“Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird,” Atticus warned Jem. This is the book's central quote, the story's moral, and the metaphor the book is named after. In the metaphor, the mockingbird represents innocence and purity, for mockingbirds only serenade and bring happiness to the people around them. Thus, to kill a mockingbird is to kill something so helplessly innocent and pure. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley are all metaphorically portrayed as mockingbirds because they stand for what’s morally correct when faced with a town full of injustice and prejudice. Atticus Finch embodied innocence through his strong moral compass and willingness …show more content…
He cannot bring himself to do things for the simple fact of being part of the majority; his consciousness speaks louder than wanting to fit into any community. Another example of Atticus’ character is shown when he’s explaining to Jem what courage is, “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what,” (Lee 128). It’s inferred that Atticus believes strength is shown not by anything you can physically do, but by mental fortitude: standing up for what you believe in and sticking with it no matter the difficulties. Atticus’ commitment to his consciousness and his drive to stand up for what’s right despite what everyone around him thinks is what makes him one of the mockingbirds of the book. Tom Robinson, a man in the predominantly white town, fell victim to