The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee takes place in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s during the time of segregation between blacks and whites. Two of the main characters, Miss Maudie and Atticus, say it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Miss Maudie is an old lady that lives down the road from Atticus and his two children: Jem and Scout. Several times in the novel they say this is a sin because of a mockingbird’s innocence. The title, To Kill a Mockingbird, is appropriate for this novel because it follows the meaning of the book and two of the main characters, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, are innocent people.
First, the meaning of this novel comes from the title, which is To Kill a Mockingbird. In the book a mockingbird represents a creature that is harmless, like a mockingbird itself. All what mockingbirds do is eat, build nests, and live in trees. They do not do anything that is destructive. Atticus says to Jem, “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 it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (Lee 90) When Atticus says this to Jem, he means to not kill anything because it is not right to kill an innocent creature. Then 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.'’ (Lee 90) This is the explanation Miss Maudie gave to Jem about how mockingbirds are innocent.
Second, Tom Robinson was an innocent person that did nothing wrong, but the jury in the court case he was in believe that he was guilty. In...
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...For example, around the end of the novel, Jem and Scout are walking home in the middle of the night from their school and a man named Bob Ewell attacks both of them, but Scout escapes. This is when Boo comes out and sticks a knife threw Bob’s back which kills him. This brings both Jem and Scout to safety. He also does nice things for Jem and Scout, like putting items in the hole of a tree in the front yard of his house for them to take.
In conclusion, when Atticus and Miss Maudie say that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, they mean it is a sin to harm innocent creatures. The innocent creatures or ‘mockingbirds’ they are referring to are: Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. In general, it is not right to give harm to any person or animal in life because of these examples and they are just plain on innocent. They give you no harm, so you should give no mischief back.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel written by Harper Lee. The novel is set in the depths of the Great Depression. A lawyer named Atticus Finch is called to defend a black man named Tom Robinson. The story is told from one of Atticus’s children, the mature Scout’s point of view. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, the Finch Family faces many struggles and difficulties.
“I’d rather you shoot 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 mocking bird.” Atticus Finch recites these lines to his two children, Jem and Scout after he gives them air-rifles for Christmas. Scout is curious, as this is the first time that she has ever heard her father refer to anything as a sin, Scout asks Miss Maude what Atticus meant by this. Miss Maude tells Scout that mocking birds don’t rip up people’s garden’s or annoy them in any way, all they do is play beautiful music for us to listen to.
Mockingbirds don't do harm, rather they bring pleasure and comfort to people. Atticus even says "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" (Lee 90). He says this because mockingbirds are so innocent, just like Boo. Miss Maudie even adds to Atticus saying "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.
Scout becomes curious to why her father says it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, so she asks. Atticus tells scout, “Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy…but sing their hearts out for us”(Lee, 103). Atticus gives a clear explanation of why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Mockingbirds do not cause any harm to anything or anyone and this is why they are the symbol of innocence in the
In “To Kill A Mockingbird”, by Harper Lee, Lee uses a quote saying “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 94). Mockingbirds are portrayed as very delicate and innocent within this book, just as Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.
In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Atticus tells Jem and Scout to, "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird," he is referring to the notion that a mockingbird is a harmless creature and does nothing but sing and bring happiness to the world. Harper Lee takes the title for her novel from this passage because the imagery of the mockingbird is analogous to the characters of both Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. These two characters are "harmless songbirds" who are sinfully destroyed.
Mockingbirds do no harm to anything they just sing. The two characters in this book that represents this symbol is Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley. Tom Robinson is a “mockingbird” because he is wrongfully accused of raping a white girl. Through the prejudice of the people in Macomb he later convicted and killed, even when he never did anything to Mayella Ewell. Boo Radley is also another great example of a “mockingbird” because no accepts him throughout the town which forces him to hide in his home. He had rumors spread about him how that he was a bad guy. But he was nothing but kind to the children and even saved their lives (Dave).
In order to understand why Arthur” Boo” Radley is a mockingbird, it is important to know that he silently watches Jem and Scout. He resembles a mockingbird because of his natural desire to make the children happy by putting gifts in the tree, his compassion to help them when they stand outside in the cold watching Miss Maudie's house on fire.When Bob Ewell was killed the sheriff of the town is determined to report that Mr. Ewell fell on the
“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (p.90) Miss. Maudie, one of the main protagonists in To Kill a Mockingbird, warns the young girl Scout that mockingbirds should not to be killed or hunted down because they represent those who are kind and innocent. So, on a broader spectrum, the term “to kill a mockingbird” symbolizes cruel and improper behavior towards people with good hearts and intentions. In the town of Maycomb, unethical behaviors, such as prejudice and gossip, are most commonly used against the “mockingbirds”. Three of those “mockingbirds” that are featured in this novel are Arthur “Boo” Radley, Tom Robinson, and Atticus Finch. Due to the depiction of the mockingbird symbol in the novel, the reader understands the consequences that immoral attitudes have towards those who are innocent and kindhearted.
It is then stated that killing a mockingbird is a sin, therefore meaning that killing innocent people is also a sin. Lee’s eye-opening novel reminds the reader that one should protect the beauty of the innocence by not allowing the society to promote their downfall. First of all, mockingbirds constantly reappear throughout the novel, as they are significant symbols. Mockingbirds are beautiful birds that are known for their remarkable voices. These birds are first introduced when Atticus instructs the children on how to use the toy riffles.
It is a sin to kill a mockingbird, mockingbirds are innocent birds that do not do one harm thing, but makes music for ones to enjoy. Tom Robinson is one of the novel’s “mockingbirds”, he is innocent but he was falsely convicted of rape and got killed. In a court, black man had never won over a white person. Tom Robinson, a black man was accused of raping Mayella Ewell, Mr. Ewell’s daughter. Atticus defends Tom Robinson because he had been appointed to defend for him, but it is also because of his morals. “Mr. Finch, I tried. I tried to 'thout bein' ugly to her. I didn't wanta be ugly, I didn't wanta push her or nothing” (Lee 260). During...
That's why it's a sin to kill a Mockingbird. By saying this Miss Maudie is saying they do. nothing to threaten us, harm us and are effectively innocent, so. why kill them pointlessly? Mocking birds are reflected explicitly during the narrative connecting.
The author George Elliot once said “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Appearance can be very misleading, and you shouldn't prejudge the worth or value of something by its outward appearance alone. This philosophical idea has been included in many works of literature, including the timeless classic To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee. The novel takes place in the town of Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. Many citizens of Maycomb tend to make judgements based on outward appearances alone. In the novel, Lee uses minor characters such as Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose, and Tom Robinson to convey the book’s theme of prejudice.
Killing a mockingbird is a sin. The quote by Atticus listed above is about killing life, but is also an extended metaphor for the corruption of innocence. Miss Maudie explains Atticus’ mockingbird quote when she says, “Your father’s right,” she said. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (119). Mockingbirds are harmless birds that sing songs by mimicking, or “mocking” the noises of other animals, including birds. When they sing and flutter about, they are not harming anyone, but merely minding their own business. For this reason, Miss Maudie and Atticus are both right. As long as mockingbirds mind their own business and do not bother anyone, there is absolutely no reason to kill them. The metaphor relates to gossip and innocence when Maycomb takes an innocent person and gossips about him or her, causing the town to have a bias against them even though they did nothing. For that reason, killing a mockingbird is a sin, just as well as gossiping about an innocent per...
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 corn cribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” This conveys the loss of innocence in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and thus killing a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. A number of characters (Jem, Tom Robinson, Dill, Boo Radley, Mr. Raymond) can be identified as Mockingbirds who have been injured or destroyed through their contact with evil.