“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.” In this book, Tom Robinson represents a scapegoat and Jem Finch and Boo Radley are two of the characters that represent mockingbirds.
Tom Robinson is a scapegoat because he was convicted of a crime that he did not commit. Tom should’ve been set free but instead he was forced to take on the consequences of Bob and Mayella Ewell’s crime. It was clear that Tom was
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At the beginning of the book, Jem is an innocent child. He takes part in the Boo Radley game with no regard to the people in the Radley house that can hear him and the other children making fun of Boo. Jem soon begins to realize that Boo is more than just childhood superstition and he is not the monster that the town makes him out to be. Jem’s view of what bravery is grows throughout the story, as well. At the beginning of the book, Jem’s definition of bravery is touching the Radley house and he believes himself to be brave because, “In all his life, Jem had never declined a dare” (Lee, p.13). By the end of the book, Jem shows true bravery when trying to protect his sister, Scout, from Bob Ewell’s attack. During the trial, Jem becomes aware of the evil inflicted on Tom Robinson and it ruins his innocence. He is forced to confront the racism and injustice that surrounds him in the town of Maycomb. These events make Jem a mockingbird injured by the world around …show more content…
He is a kind, innocent man that loves Jem and Scout as if they were his own. The town views Boo as a monster, but as he leaves gifts for the children and mends Jem’s pants, the reader begins to see his true nature and learns that he is misjudged by society. Boo also saves the lives of Jem and Scout. In the process of saving the kids, Boo had to kill Bob Ewell. By killing Mr. Ewell; Boo Radley killed his innocence. After the attack, Boo gently carried Jem to Atticus so that Dr. Reynolds could take a look at him. At first, Atticus thought that Jem had killed Mr. Ewell, but Mr. Tate insisted that he fell on his knife. As they were arguing, Atticus realised that Boo had killed Mr. Ewell. Atticus and Mr. Tate knew that Boo would be killed if the town found out that he had killed Bob Ewell, and so they agreed that Mr. Ewell fell on his knife. When Atticus asked Scout if she understood the situation, she said “...Mr. Tate was right... it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?” (Lee, p. 276). Scout plainly said that Boo Radley is a mockingbird and the events in the story prove it to be true.
To kill a mockingbird is to kill one’s innocence and although there were other “mockingbirds” in the book, Jem Finch and Boo Radley were definitely important ones. Their innocence was killed by the evil in the world around them and that’s what makes them mockingbirds. Tom Robinson sadly died because of a crime
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
Tom Robinson is an example of a “mockingbird,” he is accused of a false accusation, mainly because he is a black man. This can relate back to one of the many themes of the novel, “prejudice.” Atticus, Scout, and Jem are round and dynamic characters that help to progress the theme of “empathy,” as well as many lessons that Scout and Jem will learn. Morality
Jem was not happy about Tom losing his trial, he was the first one to cry about the loss and then sniffled, “It is not right Atticus.” Jem also grew in strength and bravery, this is shown when Bob Ewell attacks Jem and Scout, and Jem was willing to fight Bob in order to protect Scout from his knife. He is also not afraid to stand up for his family, and Tom when people are tearing them down. Jem develops from a stubborn, curious child to a mature, brave, and knowledgeable teen throughout the book, all because he made the right
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are both symbolized as the mockingbird. The first person who was inferred as a mockingbird was Boo Radley. Boo Radley is recognized as one of the mockingbirds of the story because he has not done anything horrible. Scout talks to Miss Maudie about the rumors she has heard about Boo and Miss Maudie says that he has not done any of those rumors. The only other person who claims she has seen Boo doing something bad was Miss Stephanie who has a very big mouth.
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
Jem, a young and smart boy develops and matures through many unique situations in the novel. Jem is exposed to the harsh belief, judgement and circumstances of the court at a very young age. Following his father, Jem involves himself in the trial between Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell yet takes Tom’s side due to his father's involvement. Jem slowly loses faith in the justice system and is faced with a loss of innocence as explained by Scout“It was Jem’s turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd.
If not for the major characters, the minor characters have played an equally important role in Maycomb with their contrasting views. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is mainly about Jem and Scout growing up under the difficult situations created in Alabama during The Great Depression. Stereotypes and discrimination are major problems in Maycomb. Scout and Jem Finch are raised by Atticus, with the help of Calpurnia, their maid. In the first part of the book, Scout, Jem and Dill are fascinated by Boo Radley because of the rumors they hear about him, and they try everything to make him come out of his house.
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee the term mockingbird symbolizes innocence in a person. In the novel it focuses on the fact that innocence, represented by the mockingbird, can be wrongfully harmed. There are two characters: Tom Robinson and Arthur “Boo” Radley that are supposed to represent the mockingbird. In the novel, Tom Robinson is the best example of a mockingbird because he is prosecuted for a crime he did not commit. Also, he was judged unfairly based on the color of his skin in his trial.
Primary Evidence: Jem tells Scout that he thinks that Boo stays in his house because Boo knows that if he was to be seen in public he would be judged by Maycomb citizens (Lee 227). 2. Interpretation: Like a mockingbird, Boo is misjudged and people are scared that he will harm them, but he is actually innocent and loving. B. Claim: Boo radley is a loving giving man who likes to bring joy to
Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem and Scout 's perception of courage drastically changes their behavior as they mature. They learn a lot about courage throughout the novel from their father Atticus and what they learn from him influences their choices and opinions. Although Jem is older than Scout, they both experience change in their behavior. At the beginning of the novel, Jem is still a young boy. He is defiant towards Atticus, he plays all the usual childhood games with Scout and Dill, and he engages in the younger children’s obsession with Boo Radley.
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."
In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the mockingbird is a metaphor for Tom Robinson. While mockingbirds are discussed in the novel as literal birds that harmlessly sing and entertain, Lee clearly uses the mockingbird to symbolize Tom Robinson. One reason that supports this idea is a Robinson is a innocent man who tried to help someone but then was convicted of rape. Another reason that supports the metaphor is Tom, the innocent songbird, was put on trial for his life and was convicted guilty. This inhuman action of murdering an innocent and harmless man who wanted to help is like the killing of a harmless songbird.both are innocent, and both murders are wrong.
To Kill a Mockingbird has many of underlying themes such as racism, courage, respect, femininity, etc. But the theme that fits this book most appropriately is innocence and the harm caused to the innocent by evil and bigotry. Examples of this include Jem, Dill, Tom Robinson, Boo Radley. While all these characters have completely different personalities and circumstances they all have one thing in common. All of them were innocent at one point and were harmed by the evil of
The Co-existence Of Good and Evil In Human Morality: To Kill A Mockingbird Analysis Essay Set in the rural southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, To Kill A Mockingbird is seen through the eyes of Scout Finch and her older brother Jem, Maycomb appears to be friendly and peaceful. However the children are exposed to the dangers and the truth of their community. As they mature and learn important lessons from others, they’re exposed to prejudice, inequality, racism, social class and injustice.
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.