Human Nature In To Kill A Mockingbird

The Meaning of the Mockingbird Innocent people, expunged by the viciousness of the world. Starting to develop empathy for others is something that goes along with your maturity level, but a lot of people fail to learn it. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the moral of the story was to show that the mockingbird symbolizes innocence and a lack of empathy.

Even though Scout displayed innocence but still was excluded from games with Dill and Jem because of her gender, Harper Lee did not intend for her to be perceived as a Mockingbird. On the contrary, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are portrayed as mockingbirds, birds recognized for their innocence but also targeted. Body Paragraph #1 Topic Sentence #1: Tom Robinson, a black man convicted of rape, was an example of à Mockingbird because he was targeted even though he was innocent. Integrated Evidence #1: After the town of Maycomb found out about the tragic killing of Tom Robinson, “[Mr. Underwood] likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children”(Lee 323) in an editorial. Analysis 1: Tom Robinson was wrongfully accused of raping Mayella Ewell.

To Kill A Mockingbird is a beautifully written piece of literature that illustrates the symbolism of a mockingbird. Harper Lee has created this to show how not only is it a sin to kill a mockingbird but also people who act in the same manner. Tom Robinson plays a major role as a mocking bird because he is discriminated against, knocked down, and doesn’t fight back harshly. All mockingbirds do is sing sweet songs in the treetops and the only thing they get in return is death. Tom Robinson, similarly, shows kindness toward others but gets hatred in exchange.

In the novel,“To Kill a Mockingbird” Atticus’s statement of “you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them” is true due to the evidence given from the characters Boo Radley,Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell. Who throughout the novel have demonstrated a dramatic upcoming and are not seen for who they are but what people believe they have done. The simple wisdom of Atticus’s words reflects the complicated matters of rumors and gossip in Maycomb county.

Why is it a Sin to Kill a Mockingbird The mockingbird sings to entertain the listener, it is also a symbol of peace. It is a sin to kill a mockingbird because it doesn't hurt anyone and is innocent. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Miss Maudie said, “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.

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch employs pathos and diction in his closing argument to the jury and the people of Maycomb in order to persuade them to see beyond their prejudice and free Tom Robinson. Atticus informs the jury about the evil assumptions that society makes about Negroes. Pathos is used to persuade the jury when Atticus says, “Some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women—black or white.

Lee’s use of elements of style in To Kill a Mockingbird to convey and support the classic’s theme is what makes both the novel and the author so distinguishable. Using the literary devices of setting, symbolization, and characterization, Lee is consistently referencing the theme of racism and inequality in society. Throughout the first chapter of To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee frequently references age and appearance when discussing the town of Maycomb. ” Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it” (Lee 9). The deeper meaning that Lee is successfully conveying through this description of an old and tired town can be used to represent the old and outdated morals and view of Maycomb’s inhabitants.

A mockingbird is known as a bird that does no harm just makes wonderful music for us to hear. Another situation in which Atticus is extremely wise is after the trial when Mr. Ewell is embarrassed by how the town now sees him, due to how Atticus portrayed him to people. Mr. Ewell found a chance to show Atticus how much he truly embarrassed him and how mad he made him during the trial. “Atticus didn’t bat an eye, just took out his handkerchief and stood there and let Mr. Ewell call him names, wild horses could not bring her to repeat” ( 217). The small act of not responding to Bob Ewell was a very smart thing for Atticus to do.

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. In the first place, Harper Lee uses diction to develop the theme to think for yourself. For example in this quote it said, “ He almost whispered it, in the voice of a child afraid of the dark” (372).

Theme: Innocence One of the themes presented in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is innocence. Innocence is one of the key elements which shape and connect the whole piece together. The title itself uncovers the importance of the innocence factor in the book. As Miss Maudie explains, mockingbirds represented innocence. For this reason “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 119).

Tolerant is something important since one does not know why people do what they do unless they know what circumstances the person is living in. They also learned that many people do many prejudice acts, especially unjust acts through The Great Depression time. Next they learned that avoiding to combine evil with itself since it could cause worse things. Kind, being kind to one another gets you really far in life. Atticus told Jem one day “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”(103).

“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…” (Lee, p. 90). Mockingbirds symbolize goodness and innocence in this book. According to Dictionary.com, a scapegoat is “a person or group made to bear the blame for others or to suffer in their place.”

But that doesn’t seem like a good enough reason to change a big part of the novel. Taking out the “n-word” would not only be taking out some of the history but also some meaning and significance of the novel. Many readers see To Kill a Mockingbird as a racist book because it shows the whole truth about that time period. The “n-word” was just part of everyone’s vocabulary back then it was used many times even in the same few sentences like when Atticus’ daughter Scout asks: “Do you defend niggers, Atticus?” (pg 77).

The last character to show racist behaviors is Bob Ewell by not liking the fact that he lives so close to the African Americans. Another way Bob shows that he is prejudice against African Americans is by showing his hatred towards Atticus because Atticus was trying to help Tom be set free from the charges Bob was putting on

Both presenting themselves as an intelligent individual in the art of schooling, meanwhile they show naiveness of a child in observations of human behavior. Scout, in To Kill A Mockingbird, became well aware of cruel insults from her community about their dislike of her father’s actions. Her and her brother became accustomed and grudgingly tolerable to such insults and began to realize that the white folks could not accept the Negroes into everyday life. Maya, in I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, grew up in a black community, thus not being surrounded by racism all the time. On the other hand, her brother experienced how cold-blooded the white community is toward the black.