The quote I chose for this essay is "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." (Lee 103). The context of the quote is that during Christmas, Scout’s uncle gave her and Jem shotguns, and they decide to go shooting with them, and Atticus tells them that.
The quote means that since mockingbirds do no harm and just provide nature with singing, it is not right to kill them. I think that the mockingbirds represent two characters in the book, who are Tom Robinson and Boo Radley.
Tom Robinson is a man with a loving family who was convicted of raping a teenager. All the evidence points to him being innocent, yet he is still convicted and sent to jail. Then he ends up getting shot at for trying to escape. This is a good example of a mockingbird in the book, because Tom Robinson was an innocent man, yet he
…show more content…
Boo Radley is a very quiet man who got into trouble with the law at a young age and has stayed inside his house since. Around town, he is seen as a bad man who is very weird for staying inside his house, and rumors about him are everywhere. Scout and Jem hear about this and are very interested about this, so they go and mess around at his house. Even with all these people thinking he is a weird, crazy person, Boo Radley is still a great person. When there was a fire, the kids were outside when it was cold, and Boo Radley was nice enough to wrap a blanket around Scout. This obviously confused Scout because she thought he was a bad person.
The best thing he did though, was when he saved Jem and Scout's lives when they were attacked by Bob Ewell. Bob Ewell is the dad of the girl who was apparently raped. Since Atticus defended the rapist and made Bob Ewell feel stupid for proving him wrong, he wanted revenge. So he goes and tries to kill the kids, but Boo saves them by stabbing and killing Bob. This shows that Boo Radley is a good person with no bad
Mockingbird in Everyday Lives “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. ”(119) In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Atticus uses this quote to teach that it is wrong to harm innocent creatures.
Boo does this because he enjoys watching the kids as they walk home and play outside in front of his house. Essentially, Mr. Radley is portrayed as a scary man where Jem and Scout satirize Boo due to his fearful image. However, they discover how they have treated a wonderful man appallingly. Boo is essentially a mockingbird, and Scout eventually figures
Everyone in town thinks he’s a weird creep just because he doesn't like everyone else. Jem doesn't know who to thank for putting the blanket on him when he was cold but then Atticus tells him, “Boo Radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn’t know it when he put the blanket around you.” (Lee 82) This shows how Boo Radley is a kind and harmless man.
In the story Boo Radley plays the role of Scout and Jem’s guardian angel. He watches over them and helps them when they get into trouble. In the first chapters, the kids make fun of Boo, they taunt him. All they know about him is what they have heard, that he is a crazy man. Throughout the story though, Boo proves them wrong.
Boo Radley, a recluse who seldom leaves his home, is initially depicted as a mysterious and menacing figure in the eyes of the children. They create vivid tales and rumors about him, fueling their curiosity and fear. However, as the story unfolds, Boo's true character is revealed. In a climactic moment of darkness, when Scout and Jem are attacked by Bob Ewell, Boo Radley emerges from his seclusion to save the children, ultimately sacrificing his anonymity and risking his own safety. This selfless act exposes the depth of Boo's character, challenging the assumptions made about him by
On one level, it refers to the actual act of harming innocent creatures. However, it also extends beyond the literal meaning, serving as a metaphor for the unjust persecution and destruction of innocence in society. Lee uses the mockingbird as a symbol for characters like Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of a crime, and Boo Radley, a recluse who is misunderstood and unjustly feared. Through this metaphor, the passage becomes a call to protect those who are vulnerable and marginalized, highlighting the importance of empathy and
- Atticus Finch This quote, spoken by Atticus, sets the tone for the entire novel. It is a metaphor for the innocence that is destroyed by prejudice and racism. Mockingbirds are innocent creatures that bring joy through their singing, and killing them is a senseless act of cruelty. In the same way, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are innocent victims of racism and prejudice.
Mockingbirds are an important symbol because they represent goodness and innocence. In this book, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are two innocent men, similar to mockingbirds, who get taken advantage of due to their innocence. Atticus and Miss Maudie teach Scout and Jem that it’s a sin to harm anything innocent by using the example of mockingbirds. Mockingbirds are innocent because they only positively affect people through their singing.