Symbolism of Mockingbird To Kill a Mockingbird By: Harper Lee

(To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is my favorite book. I first read it in the eighth grade and have loved it ever since. To Kill a Mockingbird is the first book that made me appreciate symbolism. The mockingbird is my most loved symbol in all the literature I have read. Before I explain the symbolism of the mockingbird, it is necessary to explain the mockingbird theme.)

The main theme of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is the mockingbird theme. The mockingbird theme is first introduced when Atticus tells Jem and Scout that “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” because humans have an unfair advantage over them. The children do not understand what Atticus means so they ask Miss. Maudie. She replies: “Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, they 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.”

Throughout the novel, there are many occurrences where the mockingbird theme appears. One example is when Scout wanted to mash a roly poly bug and Jem told her not to “because they don’t bother you”. The roly poly bug symbolizes the mockingbird theme because like the roly poly, the mockingbird does not bother you so there is no reason to hurt it.

Tom Robinson is also symbolic of the mockingbird theme because even though he is innocent, just like the mockingbirds, he still gets killed. To kill an innocent man is as senseless as killing a mockingbird. The white men have an unfair advantage over Tom because he is black. Even though it is obvious to the whole town that Tom is not guilty, he still is found guilty because he is black and if the whites let him free, that gives up their power over the blacks. When Tom is shot in the back, this is a perfect example of the mockingbird theme. Someone who was innocent was tragically killed because of racial prejudice.

Another character who is symbolic of the mockingbird theme is Arthur Radley (Boo). He also was an innocent man who never harmed anyone and only tried to do what was right and good for others. An example of this was when Heck Tate discovered that it was really Boo who killed Mr. Ewell; Tate wanted to lie and say that Mr. Ewell killed himself by falling on his knife. Tate didn’t want people to know what really happened because if the town people find out that Boo was the one who killed Mr. Ewell this would bring attention to Boo and the attention would bring harm to Boo and possibly result in another trial. Tate tells Atticus that: “takin’ the one man who’s done you and this town a great service an’ draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight – to me, that’s a sin”. In other words, Boo did Atticus a favor by saving his kids and he doesn’t want Boo to be charged with Ewell’s murder. Scout simply replies: “It’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird.

Therefore, the roly poly bug, Tom and Boo are symbols of the mockingbird theme of the story.

***Aunty Lisa, I couldn't figure out how underline book titles on my post. So please just pretend the book title is underlined! :) Thank you!