A symbol is an object, word or idea that represents something else. Identify a symbol and refer
to specific places in the novel that this symbol manifests itself. Explain what the symbol is, what
it represents, why the author may have included it, why it is important to the story, etc.
You will respond to this question by leaving a comment on this post.
Responses should be at least 200 words each.
Remember: you must respond to at least 5 questions per novel.
Extra credit will be awarded if you respond to more than 5 questions.
A symbol to symbolize this book would be a mocking bird. There are many times in this book where talking about killing a mocking bird is a sin; one of those times was when Miss Maudie said to Scout, “Mocking birds don’t do one thing… but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mocking bird.” Another time was when Atticus was giving a gun to Scout and Jem he said, “Not to shoot the mocking birds since they don’t eat anyone’s crops or plants. To kill a mocking bird is to take advantage of someone weaker than you.” The mocking bird is important because it’s symbolizing innocence, because the mocking bird just sings, so why should we kill it? But the other birds eat their crops, so that is why it is not a sin to kill them, but a sin to kill a mocking bird, because they don’t harm you or your crops. If you need a better understanding, you could picture Boo Radley as a mocking bird; you wouldn’t kill him because he has done nothing wrong to you. Same with a mocking bird, they have not harmed you so you shouldn’t kill them.
ReplyDeleteThe symbol in the book is the mockingbird. In the story, Atticus Finch tells his children,” Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Another time, Jean Louise was talking to Mrs. Maudie, one of their neighbors, and she said, "Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn cribs, they 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 represents someone that is pure and innocent. It is someone that has done nothing wrong, and bothers no one. When I think of the mockingbird, Tom Robinson comes to my mind. He was completely innocent of the crime that he was said to have committed. They had no real evidence against him, but still convicted him of the crime, and eventually he was shot. The saying was that “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” and Mr. Ewell definitely committed a sin by lying and letting an innocent man be convicted of a terrible crime. I think the mockingbird symbol refers to multiple things and people in the story. The author uses this symbol to show the battle between good and evil throughout the novel.
ReplyDeleteThe symbol in To Kill A Mockingbird is "the mockingbird". The mockingbird is an innocent bird that sings and does not harm anyone. Several characters in the book are innocent like mockingbirds but the evil of racism destroys their innocence. Tom Robinson is a kind, hard working black man wrongly accused of rape based on his color. He is as innocent as a mockingbird until his whole life is changed forever by the evil accusations of Mayella Ewell and her father Bob Ewell. Also, Jem is an innocent child but his innocence is taken away from him when a drunk, angry, hate-filled, and prejudice Bob Ewell attacks him and physically harms him after the Halloween party at school. Jem is physically wounded quite badly but Boo Radley saves his life. However, Jem will never be an innocent child ever again thanks to the evil of Bob Ewell. It is clear that the author called this book "To Kill a Mockingbird" for the reason to show that in this book evil takes away innocence. A mockingbird represents purity and innocence with the song that it sings and several of the characters have their innocence taken from them because of the evils of racism.
ReplyDeleteSince the true and most obvious symbol of this book, the mockingbird, is mentioned in chapter ten, I want to bring up another symbol also found in chapter ten; and that would be the symbol of the rabid dog oddly named, Tim Johnson. If you think of the rabid dog as a symbol for racism, then you could see how Atticus' shooting of that dog could resemble his fighting for Tom Robinson who is "under fire" in the courtroom. Atticus hadn't shot a gun for over thirty years, but even after all of that time he was still in top form as a shooter. For Atticus to shoot it took a great deal of courage - even the Sheriff didn't think he could do it himself, so he threw Atticus his own rifle. He declared that Atticus could do it in one shot. Also, if the owner doesn't believe that his pet hunting dog was rabid, Atticus would have explaining to do. And this wasn't just any dog, this was a liver colored bird dog, and "the pet of Maycomb." So, Atticus is giving his 'best shot' in the courtroom as well defending a man against a racist and unjust charge.
ReplyDeleteThe symbol that was most obvious to me was the mockingbird. Atticus Finch said earlier on in the book that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because they do no harm. This symbol apears a few times but the main place was the Tom Robinson case. Just like mockingbirds do no harm, Tom Robinson was innocent from the false accusation against him. Yet just because of his skin color he was charged for a crime he did not commit. Also, another place where the mockingbird symbol appears was when Mr. Ewell was attacking Jem and Scout. They had done him no harm, yet he still was aggresive with them. I think both of those scenes are evidence of the mockingbird as a symbol. The author may have included this symbol because he expanded the whole plot around this bird.
