To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a novel which focuses on the lives of Scout and Jem Finch, two children raised in mid 1930s Maycomb, Alabama. The novel deals with corrupt morals and ideals of society and how they affect others, often showing the injustice and wrongdoings done to those who are undeserving of them. This concept, although not uncommon in our society, is a relatively new idea for Scout and Jem. It is explained through Harper Lee’s famous quote which says, “‘[m]ockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’” (Lee 119). Mockingbirds are used to portray characters such as Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, as well as Scout and Jem. This is because mockingbirds are innocent and harmless, and to cause an affliction to them would be senseless, immoral, and a display of pridefulness, just as …show more content…
Tom Robinson can be represented by a mockingbird due to his selfless nature, harmlessness, and his inability to protect himself against the prejudices in society. Throughout the novel, he is shown to be a good Samaritan, particularly in his trial, where Atticus brings to light his kind and charitable deeds. When asked by Atticus if he ever received payment for the tasks he completed for Mayella Ewell, Tom replied “‘[n]o suh, not after she offered me a nickel the first time. I was glad to do it, … [even though] I knowed she didn’t have no nickels to spare’” (Lee 256). Tom performed good deeds without expecting a reward in return. The reason he helped Mayella was because he thought it was the right thing to do. Mockingbirds receive no payment or acknowledgement for the good they do, but they continue to do it anyways, similarly to how Tom continued to work for Mayella without pay, despite having a