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To Kill A Mockingbird Essay

736 Words3 Pages

Grace Hener
Mrs. Kiefer
English I Honors
27 February 2023
To Kill a Mockingbird Essay
What does it mean to be a mockingbird? The idea of being a mockingbird is when you are killed for doing good. Being known as a mockingbird means loss of innocence when trying to do the right thing. This was a recurring theme shown in Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley illustrate the theme of being a mockingbird, because they all suffered punishments for trying to help others and trying to do the right thing.
Not only is courage a major trait of Atticus Finch, but so is kindness. Atticus decided to take on Tom Robinson’s case. When he took the case he knew he had no chance to win, but he knew “if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this country in legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem to do something again” (Lee 86). Atticus took on this case because he thought that Tom deserved a fair …show more content…

Boo was often known as being an evil or dangerous man, but Scout and Jem learned that there was more to him. Boo Radley began to form a bond with Scout and Jem. After years of fearing Boo, Scout realized “Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives” (Lee 320). Not only did Boo give Scout and Jem objects to show he cared about them, but he also saved their lives. When Boo saved the kids lives he did not know the serious consequences it could have had. Boo killed Bob Ewell to save the kids, and the sheriff knew right away he was going to have to cover up what happened. The sheriff tried to reassure Atticus that “Bob Ewell fell on his knife. He killed himself” (Lee 314). If the sheriff had not covered up what happened, then Boo Radley could be sent to prison for trying to protect the children. Sheriff Tate believed what he did was right because Boo protected the kids when they could not protect

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Even though Heck Tate is a sheriff, he doesn’t follow the law. Heck Tate states that Tom Robinson is dead and the man who is responsible is dead, so there’s no point of causes anymore troubles for a problem that has solved itself. And encourages Atticus to let Bob Ewell’s death go. Talking the case to court would put to death another innocent man. Boo did the right thing protecting Atticus’s children, which he has been doing throughout the book, and carried Jem home.

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The reason Boo was able to save them from being killed was because he could see well in the dark along with rushing to help as soon as he could even though he was not armed and Bob was. One quote in the book is where Mr. Tate says “Draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight-to me, that’s a sin.”(Lee 370) as he realizes bring Boo to testify what had occurred would be akin to shooting a mockingbird. Mr. Tate comes to this conclusion as bringing him to court would cause significant gossip and fame, which Boo has been avoiding and figures out that Boo only killed Bob out of kindness, and like a mockingbird all they do is help the community. That is why Boo is considered a mockingbird in this situation as he risks danger to protect two children and asks for nothing in

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At the end of “To Kill A Mockingbird”, Bob Ewell attacks the children and tries to kill them. Boo Radley comes to the rescue by saving the children and killing Bob. When Sheriff Tate gets to the scene, he says “I’m the Sheriff of this county and I say Mr. Ewell fell on is knife”. The decision made by Sheriff Tate was to protect Boo, knowing if it got out that he killed Bob he wouldn’t be able to defend himself. Therefore, I agree with the decision.

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“To my way of thinking', Mr. Finch, taking the one man who's done you and this town a great service an' draggin' him with his shy ways into the limelight—to me, that's a sin. It's a sin and I'm not about to have it in my head.” (Lee 280). Sheriff Tate doesn't want to tell the community because Boo Radley is innocent and doesn't want to harm anyone.

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The mockingbird represents true goodness and innocence that should always be protected. Another character who shows loss of innocence is Tom Robinson. He is accused of raping Mayella Ewell but because of obvious evidence, he is innocent. In effect, he gets shot to death for being a kindhearted man who saw a girl in need of help and helped her with daily fixing’s around the house. He was an innocent man who had a family and a life, but that was destroyed because of the color of his skin.

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There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten, his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time.” Little do they know that Boo Radley will play a huge part in their survival at the end of the book when the crazy Bob Ewell Attacks them and Boo Radley protected them, something that Jem and scout would’ve never imagined, But something that the reader could foreshadow. Due to Boo’s acts of kindness like when he returned Jem’s pants sowed after he got them caught on the barb wire fence while he was snooping and around and also the gifts he left in the knot of the tree that helped him build a deeper sentimental relationship with Jem and Scout even if the kids did not know it. Boo had built such a relationship with them that he had done something extremely courageous and protects Jem and scout from Bob

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When Boo stabs Mr. Ewell and Atticus wants to expose him the sheriff steps in. Heck Tate orates, “ To my way of thinkin’ [...] taking the one man who’s done […] a great service an’ draggin’ him […] to me, that’s a sin “ (Lee 276). This demonstrates that Boo does things for a greater good and is almost like a protector of some sort. Comparing this to a Mockingbird, Boo stays in and harms nobody for most of his life. However, his service helps the town take a great debt off their shoulders making it a sin to drag him

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That's a sin.” Mr. Tate agree’s that coming forth about who really killed Mr. Ewell would do a great disjustice to Boo who just wants to stay out the limelight. Boo risked being in the center of attention to help Jem and Scout, which in my opinion, is one of the greatest acts of courage seen in the

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He always got the cold shoulder from everyone around because he didn’t fit the mold for the perfect citizen. Boo even helped Scout and Jem by murdering Bob Ewell, because in the long run, he knew it was better for everyone in Maycomb, even though it could have landed him in jail. Instinctively, Boo knew that he needed to protect the Finch children no matter what that takes, and it was “Autumn again, and Boo’s children needed him” (374). Boo stepped up, went outside his own boundaries, and killed the one who wanted to hurt his children. Most would most definitely consider murder to be wrong, but in the case of saving two children, Boo risked eternity in jail for what

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Just standing on the Radley porch was enough. ”(279). Scout uses her imagination to try and view all the past events that have occurred through Boo’s eyes. When she does this she realizes that Boo isn’t a bad person at all, he is actually kind of like a guardian angel. Boo Radley’s character proves a great point that we should never judge or assume things about another person that we know nothing

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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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