To Kill A Mockingbird Quotes

Harper Lee’ novel, To Kill A Mockingbird is an explosion of literary genius surrounding one of America’s darkest hours; a time that man turned against itself and brothers waged war. The entire book revolves around a quote stating that “It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” This quote is both intriguing and blunt: It is a sin to harm the innocent. Throughout the book, Lee exemplifies this by using minor characters that end up playing a large role to the reader. Mayella Ewell’s character seems pretty straight-forward if you skim through the plot. What many people don’t realize is how much of a mockingbird Mayella is. The reader follows only a small portion of Mayella’s story, but it is substantial enough for the reader to identify her as a victim of abuse. Mayella was abused by her father throughout her life and becomes manipulated to pin the blame for her own actions on the innocent. It becomes a chain reaction of sorts. Though Mayella isn’t described in vivid detail, she was an influential character in the book as well as a victim of the evil of Maycomb.

Tim Johnson is a mad dog that is seen roaming the street Scout lives on. Calpurnia calls the sheriff and he and Atticus arrive shortly after. The sheriff then surprises the reader. He hands the gun to Atticus and tells him to shoot Tim Johnson. After some deliberation, Atticus ends up standing in the middle of the street, aiming at the mad dog. This scene is crucial if you’re concerned with how the book shows its main concern. Throughout the scene, you read that neighbors only go inside and lock the doors. Atticus is the only person to fight the evil that is coming dangerously close to his home. Everyone else is contented by merely ignoring it. Atticus’ nature is displayed for the reader in this scene. This scene stresses Lee’s main point about Atticus; when everyone else fails, he confronts the true evil in