“They don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (page). The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a fictional piece which captures the fictional lives of a small county set in Alabama during the 1930s. The novel takes place in Maycomb County, and is through the eyes of the narrator, Jean Louise or also known as Scout. Scout goes through her times from first to seventh grade, capturing an important turning point in their lives. During this time, a court case occurs in which a white man, Bob Ewell, accuses a black man, Tom Robinson, of raping his daughter. Throughout the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the theme, it is a sin to harm the innocent, is seen through the symbol …show more content…
Tom is helping Mayella Ewell with the door hinges when suddenly Mayella grabs him and kisses him. Tom, an African American man, could not do much for Mayella as she was a white woman, and pushing her would land him assault charges. Mayella is caught by her father Bob, who blames it all on Tom as rape for if Mayella was convicted she would be shunned by society. Bob then takes Tom to court, and despite all of the evidence saying that Tom was not guilty he was sentenced. Numerous factors showed Tom’s innocence such as his left hand being disabled, which made sure he could not have held her down while beating her. After Tom is convicted Scout talks about Mr. Underwood’s editorial, “Mr. Underwood simply figured it was a sin to kill cripples, be they standing, sitting, or escaping. He likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children” (323). Bob and the racist jury had harmed the innocent Tom Robinson, solely for the fact that he was a black man. As a result, he is considered a mockingbird because he was harmed even though he is innocent. Throughout the court case, his innocence was evident but regardless he was convicted. Therefore, Tom Robinson was also a mockingbird in the story because he was also an innocent