Metaphors In To Kill A Mockingbird

Atticus Finch tells his children that it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. The metaphor is only stated a couple of times, but the meaning is relevant throughout the book. As the story progresses, it’s easier to understand what that meaning is. So, what is it and why is it used? “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy… but sing their hearts out for us.” Miss Maudie explained this to Scout when she asked what her father meant by the metaphor. Mockingbirds are innocent and beautiful things; they do no wrong. It’s a sin to harm something that doesn’t do any harm. Killing an innocent creature isn’t something that can be justified, and that’s what Atticus meant by his words. The metaphor is one of the biggest themes of the story, and it is applied to several situations in the book. Tom Robinson, for instance, was a mockingbird. He was being tried for something he didn’t do. He was being blamed for a crime he did not commit, and he was killed for it. The life of an innocent man was taken because of anger, judgment, and false accusation. His innocence was what made him a mockingbird. Boo Radley was another mockingbird. Scout told Atticus at one point in the novel that hurting Boo would be “sort of like shootin a mockingbird.” And she was right. Boo Radley never harmed anyone. He left gifts for Jem and
Because it’s important to know who the mockingbirds are. It’s important to know that there is innocence in this world that should remain. People can be cruel to people that are innocent, and it’s a transgression to do so. Harper Lee did a beautiful job with the metaphor and expressing the meaning of it throughout the story. We are all people, and we are all capable of being compassionate and innocent. We are also capable of taking that away from others. We have the choice to either be the mockingbirds or the hunters. But it would be a sin to take away something innocent; to kill a