A Mockingbird

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In this essay, I am going to be talking about the different themes of the mockingbird and what it symbolised and represented throughout the novel. The symbolism of the mockingbird in To Kill A MockingBird changes throughout the book. The mockingbird can symbolize both innocence and beauty. Atticus and Miss Maudie tell Scout and Jem that it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird because mockingbirds cause no harm to anyone or anything, they just sing. They make the world a better place and maybe even bring joy to the world as well. Mockingbirds are pure and innocent creatures and killing them would be very cruel. This book is called To Kill A Mockingbird, which in other words to me means, Killing innocence. ‘“Remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.’ That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it.” This shows that Atticus is trying to teach the children …show more content…

This book is saying even though a lot of the people in Maycomb are scared of Boo Radley and the Radley place that doesn't mean that it is right to judge a book off of its cover, same with racism in Maycomb, even though a lot of the people in that town are judgmental towards colored people doesn't mean that it is the right choice to be racist towards them. “Jem is deeply upset, cries immediately after the trial, and becomes angry every time Scout brings it up. Jem is losing his innocence.” This exemplifies that Jem is also kind of like the mockingbird, he was innocent at the beginning of the book but after the trial, I believe he has grown and lost his innocence. After the trial, he realized the harsh truth of reality and he knows that the judge didn't make the right decision, he knows it wasn't the right decision to say that Tom Robinson was

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Later Scout asks Mrs. Maudie, the Finch's next-door neighbor, about what Atticus said and she explains, “Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us” (Lee 103). This means mockingbirds directly symbolize innocents, when Mrs. Maudie says they don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs she means they don't do anything wrong. So it would be a sin to kill something or someone that is innocent. Later in the book after Tom Robinson is found guilty even though Atticus proves his innocence beyond responsible doubt and it is shown to the courtroom that Bob Ewell is the true perpetrator.

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The mockingbird is a symbol of innocence, and therefore killing a mockingbird is a sin. Atticus says, “…but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (90). Miss Maudie says afterwards, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us” (90).

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The theme of this novel is "Not everything is the way you predict it is". I believe this thematic statement suits the story because throughout the book there are lots of surprises, and most situations don't go the way people predict they will. For example, Aunt Alexandra was first seen as mean, according to her attitude towards Scout. At the end of the book Aunt Alexandra hands Scout her overalls, as mentioned in the story, "the garments she most despised." Because she always wanted Scout to be a lady and wear dresses.

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After Atticus loses his trial, Jem notices that the Maycomb County justice system is broken and it needs help, “Then it all goes back to the jury, then. We oughta do away with juries. ”(294) This shows that Jem now understands that people are racist in everything and racism needs to be fought. On top of realizing that the justice system is in shambles, Jem realized that Tom Robinson’s case was very good at showing that.

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After Tom Robinson’s trial Jem talks to scout about how "if there's just one kind of folks, why can't they get along with each other? If they're all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other?"(Lee 162). Jem realizes that not everyone is treated the same whether it be because of their skin, like Tom, or the way they act, like Boo Radley. He's learning that people are treated differently even though all men are created equally. Jem is coming of age and realizing the world is not the same as he had once seen.

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First of all, a Mockingbird is a harmless bird.... and killing it is considered a sin. Atticus would always say “it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. ' Your father's right ,' she said. Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy…but sing their hearts out for us.

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At the trial when the verdict is read which is “…guilty…guilty…guilty…It was Jem’s turn to cry… ’ It ain’t right,’ he muttered…”(211-212) As an innocent boy Jem does not understand why Tom Robinson was found guilty, everything seems to go in his favor up until the verdict. What is more is, after the death of Tom Robinson Scout says Jem told her that “Mr. Ewell was more hot gas than anything” (241). This is made obvious when the Mockingbird reveals that Jem has somewhat grasped the situation of the verdict and Tom’s death and trying to make the best of it. All things considered, the Mockingbird reveals in Jem that he has realize why Tom Robinson had to be convicted and that his death was just part of the racism of his

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"I'd rather you shoot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. "(Atticus 90) Atticus mentions the mockingbirds in his quote to symbolize respect for innocent. The story is told through the character of Scout, a young girl living in Maycomb, Alabama during The Great Depression.

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“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us”. Miss Maudie, in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, is telling Scout that it is never ok to kill a mockingbird because they do not do any harm to anyone, and they are kind and are a symbol of goodness. Harper Lee uses the mockingbird to symbolize the characters, Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and Mayella Ewell. Harper Lee uses the symbolism of the mockingbird to illustrate the character of Boo Radley.

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All they do is sing songs and enjoy their time of bieng a bird. They don’t try to kill things, they don’t destroy gardens, they don’t do anything bad. And all they can do is be innocent so there is no reason why mockingbirds should be shot down and killed. “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (103) isn’t only referring to the Mocking bird itself but he was referring to other people in the story, for example Boo Radley was an innocent man but was injured by the monstrous evil around him.

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In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee many characters are victims of the harsh conditions of Maycomb County. Often those who are seen to be metaphorical mockingbirds are punished the most. A mockingbird is one who only wants and attempts to do good. Characters such as Boo Radley, Jem Finch and Tom Robinson are exemplars of mockingbirds in Maycomb. In the novel it is explained by Atticus that killing a mockingbird is a sin because they do not do anything to harm to us like nesting in corncribs, or eating up the gardens, they only sing for us.

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The poet, Lascelles Abercrombie once said, “There is only one thing which can master the perplexed stuff of epic material into unity; and that is, an ability to see in particular human experience some significant symbolism of man 's general destiny.”. He talked about how powerful of a tool symbolism is and how it is the only thing that can truly define a highly complex ‘destiny’ or series of events. Symbolism is something that is found throughout Harper Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee shows the reader that racism is a product of society,she portrays the matter through her symbolism of the mad dog, the birds and the bugs.

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The mockingbird in the title of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," symbolizes a number of characters throughout the novel. In order to fully understand why these characters symbolize killed mockingbirds, one must first understand what the title represents and why it's wrong to kill a mockingbird. The idea that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird was first mentioned by Atticus Finch (the protagonist's, Scout, father) when he saw the children shooting things with BB guns. As he knows that soon they will go after birds, he tells them: "Shoot all the Blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird”. As Miss Maudie (the Finch's next-door neighbour) explains to Scout, it's a sin to kill a mockingbird because

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