Symbol Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

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The mockingbird is used as a symbol of innocence and causing no problems in the story To Kill A Mockingbird. In the story, Atticus tells Scout not to shoot a mockingbird because it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. When Scout asks Miss Maudie about what Atticus had said, Miss Maudie responds by saying, “Your father’s right. 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.” (Lee 103) This quote means that mockingbirds cause no harm and are innocent. The symbol of a mockingbird can be shown through the characters Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. The mockingbird represents Boo because Boo is seen as a dreadful person. The views about him being bad are a misconception. Boo is really …show more content…
He is “shot” because the community believes he is terrible and frightening. This is also said in Sparknotes. Sparknotes says, “In this story of innocents destroyed by evil, the “mockingbird” comes to represent the idea of innocence.” This shows how Boo Radley can represent the innocent person and the people who see him as bad are the evil. Another character that can be compared to the mockingbird would be Tom Robinson. Towards the end of the story, Mr. Underwood speaks of Tom Robinson’s death in his newspaper. The editorial said, “He likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children…” (Lee 275) The death of songbirds, such as mockingbirds, is compared to the death of Tom Robinson. The mockingbirds are innocent creatures but still killed for their feathers or for fun. Tom Robinson is also innocent but convicted of rape and is killed because of the color of his skin. Tom Robinson is a wonderful, friendly person who helped others similar to a mockingbird, but because of the racism in society, he is seen as a bad man who is not
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