How To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill A Mockingbird Essay In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee intrigues readers to her story filled with truth and rumours. Scout and Jem always feared the Radley’s especially, Boo Radley. Notoriously known the rumor of stabbing Mr. Radley in the leg. Everything changes after Boo Radley saves Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee develops the theme to think for yourself through diction, imagery, and symbolism.

Symbolically throughout To Kill a Mockingbird a mockingbird represents pure goodness and innocence, but that innocence dies when corrupted by evil. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, several characters are representative mockingbirds. Tom Robinson, a Negro client of Atticus Finch’s, who was accused

He had originally planned to kidnap Lincoln and trade him for the Southern soldiers in prison, but Lincoln didn’t show up where they thought he would. Because that kidnapping plot failed, he decided to go more extreme and kill him instead. In the text it says, “Frustrated at seeing his plot foiled, Booth resolved to go to a far greater extreme.” He also decided to have his friends assassinate the Secretary of State and the Vice President. Lastly, he thought that he was doing a favor for the country. He did not love the “forced Union” and thought that by killing Lincoln, he would be doing well for the country.

In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, one of the many symbols is a roly-poly. In chapter 25 of To kill A Mockingbird, scout finds a bug and attempts to squish it when Jem tells her to stop. Jem says, “Don’t do that, Scout, set him out on the back steps.” Scout makes fun of Jem for being so sympathetic toward the bug. Jem being sympathetic towards the bug shows his maturity. Jem understands that it’s not just a bug.

It is a sin to kill a Mockingbird. It is a sin because they are innocent, good, protective animals that mind their own business and don 't do anything but good for their community. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird there are three mockingbirds in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. When there was a problem they could solve, they would solve it. Even if there was something they could do that would help someone in the slightest way they would do it.

In the story, the innocents are destroyed by evil, the “mockingbird” comes to represent the idea of innocence. Thus, to kill a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. Such as when Atticus says “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit'em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (103). Another example could be when Boo stabs Bob Ewell to save Jem and Scout, which sheriff Tate decides to say that Mr.Ewell fell on the knife, so Boo won’t have to go to court. In which Scout says “Well, it’d be sort of shootin a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?” (317).

Lee uses the mockingbird as a symbol of evoking empathy in the novel. She writes, “I’d rather you shoot a tin can in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after the birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit them, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee119). Atticus is explaining to Scout to not kill the mockingbird because it’s a sin. Lee evokes empathy by using the mockingbird to symbolize innocence.

The saying “to kill a mocking bird is sin” is a common saying back then, maybe until now it’s still being used. The saying says “killing a mocking bird is sin” because mocking birds doesn’t really do any harm they just sing out with their hearts a tune. The book refers to this saying meaning that the innocence are taken away intentionally by the the accusers or townsfolk. In the book there are two or three “mockingbirds” they were misunderstood, accused, or just fighting for justice but the townsfolk just turned their backs on them. These mocking birds are: Arthur “boo” Radley, Tom Robinson, and Atticus finch.

Main idea:An initial reason why To Kill a Mockingbird is still important is because the author brings to light that racism is unfair and cruel by stressing that it separates the whole community. Evidence 1:This idea can first be seen when Atticus and Uncle Jack give Scout and Jem air riffles for Christmas. Atticus will not teach them to shoot because Atticus tales life very seriously.Atticus tells Jem and Scout ,"he says ,"I'd rather you shoot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you'll go after birds.Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em ,but remember its a sin to kill a mockingbird. "(119)This shows Atticus does not want his kids to use their air rifles to kill.He tells them to shoot at the bluejays because he knows that they can not hit them. Atticus takes life very serious he had trouble shooting Tim Johnson.

For instance, when Jem and Atticus were on private grounds Atticus tells Jem about mockingbirds by saying ,” I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after the birds. Shoot all the Bluejays you want , if you can hit'em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”(Lee 90). Atticus is showing that shooting birds are fine but mockingbirds who do nothing should never be shot because of their innocence. Using symbolism, the mockingbird can represent Tom Robinson and his innocence. Tom Robinson was innocent but they killed him when they called him guilty in his court case.