...Birds of Innocence Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is an exceptional story of cowardice and courage, of prejudice and acceptance. Most obviously, it is a story of maturity and innocence. In the novel, Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley are all metaphorically portrayed as mockingbirds because of their observable innocence with others in their community and their evident kindness. While each character has noticeably different storylines and symbolic references to the mockingbird, all three have their inculpability in common. Atticus Finch is depicted as a mockingbird, not only because of his incorruption, but also because of his fatherly instincts and his unmistakable courage. In chapter twenty-nine and thirty we see Atticus’s righteousness in full light. As they sauntered home from the school pageant, Jem and Scout were attacked. Atticus, knowing that Bob Ewell has threatened him and what he loves, does not outright blame Bob for his children’s wounds and injuries. Mockingbirds are extremely territorial and protective of their young. In chapter ten we see Atticus’s shooting skills as he protects his children from a rabid dog. Another trait shown by mockingbirds is their courage when defending their...
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...of a novel is an important asset for the author to present their story in a way they see fit. By allowing the author to express their emotions, the title remains a significant feature. When examining the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the reader can see that the mockingbird is a metaphorical symbolization of the theme of innocence, or the loss of. Published in 1960 by Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird has become a literary classic. This essay will explore the significance of the title “To Kill a Mockingbird” and will endeavor to explain to the reader why Harper Lee’s novel is called To Kill a Mockingbird while also touching on some of the themes that are connected to the title, such as the loss of innocence and injustice. Revolving...
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...Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel centered around a few years in Jean Louise “Scout” Finch’s childhood, featuring her experiences and the lessons that she learns growing up in the 1930s. Scout and her brother, Jeremy “Jem” Finch, mature in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama, in a one-parent home. Their father and aunt, Atticus and Alexandra, raise them with help from Calpurnia, their African American maid. Harper Lee weaves several different themes throughout the novel, but some are more prominent than others. Lee develops the main themes of growth, protection of innocence, and perception throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, disguised in the form of lessons learned during the narrator’s childhood. Harper Lee reveals her theme of growth...
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...‘You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.’ (3: 85-87) To Kill a Mockingbird (TKAMB) written by Harper Lee focuses on the inequality of race throughout America in the early 1900’s. The building roman novel published in 1960 utilises literacy techniques including symbolism, first person and characterisation in order to explore key themes such as innocence, social inequality and gender stereotyping. The novel promotes an insightful, entertaining and morally educating perspective for all readers. Literacy techniques are a critical part of the storytelling. Symbolism is used in order to enhance the story; it expresses a deeper meaning towards...
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...main themes of the extract, and when his name is not quoted, there are other references to him as simply ‘he’, ‘our father’ and ‘your father’. There is also a lot of repetitions of the world ‘old’, or references to oldness, both of Atticus and the people in their neighbourhood. For example Scout refers to Atticus as ‘feeble’, ‘nearly fifty’ and ‘nearly blind’, which can all be associated with agedness. Miss Maudie also talks about ‘your father’s age’, because he is older than other father’s in town. The neighbourhood and its habitants are also portrayed as quite aged: ‘old’ and ‘settled’ neighbourhood, ‘the folks on our street are all old’, ‘Mrs Dubose is close to a hundred’, ‘Miss Rachel’s old’, and Miss Maudie says she is not ‘being wheeled around yet’...
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...Analysis of Symbolism in To Kill A Mockingbird Most people would think of love when they look at the symbol ‘heart’. A symbol is an important literacy feature that is used to represent larger or abstract ideas. Symbols are often used by authors to deepen and further extend themes. In Harper Lee’s novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, her effective use of symbols and their deep meanings contribute towards the development of some important themes. The uses of symbols, a mockingbird and blue jay, significantly develop the key theme that the coexistence of the good and evil always remain. A mockingbird and blue jay prove that the good and evil coexist by utilizing two characters, Bob Ewell and Boo Radley. First, Bob Ewell...
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...and unity… TEXT COMPARISON Are we always champions of tolerance, courage and receptiveness to others? By the very definition of humanity, we must be. Humanity: benevolence, understanding and kindness towards other people. It is, arguably, our very human nature to feel compassion, courage, understanding, unity and empathy towards our fellow man. Unfortunately, prejudice and judgement also cling to the human condition like tumorous stains – traits which society still finds hard to surmount. Despite the efforts of governments, groups and individuals, humankind still finds it difficult to trust based on the soul of a person; we are more comfortable making judgements based on skin colour. Nelle Harper Lee through her 1960 novel, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ and Boaz Yakin through his 2000 film, ‘Remember the Titans,’ are text composers who tackle the ill-defined paradigms of ‘prejudice, courage and unity’ by painting a picture of the confronting face of racism. Prejudice, courage and unity are notions that are dealt with differently by both composers and, through their use of structural and linguistic features, each composer presents this concept in a manner which connects (or weakens a connection)...
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...Growing up is a major struggle for many as it is a time where one loses their innocence and starts to question their beliefs, values, and morals. Growing up is when one starts to face the harsh realities of society and starts to build an understanding of right versus wrong. In the three years covered by To Kill A Mockingbird Scout, Dill, and Jem grow from being naive, immature, and impulsive to being mature and understanding. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the destruction of innocence is used to depict the characters’ growth and development as well as their new understanding of the injustice in society surrounding race. The destruction of innocence is a major theme which illustrates growth and development within the characters of...
