TKAM Essay (To Kill a Mockingbird) essays

TKAM Essay (To Kill a Mockingbird) essays To Kill a Mockingbird: Symbolism of the Mockingbird "I'd rather you shoot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird (Lee 90). Harper Lee, a creative novelist, uniquely quoted this from To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee uses symbolism rather extensively through out this novel and much of it refers to the problem of racism in the south during the earls 1900s. To Kill a Mockingbird is a well-written novel that symbolizes three mockingbirds, and they are Arthur Radley (Boo), Tom Robinson, and Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Boo Radley is one of the novels mockingbirds, a good person injured by the evil of mankind. The first reason is that Boo went through his life never wanting to hurt a fly; he was a gentle man. He left gum, pennies, a pocket watch, and wax dolls for Scout and Jem. He just stays inside because he does not want to face the corrupt and prejudice world outside. The second reason is that he never left his house because the people of Maycomb created unjustifiable rumors and remarks about him. Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, thats why his hands were blood stained if you ate any animal raw, you could never wash the blood off (Lee 13). The final reason is that Boo, emotionally damaged by his cruel father, provides an example of how evil is a threat to his innocence and goodness. It would be a sin to send Boo to jail because it would be like killing a mockingbird. Tom Robinson was an innocent mockingbird who was destroyed by evil. First of all, in Maycomb during the 1930s, a white mans word weighed more than a black mans word, like when the jury convicted innocent Tom. Secondly, it was like a mockingbird being shot down when Tom was accused of t...