The levels of meaning that can be interpreted from the title of To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird has many elements that correlate with the title of the novel. Lee never states explicitly what the meaning of the novel is, and because of this we can interpret the title's significance in many different ways. One possible meaning we can interpret from the text is that the quiet, good, free-spirited character Tom Robinson is directly connected with the mockingbird. The mockingbird does not only stand for Tom Robinson, it also stands for the lost innocence of childhood and the absence of freedom that racial prejudice against black people creates. One possible meaning we can interpret from the title is that the mockingbird represents one who does not hurt anyone, in fact does nothing but "sings their heart out to us". Tom Robinson was such an innocent, who was wrongly accused of rape and jailed, even though accusations against him were groundless. His behaviours in the text can be likened to the mockingbird, as he was such a gentle, free spirited person who just wanted to help Mayella Ewell, expecting no payment. In addition, Boo Radley, who is unable to face the world after his involvement with" the nearest thing to a gang ever seen in Maycomb" in his youth, can be related to the title. His caring, gentle nature and its destruction make him another "mocking bird". In a similar vein, another theme to be considered is the significance of the
What is the significance of the title: "To Kill a Mockingbird"?
To Kill a Mockingbird What is the significance of the title: "To Kill a Mockingbird" "To kill a mocking Bird" is a play written in the 1960's, but it is set in 1930's America. The play is set in a small southern state of America called Maycomb County, Alabama. "To kill a mocking Bird" was written by Harper Lee, and I think that Harper Lee has based the book on her own life experiences. I think this because Harper Lee's farther was a lawyer just like Atticus, Harper Lee was also born in Alabama. Harper Lee also spent most of her days with her childhood friend. This novel is set in many different places in Maycomb County. For example the main areas in this novel is set in Atticus's house, the court room, Tom Robinson's house, Boo Radley's house. The title "To kill a mocking Bird" is significant because a mocking bird is an innocent and harmless bird. The reason I think that Harper Lee chose a mocking bird is because it represents a few of the characters in the book. For example a Mocking Bird would represent: Atticus Finch, Boo Radley and Tom Robinson, as all these characters are innocent and harmless to other people. A Mocking bird is widely respected in Maycomb County. I think this because both Atticus and Miss Maudie tell Scout and Jem that they should never kill Mocking Birds. Atticus says to Jem and Scout that they could: "Shoot all the Bluejays you want, if you can
How effective is Harper Lee's title of To Kill a Mockingbird?
How effective is Harper Lee's title of To Kill a Mockingbird? '" Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. "Your father's right," she said. "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."' (p. 96) From the above quote we learn that a mockingbird gives only pleasure to people. It does not harm anyone, or destroy people's gardens, like other birds might do. The book can be said to contain 'human mockingbirds' who, each in their own way, are persecuted or treated badly through no fault of their own. Probably the two main and most obvious mockingbirds in the novel are Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. These two characters very much contrast each other, but the way they are treated by other persons in the book gives them a mutual bond. Both of these characters had to pay for their actions with their lives - Boo Radley being deprived of friendship and the outside world by his own family, and Tom Radley being convicted of a crime he did not commit, which ultimately lead to his death. Boo Radley, otherwise known as Arthur Radley, is
What is the significance of the title 'To Kill a Mockingbird?'
What is the significance of the title 'To Kill a Mockingbird?' In this novel the most significant symbol is the mocking bird. A mocking bird is a type of Finch: a small, discrete bird with a beautiful song, which 'mocks' or imitates the other birds' song. One of the most explicit references made about mocking birds is that in chapter 10. Atticus is telling Scout and Jem how top use their shotguns for the first time, he says, 'Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit'em but remember it's a sign to kill a Mockingbird.' Harper Lee uses symbolism implicitly to liken mocking birds to certain characters and explicit references to describe the atmosphere created by events throughout the book. Mocking birds are used throughout the novel to represent innocence; Miss Maudie explains this to Scout. Scout is surprised to hear non-judgemental Atticus calling anything a sin. She asks Miss Maudie why Atticus has said it is wrong and she replies with the explanation, 'Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't mess in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sign their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a Mockingbird.' By saying this Miss Maudie is saying they do nothing to threaten us our harm us and are effectively innocent, so why kill them pointlessly. Mocking birds are reflected explicitly during the
To Kill a Mockingbird Essay
Judd Rosenblatt To Kill a Mockingbird Essay "It is not what an author says, but what she whispers which is most important. In other words, one must read in between the lines to discover the subtler meaning of novels. This is true for To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Understanding of the many themes in To Kill a Mockingbird is attained only by reading in between the lines. A major one of these themes is dignity as Harper Lee presents a clear picture of which characters are dignified. She does not clearly state which characters are dignified, but she utilizes actions to differentiate between the dignified and the undignified. Amongst the poor folk, the Cunninghams have dignity and the Ewells lack it. The Cunninghams pay back everything they borrow. One Cunningham turned the racist mob away from Atticus and Tom Robinson; another almost voted for Tom's innocence at his trial. This virtuous behavior proves the Cunninghams to be dignified. While the Cunninghams' good deeds demonstrate their dignity, the Ewells' actions prove them undignified. They live unhealthily off the town's welfare and the father, Bob Ewell, selfishly causes the death of an innocent man and tries to kill two innocent children. Of the rich people in Maycomb, Atticus holds dignity while Miss Stephanie lacks it. Miss Stephanie lies, exaggerates, and gossips about the town's affairs. Harper Lee