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...Symbolism; This is when an author uses any type of object to stand for and Idea. In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Harper Lee uses Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and Jem Finch as human mockingbirds (The mockingbird is a symbol of innocence.) to contribute to the overall theme of innocence. First, Lee Uses Boo Radley as a mockingbird when he’s always accused of being crazy/creepy because he doesn’t come out of the house, also jem says “Boo Radley was about Six-and-A-Half feet tall, “Judging from his tracks” He dined on raw Squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hands were bloodstained.” (13) Second, Lee Uses Tom Robinson as a mockingbird when he was shot 17 times and accused of raping Mayella Ewell because of his SKIN COLOR. “Atticus said,...
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...“ To kill a mockingbird” by Harper Lee and “Antigone” by Sophocles are both dramas having to do with justice, the main characters in both dramas are struggling to bring justice to a society or situation that was lacking. In Sophocles’ drama, Antigone was trying to bring justice by burying her brother Polyneices against the kings, Creon’s, orders. While in “To kill a mocking bird” Atticus is an attorney in a case where race is a major issue and he is trying to save Tom Robinson from being convicted of a crime where there’s overwhelming evidence of his innocence. Both “Antigone” and “To kill a mockingbird’s” themes seem to revolve around justice which is proven when Antigone buries her brother and Atticus agrees to take on Tom Robinsons case. Another large theme in both dramas is the idea that women are somehow ‘lesser’ because of their femininity, a cause of this might be because of the era that the dramas are set in. Throughout “To kill a mockingbird” Scout does her best to avoid ‘girly’ things so that she can keep playing with her brother Jem, its only later in the novel that Scout begins to realize that being a girl is more about having positive traits than lacking them. This theme continues in “Antigone”, most pointedly when Ismene states “Bethink thee, sister, we are left alone; Shall we not perish wretchedness of all, If in defiance of the law we cross A monarch's will?--weak women, think of that, Not framed by nature to contend with men. Remember this too that the stronger...
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...The theme to kill a mockingbird drives the novel through the innocence of the three mockingbirds. Mrs.Maudie introduces this concept by saying “Mockingbirds don’t do anything but make music for us to enjoy” (page.103). Stating this acknowledges that they don’t know any better than what they are doing. Innocence is the important characteristic that leads to the building of the characters of Mayella Ewell, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley. “I wonder if anybody had ever called her ma’am or “Miss Mayella” in her life, probably not as she took offense to routine courtesy what on earth was her life like?” (page.244) this was said by Scout as she realized the innocence of Mayella. Even though she was doing wrong in the story, by lying about Tom Robinson and accusing him of rape, being mistreated and disrespected her whole life has made her unable to see what she is doing is wrong. As Scout realizes Mayella didn’t know any better she starts to have empathy for Mayelle no...
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...There are many ways someone can define innocence. When a person hears that word, most likely they will think about an individual who is pure or someone who has the mindset of a child. Also, they may believe a person is free from sin or free from legal guilt of a crime. Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, explores this term by using different kinds of portrayals with its characters. Additionally, the book emphasizes the theme of the loss or destruction of innocence. Several characters in this novel who are considered innocent experience suffering. The main example of this concept is Tom Robinson. Tom is guiltless in the sense that he did not commit any crime. Another way that he is blameless was illustrated in the fact that he never intended to inflict damage on anyone. He is wrongly accused of rape, is found guilty, and is killed in prison because of it. This character’s journey is literally the death of innocence. A set of characters that lost their virtue during the book were Scout, Jem, and Dill....
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...To Kill a Mockingbird is a book written by Harper Lee about a small town in Alabama named Maycomb. The time period that this book takes place in is the late 1930s, the end of the Great Depression and prejudice is extremely prominent. The story is about a black male, Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell, and is defended by a white attorney, Atticus Finch. Atticus and his children, Scout and Jem, endure tough love from their community, but learn many things from the treatment they received. During the book, as the Harper Lee expresses the themes she uses symbols to interpret them. The major themes in the story are revealed within symbols, such as, a mockingbird, an oak tree, and geraniums. The mockingbird...
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...To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a masterpiece of American literature. The minor characters in To Kill a Mockingbird played an important role; these characters are very relevant to the novel. The role of the minor characters in the book is significant because they outline strong themes and they portray elements of human nature. Minor characters such as Dolphus Raymond, Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose and Link Deas demonstrate strong themes such as courage, compassion and kindness such themes are very relevant to the novel. Link Deas is a marvelous minor character. Link displays courage in the novel. During the Tom Robinson trial Link gets up and says, “ I just want the whole lot of you to know one thing right now. That boy’s worked for me eight years an’ I ain’t had a speck o’ trouble outa him. Not a speck.” (Lee 195) It takes a lot of courage to speak out during the trial just to support Tom Robinson. Link is also very kind. He shows kindness because “He walked her the short way, by the Ewells’.”(Lee 249) It is very kind of Link to walk Helen home and commanding Bob Ewell to stop teasing Helen. As well as showing kindness Deas is compassionate. This is correct because “ Mr. Link Deas made a job for Helen. He didn’t really need her, but he felt bad about the way things turned out.”(Lee 249) Link shows compassion by hiring Helen he knows that she will struggle without Tom’s presence. Link Deas displays courage, kindness and compassion within the novel. Mrs. Henry Lafayette...
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...novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”, author Harper Lee implements an extensive array of symbolism that associates itself with many characters throughout the novel. While the title of the book itself may not mean much literally when trying to connect it to the plot of the story, it does in fact have a lot of symbolic weight to it. In the book Ms. Maudie explains why it was a sin to kill a mockingbird. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but . . . sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” In the novel, a mockingbird symbolically represents purity, and innocence. And to kill a mockingbird means to rid some one “mockingbirds”, one for example is Tom Robinson, in the novel it stated that he was an honest hard...
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