"Harper Lee wants to tell us that it takes courage NOT to kill a mockingbird"
Essay, January 2018
One might ask oneself why Harper Lee chose a mockingbird, a rather unspectacular and common bird living all around the globe, as the most important symbol in her book "To kill a Mockingbird".
The mockingbird is introduced during supper at the Finch 's house when Atticus tells his children that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Miss Maudie explains this as follows: "Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except 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.”
Thus the mockingbird is the metaphor for a living being that is selfless, that does no harm to anybody and even goes out of his way to bring pleasure to others. It is nonintrusive and doesn’t seek attention but does his good deeds for the pleasure of being good.
Now we ask ourselves why would anyone want to kill such a creature with such outstanding characteristics. And why would it require courage not to kill it?
Harper Lee chose her mockingbirds carefully and draws us into the
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To defend a Negro in this situation takes courage. Atticus abides by the trust and duty given to his role and does everything to bring the evidence of Tom 's innocence in front of the jurors. He questions the truthfulness of Bob Ewell 's statements even though he as a white man is accusing a black man. Atticus shows that a man shall be judged by his deeds and not by his colour or social status and risks the community 's furore, insults and threats. He is insulted of being a Nigger-lover by adults, children and even by his own family. Atticus stands by his beliefs in the face of public pressure and even physical attacks. He values decency, honesty, and integrity more than the esteem of the society he lives
Their disapproval does not stop him from upholding his ethics and morals. He ignores the insults, threats, and ridicule thrown at him and his family like the gentleman that he is. Atticus is, without a doubt, a man of great integrity and is willing to do the right thing even if the majority goes against him. Another important type of courage Atticus models is his physical courage. To protect Tom from the angry mob, Atticus sits outside Tom’s cell ready to defend him.
Atticus knows he will be criticized and hated for defending a black man but he puts all of that aside and stands up for what is
By being strong in his belief of what's right, Atticus is a true role model. When Scout and Jem are lost Atticus is there to give them advice and take care of them. “His hands were under my chin, pulling up the cover, tucking it around me” (Lee 281). Atticus is a loving father that wants to take care of his children. “Depends on how you look at it, what was one negro, more or less among two hundred of ‘em” (Lee 235).
Jem further understood the true meaning of moral courage when he saw Atticus defending Tom Robinson, a black man. Although Atticus was hugely outnumbered and even cornered by Mr Cunningham and some other people, he did not back down from them. Instead, he seemed even more determined to win the case and prove Tom Robinson 's innocence to all of Maycomb County. Almost everyone in Maycomb County had criticised Atticus and his children for taking up the case of defending Tom Robinson and they were even called "nigger lovers" by many. At first, Jem did not understand why his father chose to defend Tom Robinson when he knew that people would whisper and gossip about it and that the possibility of him winning the case was very low.
Atticus taking this case just proves how brave and determined he is. Taking this case could be life changing for him in the worst way, but he takes it anyway. Everyone is being discriminative towards him and his whole family but he continues to hold his head
In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Harper Lee demonstrates the power of courage in Atticus Finch and Mrs. Dubose, showing that true courage is continuing on the path of what is right no matter the consequences, humiliation, or difficulty along the way. Mrs. Dubose exhibits courage by fighting her morphine addiction in order to die free, a seemingly impossible task. Though it may be difficult, even painful at times, she pushes through, facing her problems rather that ignoring them in hope that she can die with dignity and pride in the person she was. When Atticus explained her situation and goal to his children, he told them that Mrs. Dubose “said she was going to leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody. Jem, when you’re sick as she was,
This passage encapsulates the novel's central theme of empathy, compassion, and the importance of preserving innocence. Through the symbol of the mockingbird, Lee conveys a powerful message that resonates with readers, urging them to recognize and protect the vulnerable and innocent members of society. The passage's beauty lies in its simplicity and poetic imagery. By comparing mockingbirds to innocent beings that bring joy through their songs and do no harm, Lee emphasizes their purity and their inherent goodness.
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee many characters are victims of the harsh conditions of Maycomb County. Often those who are seen to be metaphorical mockingbirds are punished the most. A mockingbird is one who only wants and attempts to do good. Characters such as Boo Radley, Jem Finch and Tom Robinson are exemplars of mockingbirds in Maycomb. In the novel it is explained by Atticus that killing a mockingbird is a sin because they do not do anything to harm to us like nesting in corncribs, or eating up the gardens, they only sing for us.
Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird and Eugenia Coolliers short story “Marigolds” evoke the most empathy by showing the growth of morals like empathy and compassion in the characters. The dynamic characters are used to emphasize how a person can change while symbolism is used to show a deeper meaning in an object both are used by the authors to evoke empathy. To Kill A Mockingbird, a novel published in 1960 about innocence, compassion and hatred. A story about children living in a racist time period trying to get through living there childhood without being influenced by the bad customs. “Marigolds” by Eugenia Cooliers is a short story also written in the 1960’s about a learning compassion and turning into a woman.
Harper Lee wants to tell us that it takes courage NOT to kill a mockingbird Courage and the symbol of the mockingbird are two of the most important, or in fact in my opinion the most important themes, which are addressed and displayed in the highly praised, but also controversial novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” written by Harper Lee. I will try to interpret these two motives and show how they are strongly connected to each other. There are many different types of courage and many people who all show it in their own personal way. If people talk about bravery and courage, they mostly think of the physical kind of courage. But there are also other kinds, which are often forgotten or cast aside by their big brother: moral and emotional courage.
Throughout the novel Harper Lee uses symbolism of many things to strengthen the theme of social inequality. The title of the book is the most obvious use of symbolism. The mockingbird is an animal meant for pleasure. It sings a beautiful song and hurts nothing and no one. When she receives an air gun as a gift, Scout is instructed to leave the mockingbirds alone for “its a sin to kill a mockingbird” and they pose no threat.
Harper Lee’s purpose was to show that race doesn’t define anything. In the novel, Miss Maudie says, “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.” (90).
The mockingbird in To Kill A Mockingbird is symbolic of innocence. Early in the novel, Atticus, the father tells the children Scout and Jem that it is a "sin to kill a mockingbird". Later Scout asks Miss Maudie what he meant by that because she has never heard her father say anything was a sin. Miss Maudie explains his reasoning by saying that all mockingbirds do is provide beautiful music. They do not harm anyone, they don't bother anyone, and they "sing their hearts out for us."
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” (To Kill a Mockingbird 119). Lee put this into the book because she wanted the Mockingbird to represent
Atticus is faced with many threats along the way and is shunned in the community for defending a man of such a heinous crime. During the trial Atticus makes many strong arguments and it is plainly