Symbolism in To Kill a Mockingbird
Symbolism in To Kill a Mockingbird A mockingbird is a harmless bird that makes the world more pleasant. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the mockingbird symbolizes Boo Radley and Tom Robinson, who were both peaceful people who never did any harm. To kill or harm them would be a sin. Scout's father, Atticus, tells Scout and Jem, "I'd rather you shoot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."(p.69) The mockingbird symbolizes these two characters because it does not have its own song. Whereas, the blue jay is loud and obnoxious, the mockingbird only sings other birds' songs. Therefore, the mockingbird is seen through the other birds. The people of Maycomb only knew Boo Radley and Tom Robinson by what others said about them. Both of these characters do not really have their own "song" in a sense, and therefore, are characterized by other people's viewpoints. Boo Radley went through his life never wanting to hurt a fly. He left gum, pennies, and wax dolls for Scout and Jem. He sewed Jem's pants and left them on the fence so he could get them easily. He also saved Scout's and Jem's lives while risking his own. Boo was a fragile and gentle person. Throughout the novel, Scout, Jem, and Dill are curious about the "mysterious" Boo Radley because he never
To Kill A Mockingbird
Write about the ways that Lee shows the significance of the title in 'To Kill A Mockingbird' In part one of 'To Kill A Mockingbird' (Mockingbird) Atticus tells Jem and Scout that "it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." The word "sin" suggests that it's a crime against God and alerts the reader to the importance of what Atticus is saying. It is Miss Maudie's further explanation, however, which enables us to link the mockingbird motif to 2 characters in the novel. According to Miss Maudie, mockingbirds "don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us." They simply make beautiful music for people to enjoy. They are innocent of wrongdoing (such as eating "up people's gardens"). Reading on through the novel, it therefore becomes obvious that the mockingbird is used asan analogy for Tom Robinson and for Boo Radley. Tom Robinson is a victim of racial prejudice; he ends up in court, fighting for his life, because he is accused of rape by Mayella Ewell. Twice during the court case, Lee makes it very specific that he is like a mockingbird. During his testimony, we hear about how often Tom Robinson tried to help Mayella with her chores. When asked why he was "so anxious to do that woman's chores", Tom replies, "Looked like she didn't have nobody to help her". Tom feels compassion for Mayella, he realises that she gets no help from her father or from the children. Like a
To Kill A Mockingbird
"TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD" -Harper Lee Portfolio by Philipp C. Protschka Grade 9 Table of Contents .) Why the book is called "To Kill A Mockingbird"? 2.) Compare and contrast the book and the film. 3.) "To Kill A Mockingbird" takes readers to the roots of human behaviour -to innocence and experience kindness and cruelty. Love and hatred, humour and pathos." What is your view? 4.) "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." Place this extract in context and discuss which characters in the book you consider to be blue jays and which characters you consider to be mockingbirds. 5.) Discuss Harper Lee's presentation of the theme of family life in To Kill A Mockingbird. You should concentrate on the Radley, Harris and Ewell families in your discussion. 6.) Discuss, using examples from the book, how Atticus raises his children. What does he teach them and what lessons do they learn in the process? 7.) Compare and contrast the characters of Scout and Jem. 8.) Write a letter from Mrs Merriweather to J. Grimes Everett. In it, ask him about his work and praise him and encourage him. The main purpose of the letter is to tell him of Tom Robinson's trial and any events (especially the reaction of the Negroes) which take place afterwards. Bear in mind that Mrs Merriweather holds strong opinions about everything and will
To Kill a Mockingbird.
To Kill A Mockingbird To Kill a Mockingbird The American Classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, first began as two separate short stories. Harper Lee needed a way to transform these stories into one compelling novel of human injustice. ***Throughout the novel, many themes/motifs are explored. The title of To Kill a Mockingbird carries a great deal of symbolic value. It provides a necessary function to unify the two major plot elements. In this story of innocence destroyed by evil, the mockingbird represents the idea of innocence. "I'd rather you shoot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." Atticus is referring to the idea that a mockingbird is a harmless creature and does nothing but sing and bring happiness to the world. Miss Maudie explains to Jem: "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but ... sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." The mockingbird is a symbol for two of the characters in the novel: Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. In the novel, the people of Maycomb only know Boo Radley and Tom Robinson by what others say about them. These two characters are harmless songbirds that are sinfully destroyed. In the beginning of the story, Boo represents the unknown. The children of Maycomb believe that anything that comes from
What is the significance of the title of the novel? (The title of this novel is 'To Kill a Mockingbird')
What is the significance of the title of the novel? The title of this novel is 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and throughout the book the word mockingbird appears several times. The mockingbird is the most significant symbol in the novel. The motif of the story is the innocent creature of the mockingbird. What is a mockingbird? A mockingbird is a type of finch. It is a small plain bird and has a beautiful song. It got its name because its beautiful sing 'mocks' other birds. The mockingbird idea first comes about in chapter 10,when Atticus is telling the children how to use their shotguns. He tells them: "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em. But remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." It was very unusual for Atticus to say something like this, as he never tells Scout or Jem that anything is a 'sin'. This makes Scout a bit surprised and so Miss Maudie explains that it is because mockingbirds are neither harmful nor destructive and only make nice music for people to enjoy. Here is what she said: "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up peoples 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." In chapter 10, Tim Johnson the rabid dog is slowly walking up the road and all the people of Maycomb are waiting for him to appear,
