To Kill A Mockingbird Significance
In many works of literature, the title is a major component of the story, even if the significance only becomes evident gradually. This is particularly true in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. A novel about racism and innocence, To Kill A Mockingbird shows the reader that life is not always fair, and does so by creating many mockingbird figures throughout the story. Each mockingbird has a different role in the story, but contributes greatly to overall message. In the novel, Miss Maudie explains to the children that mockingbirds “don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy” (Lee 90). This shows the innocence of mockingbirds, which sets the tone for the rest of the story. The reader is first introduced to the significance of the mockingbird
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At first, the children of the novel are scared of Radley, as Jem describes him saying, “Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks… that’s why his hands were bloodstained..” (Lee 15). Their curiosity of how he truly is leads to their numerous attempts to get Boo to leave his home. Although they are unsuccessful at first, little by little, they encounter Boo, learning more about him each time. On their walks home from school, they pass a tree on the Radley lot, in which they find chewing gum, grey twine, girl and boy dolls carved out of soap, a medal, a watch and pennies. Unsure of who left it at first, the reader can assume it was Boo, since Mr. Nathan Radley fills the hole with cement. Another time the Finches encounter Boo was when they are watching a fire burn Miss Maudie’s home and Boo places a blanket around Scout’s shoulders, but without her noticing. Jem finally comes to his senses when he tells Scout, “I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time... it's because he wants to stay inside” (Lee 227). The children realize that maybe Boo is not so bad after all, and they are reassured of that at the end of the story, when Boo saves them from being attacked by Mr. Ewell, who he kills. They understand the kind of person Boo Radley is, an innocent man who only helps others, just like a
At first, the children of the novel are scared of Radley, as Jem describes him saying, “Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks… that’s why his hands were bloodstained..” (Lee 15). Their curiosity of how he truly is leads to their numerous attempts to get Boo to leave his home. Although they are unsuccessful at first, little by little, they encounter Boo, learning more about him each time. On their walks home from school, they pass a tree on the Radley lot, in which they find chewing gum, grey twine, girl and boy dolls carved out of soap, a medal, a watch and pennies. Unsure of who left it at first, the reader can assume it was Boo, since Mr. Nathan Radley fills the hole with cement. Another time the Finches encounter Boo was when they are watching a fire burn Miss Maudie’s home and Boo places a blanket around Scout’s shoulders, but without her noticing. Jem finally comes to his senses when he tells Scout, “I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time... it's because he wants to stay inside” (Lee 227). The children realize that maybe Boo is not so bad after all, and they are reassured of that at the end of the story, when Boo saves them from being attacked by Mr. Ewell, who he kills. They understand the kind of person Boo Radley is, an innocent man who only helps others, just like a