Examples Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird
A lesson taught by Atticus in To Kill a Mockingbird is that you should never kill a mockingbird because they only create music and harm nothing. What Atticus meant by this is that you should never hurt an innocent person no matter the situation. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird the mockingbird symbolizes all that is innocent and all that is harmless in society. Harper Lee uses two characters to show the innocence in people and to show how this innocence is often killed: Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. The theme in To Kill a Mockingbird, that often the innocent are harmed by the wicked unjustly and intentionally, only to be saved by the brave and intelligent, who try hard to show society who these people really are is clearly articulated throughout the novel by the use of the symbolism of the mockingbird infused in the
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two characters previously mentioned.
Tom Robinson has never hurt a person in his life and he is most definitely considered a mockingbird and is definitely killed in this novel unjustly. Scout is going to “mash” the bug but Jem would not allow it and says, ‘“[do not kill it if it does not] bother you’ [… Jem] was never cruel to animals but I had never known is charity to embrace the insect world” (238). This passage is right after the court case and because Jem has just witnessed a mockingbird (Tom Robinson) being killed he relates Tom to the bug, but Jem has never been kind to insects before. The reason Jem is so eager to have Scout not kill the bug is because Tom Robinson was just “killed” by being proven guilty at the trial and Jem sees that Tom was so innocent and is a mockingbird who does not deserve death so he shows his feelings for Tom on
the bug. When Atticus hears the news that Tom has been shot he tells Calphurnia, ‘“They shot him, […] they said he just broke into a blind raving charge at the fence and started climbing it’” (235). Tom Robinson is clearly a mockingbird in this situation because everyone knew that he could not have climbed a fence with one arm yet the prison guards shot Tom out of hate and spite without understanding his innocence and how shooting him is like shooting a harmless mockingbird. A mockingbird was literally killed by men who have never heard, or understood the metaphor of why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird and will kill anything that moves but Tom is not just another thing that moves… he is an innocent mockingbird. Because Tom Robinson never hurt a soul, and was so innocent he is considered a mockingbird and he did not deserve the punishment he was given- death. The next character Harper Lee uses to show the innocence of the mockingbird and how killing one is unjust is Boo (Arthur) Radley. When Atticus asks Scout if she agrees with Tate about the decision that Boo Radley did NOT kill Bob Ewell she responds by saying, ‘“Mr. Tate was right’” about Bob Ewell Falling on his knife ‘“[…] What do you mean?’ [Asks Atticus] ‘Well, it’d sort of be like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?’” (276). Scout is defending Boo Radley because she realizes he is a mockingbird and if she lets Atticus accuse him of murder, it would be as if Atticus was killing the most noble mockingbird in the story. Boo Radley has never done the society harm and Scout sees this so she needs to stand up for him because that is the only way for her to insure he is safe from being “killed”. When Scout is escorting Boo to his house she thinks to herself, “if miss Stephanie Crawford was watching from her upstairs window, she would see Arthur Radley escorting me down the sidewalk, as any gentleman would do” (278). Scout wants to show the world who “Boo” Radley really is: a normal, innocent, harmless mockingbird and that he should never be pestered again. Scout especially wants Miss Stephanie to see because Miss Stephanie has been killing Arthur Radley and his reputation this whole story by telling rumors, but before Miss Stephanie told any rumors Boo Radley was just a silent recluse, a mockingbird, and an innocent, selfless, child-like man. Boo Radley is the most innocent person in the story, he has never hurt a soul and because of Atticus’s Lesson Scout learns that she should protect him in any way possible because he is so harmless. Two characters in To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, are used by Harper Lee to show pure innocence for her better communication of the lesson taught by Atticus. This lesson that Atticus tells Scout and Jem does not only relate to the story, but in real life one must follow this lesson and strive to be a person who never harms anything innocent or not deserving of death. "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."
two characters previously mentioned.
Tom Robinson has never hurt a person in his life and he is most definitely considered a mockingbird and is definitely killed in this novel unjustly. Scout is going to “mash” the bug but Jem would not allow it and says, ‘“[do not kill it if it does not] bother you’ [… Jem] was never cruel to animals but I had never known is charity to embrace the insect world” (238). This passage is right after the court case and because Jem has just witnessed a mockingbird (Tom Robinson) being killed he relates Tom to the bug, but Jem has never been kind to insects before. The reason Jem is so eager to have Scout not kill the bug is because Tom Robinson was just “killed” by being proven guilty at the trial and Jem sees that Tom was so innocent and is a mockingbird who does not deserve death so he shows his feelings for Tom on
the bug. When Atticus hears the news that Tom has been shot he tells Calphurnia, ‘“They shot him, […] they said he just broke into a blind raving charge at the fence and started climbing it’” (235). Tom Robinson is clearly a mockingbird in this situation because everyone knew that he could not have climbed a fence with one arm yet the prison guards shot Tom out of hate and spite without understanding his innocence and how shooting him is like shooting a harmless mockingbird. A mockingbird was literally killed by men who have never heard, or understood the metaphor of why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird and will kill anything that moves but Tom is not just another thing that moves… he is an innocent mockingbird. Because Tom Robinson never hurt a soul, and was so innocent he is considered a mockingbird and he did not deserve the punishment he was given- death. The next character Harper Lee uses to show the innocence of the mockingbird and how killing one is unjust is Boo (Arthur) Radley. When Atticus asks Scout if she agrees with Tate about the decision that Boo Radley did NOT kill Bob Ewell she responds by saying, ‘“Mr. Tate was right’” about Bob Ewell Falling on his knife ‘“[…] What do you mean?’ [Asks Atticus] ‘Well, it’d sort of be like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?’” (276). Scout is defending Boo Radley because she realizes he is a mockingbird and if she lets Atticus accuse him of murder, it would be as if Atticus was killing the most noble mockingbird in the story. Boo Radley has never done the society harm and Scout sees this so she needs to stand up for him because that is the only way for her to insure he is safe from being “killed”. When Scout is escorting Boo to his house she thinks to herself, “if miss Stephanie Crawford was watching from her upstairs window, she would see Arthur Radley escorting me down the sidewalk, as any gentleman would do” (278). Scout wants to show the world who “Boo” Radley really is: a normal, innocent, harmless mockingbird and that he should never be pestered again. Scout especially wants Miss Stephanie to see because Miss Stephanie has been killing Arthur Radley and his reputation this whole story by telling rumors, but before Miss Stephanie told any rumors Boo Radley was just a silent recluse, a mockingbird, and an innocent, selfless, child-like man. Boo Radley is the most innocent person in the story, he has never hurt a soul and because of Atticus’s Lesson Scout learns that she should protect him in any way possible because he is so harmless. Two characters in To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, are used by Harper Lee to show pure innocence for her better communication of the lesson taught by Atticus. This lesson that Atticus tells Scout and Jem does not only relate to the story, but in real life one must follow this lesson and strive to be a person who never harms anything innocent or not deserving of death. "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."