Francisco Salas
Per.3
4-6-11
To Kill a Mockingbird
In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Harper Lee mentions that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. She describes that it is a sin because mockingbirds all they do is just sing beautiful songs and they bring harmony to the people. In this story, there are three people that are considered an example of a mockingbird that Jem and Scout are familiar with and they see them every day. The first person is Jem and Scout’s dad, Atticus. The second person is Boo Radley, who is Scout’s neighbor and worst fear. The last person is Tom Robinson who was convicted of rape and was guilty for abusing Mayella. These three people have important roles in the story, they help other people and they bring happiness to people.
First, Atticus is one of the most prominent citizens in Maycomb. He is respected by everyone because of his intelligence, calm wisdom, and exemplary behavior. Atticus is a person to whom others turn to in times of doubt and trouble. He recognizes that people have both good and bad qualities, and he is determined to admire the good while he forgives the bad. In the story Atticus is considered a heroic figure as well as a mockingbird. Throughout the story, Atticus has been patient and always tried to help out other people including Jem and Scout who he manages to teach them good manners and give them good education. For this reason, Atticus is considered a mockingbird in the novel. He is considered a mockingbird because he does everything he could to help Tom Robinson in the case. Also, he sticks up for people regardless of gender or race. He even stood up for Tom Robinson when he was accused of rape even if there were no evidence. Atticus says, “Courage is not a man with the gun in his hand. It’s knowing you’re licked before you being anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win but sometimes you do” (Pg. 149). This quote is important because it explains that Atticus tries to help Tom Robinson even though he knows that he will lose or that he might have a possibility of winning. Atticus knows that he has to help Tom Robinson because he dislikes that whites would not favor him and the jury is all white. Also, Calpurnia had asked Atticus to help Tom Robinson since he was part of her community. While in school, Scout and Miss Caroline argue about the teaching of Atticus and his values of reading books. Scout disagrees with Miss Caroline and Scout tells her dad she doesn’t want to go to school anymore. Atticus says, “First of all, if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get a along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view until you climb into his skin and walk around it,” (Pg.39)
