To Kill A Mockingbird

The first 200 words of this essay...

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