To Kill A Mockingbird Quote Analysis

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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. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” No quote has rung in the ears of American citizens quite like this one from the literary classic, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This revolutionary story is about the happenings in a small town in Alabama and how Atticus Finch and his family fight for what’s right in a system that’s stacked against them. It is widely regarded as one of the most inspirational stories of all time, which is a title that it not only deserves, but has earned. This novel has left such an impact on society, and we could benefit by …show more content…

The antagonist of the novel, Bob Ewell, is clearly Lee’s representation of evil. Maycomb’s citizens look down on Bob, as they should, but still take his clearly false word over the far more likely defense of Tom Robinson, the colored man who was being unrightfully accused of rape by Bob’s daughter, Mayella. This demonstrates that the world didn’t care about what a terrible person they were, if white, they were probably better than a black man. Not only is it disgusting that this philosophy still exists today, but it’s terrifying how often you’ll find it in otherwise normal folks. On the other hand, the Finch family represents the good that counteracts Bob’s evil. Atticus particularly fights for what is right and doesn’t discriminate. He is simply a good person, so it is such a shame that there aren’t more people like him out there. That’s one of the great things that Lee accomplished with this novel: she gave the reader a great role model in the form of Atticus. He’s like a superhero: we know that there’s nobody out there as heroic as him, but he gives us the hope to strive to be our best selves. That is what really defines the line of good and evil in To Kill a …show more content…

The Finch kids are taught many lessons by their father, Atticus, that make them better people by the end of the novel. Even the ability to accept that moral growth is needed is a rare find in 2018. Everyone believes that they’re a special little snowflake, that no matter what they do, they were just meant to do that. Just imagine what life would be like if our world leaders were willing to acknowledge their flaws, what they don’t know, and actively tried to make themselves better. Unfortunately, global politics feels more like a children’s game than a civil debate and discussion, everyone just trying to one-up the others. Ultimately, the ability to acknowledge moral flaws and at least make an attempt to get past them is something that would really define a leader, and this sums up Scout’s character arc quite well. Atticus is always finding a way to show her that she can grow, and she is all the better person for