To Kill A Mockingbird

Highly regarded as one of the best books ever written, To Kill a Mockingbird has proven to be a book of high importance. Involving themes of racism, gender, and equal prejudice, its height noted why this book is read by thousands of students in America. Written by the recently deceased Harper Lee, it was published in 1960 and went to be a Pulitzer Prize winning book in 1961. The novel takes place during the Great Depression in Maycomb County, It's narrated by Jean Louise "Scout" Finch as she goes through the events of the trial of Tom Robinson. The symbolism of the book's title is related to the loss of innocence. Scout's brother Jem and Tom Robinson loose their innocence throughout the novel.

The title of To Kill a Mockingbirdshows the

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Literary Analysis for To Kill a Mockingbird "There's something in our world that makes men lose their heads– they couldn't be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's word, the white always wins. They're ugly, but these are the facts of life."

************ Along with the main theme of the story, racism, there are multiple other themes that are represented in the story. These include: the coexistence of good and evil, and importance of mortal education. The use of the "mockingbird" symbolizes innocence in the main characters, Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and Scout because of the social issues within the society in the 1930's. Racism was one of the biggest topics in To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee and also one of the biggest issues in the United States during the 1930's. In the novel Atticus Finch is a distinguished and successful lawyer in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. Maycomb during this time was home to many racist citizens, and also home to many struggling families. Even though Maycomb's community is filled with racist people, Atticus agrees to defend a black man named Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson is accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell, but claimed he did not. Once Robinson's trial begins he is put in jail and then soon after a mob gathers at the local jailhouse to lynch him. Atticus, having exceptional morals stood out from the rest of the residents in Maycomb. He defended Tom not only as his job but as a

To Kill A Mockingbird Essay In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird a major theme is the loss of innocence. Whether from emotional abuse, racial prejudice or learning, Boo, Tom, and Scout all lose their innocence in one sense or another. The prejudice that each character endures leads to their loss. Through the responses of Boo, Tom, and Scout, Harper Lee shows how each character responded differently to their loss of innocence. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbirdthe character of Boo Radley is the first to suffer the loss of his innocence. As a teen, Boo experienced trouble with the law and for his consequences his father imprisoned him in his own house. Because of the harsh consequences forced upon him by his father, Boo grew up without a...show more content...

With the racial tension so high during this time period, Tom's innocence was lost before he could even defend himself. This was shown through Atticus's reply to Scout's question of, "Will we win?" Atticus answered no because the case was lost before it began. Tom Robinson's response to his loss of innocence was to simply run away from the problem that had befallen him. For his attempted escape Tom suffered the highest consequence, "They shot him,' said Atticus. 'He was running. It was during their exercise period. They said he just broke into a blind raving charge at the fence and started climbing over" (235). Due to Tom's decision on how to respond, he was killed even though he was placed in his position no thanks to himself. Tom Robinson chose poorly when it came to his response towards his loss of innocence and it cost him his life. The main character of the novel, Scout, was the only character that suffered a loss of innocence and responded in a way that did not ruin her life. During the novel Scout gradually lost her innocence due to the fact of her ever–increasing knowledge of the world. Being the child that she was, Scout had a kind of blind faith in her community that it was as good and as moral as she believed it to be, but she realized after the trial how wrong she was. Throughout the Get more content

Through the course of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Jem encounters a series of events that cause him to grow up. During Tom Robinson's trial, Jem's eyes were opened to the racism and prejudice of the South: loss of innocence, a major theme in the novel, is a realization of the cruelty and injustice in the world, and that one must develop a tolerance for it. Jem is young and carefree in the beginning of the novel. He is just starting to take on the responsibilities of an older brother: "Jem condescended to take me to school the first day, a job usually done by one's parents, but Atticus said Jem would be delighted to show me where my room was." (p.20). Atticus is trusting Jem to safely get Scout to school, and help her...show more content...

In addition, Jem abandons all of his childish morals: "Jem looked the floor. Then he rose and broke the remaining code of our childhood. He went out of the room and down the hall. 'Atticus,' his voice was distant, 'can you come here a minute, sir?'" (p.187–188). Dill, Jem and Scout's best friend, ran away from his home and came to the Finch's house. Jem has broken "the remaining code of our childhood" by telling Atticus about Dill, rather than keeping it a secret. He has matured past his childhood years, and realizes that sometimes it is best to involve adults. Jem is exposed to the racism and prejudice of the South through Tom Robinson's trial, and it makes him question what he never thought twice about before. [insert lead–in] "'...if the jury's still out, you can wait with us. But I expect it'll be over before you get back.' 'You think they'll acquit him that fast?' asked Jem. Atticus opened his mouth to answer, but shut it and then left us." (p.277) Jem sees Tom Robinson's trial through eyes untainted by prejudice and discrimination. To him, Tom is obviously innocent. Atticus, on the other hand, is older and more cynical. He knows about racial discrimination, he knows it strongly influences a person's judgement, and he knows Tom will be found guilty. Jem realizes this when Tom Robinson is convicted. As a result, he learns that racism can cloud a person's judgement to the point that they will convict an innocent man. Jem's loss of innocence

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To Kill A Mockingbird Timed Essay "It's a sin to kill a mockingbird." Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird, there is symbolism behind the title. Mockingbirds are portrayed as harmless and innocent which relates to several characters in the passage. Although there are many characters that can convey this symbolism, Boo Radley and Tom Robinson best fit the metaphor because they are the most misjudged characters throughout the novel, they have not shown or caused any harm to the people of Maycomb. The title, To Kill A Mockingbird, has a connection with the overall main idea of the plot. It carries a large amount of symbolism in the book. According to Miss Maudie, "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy... they don't do one...show more content...

Tom Robinson is an innocent man, convicted for the rape of Mayella Ewell for being colored. Tom is not guilty of this crime but the jury was afraid to speak the truth since the society of Maycomb believes a white man's word is stronger and contains more justice than a colored man's. Tom Robinson has testified that he helped Mayella with her labor because of his generosity but when Mayella Ewell forces herself on Tom, he chooses to run away and not physically harm the Ewell's in any way which allows the Ewell's to use him as an escape during the court–case. Therefore, once Tom is killed, the truth is revealed. In the novel, Mr. Underwood submits a section about Tom Robinson's death in the paper. In the passage, it states "He likened Tom's death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters." Through this quote, Mr. Underwood is showing how the Ewell's killed Tom's innocence to the community. It proved that although the jury knew the truth, they decided to take the easy way out in order not to cause any conflict and offend the large population of Maycomb, the whites. In the process, they killed a mockingbird, one that caused no harm to anyone through his kindness and generosity, Tom Robinson. In summation, Boo Radley and Tom Robinson both convey the metaphor of the mockingbird best. They are both mockingbirds that lived without being affected by the rumors of Maycomb and the rules of

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