ReplyDeleteI think the symbol in To Kill A Mockingbird is the mockingbird. It represents the idea of innocence. This story is about innocent people destroyed by evil. Scout thinks that hurting Boo Radley would be like shooting a mockingbird. Boo Radley had been a innocent victim of abuse from his father. Mr. Underwood compares Tom Robinson's death to "the senseless slaughter of songbirds." I believe that Mr. Robinson knew that if they went back to a new trial, he would most likely be sentenced to the electric chair. Most important, Miss Maudie tells Scout "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but...sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." A number of characters throughout the book can be seen as mockingbirds. Atticus tells Scout "It is a sin to kill a mockingbird." I think the author may have included the mockingbirds as a symbol between good and evil. He wanted to show that what you're taught as a child follows you through your adulthood. Boo Radley knew the difference between good and evil. I think that's why he stabbed Mr. Ewell. He knew that Ewell had been the one who beat Mayella. Ewell must have threatened his daughter and told her to blame it on the most innocent man who would not have a chance at justice Tom Robinson.
ReplyDeleteObviously the main symbol shown in this story is the Mocking Bird itself. Atticus (Mr. Finch), said “Shoot all the Blue Jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a Mocking Bird.” Mocking Birds don’t do any harm, just like Tom Robinson didn’t. This is a perfect example of the symbol of a Mocking Bird. Everyone was making conclusions and accusing Tom of something he didn’t even do! Just like a Mocking Bird, Tom was innocent. The author included this symbol because he wanted to show not just “shoot” the “mockingbirds”, meaning judge the innocent people you have no clue what they are going through. Just worry about yourself and not others problems. This symbol is very important to the story because if it wasn’t in this book, the whole storyline would not make sense. It was great that this was added in the book because it was a great way to have a visual reference on the part about Tom Robinson. It was really cool because I now know how to stay in my own business and not make conclusions about people when I have no clue at all what they are going through. This was an awesome symbol!
ReplyDeleteOne symbol in To Kill a Mocking bird is the mockingbird. To kill a mockingbird is to kill something pure and innocent. When Atticus Finch gave Scout and Jem their air rifles, he told them "shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird". Mrs. Maudie, one of their neighbors, said, "Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn cribs, they 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 can be a symbol of Tom Robinson, because he was innocent but acused of raping Mayelle Ewell. Because he was black the court was bias and found him guilty. Boo Radley is also a mockingbird in the story. Many rumors said that he did horrible things such as stabbing a family member with a pair of scissors and eating squirrels at night. Truth is he is a nice guy who ends up saving Scout and Jeb from Bob Ewell. The author included this symbol because it is a perfect example of Tom Robinson and other characters.
ReplyDeleteThe single most important symbol of To Kill a Mockingbird is probably the mockingbird itself. In the story is was told to Jem and Scout by Atticus that they can shoot all bluejays they wanted, but it was a sin to kill a mockingbird. Mrs. Maudie later explained how mockingbirds do nothing except make music for the enjoyment of others. In other words, they do no harm and only good. The mockingbird is a symbol that may be related to a number of characters, including the man Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson, a black slave, was accused of raping Mayelle Ewell, Bob Ewell's daughter. After several different testimonies, it seemed fairly obvious that Tom was an innocent man. Unfortunately, the times were not permitting. In that era, it was common to have an unjust prejudice against the black population, which decimated his chances for release at the hands of an all white jury. After a few hours, it was unaniomously decided by the jury that Tom was guility. Boo Radley is another figure of the mockingbird. A complete recluse, rumors were circulated about the reason as to why he was absent from society. It was said that he was a lunatic, who ate squirrels and stabbed family members with scissors. He showed his face only once, rescuing Jem and Scout from the druken wrath of Bob Ewell. At that point, Scout had dropped her previous assumptions about his character and realized he didn't deserve the injustices that were done unto him. This, after studying the choice of title Lee had selected, was why she chose To Kill a Mockingbird. To show how everyday, there is someone just like Tom or Boo being unrightly persecuted for doing no harm.
ReplyDeleteA symbol in this book is the mockingbird. In the book this symbol appears several times. One of the times is when Jem and Scout get their air rifles and their father says not to shoot mockingbirds because its a sin. At first the kids didn't understand what he meant but they soon asked Mrs. Maudie and she explained. She said that their father was right because mockingbirds don't do any harm to the bushes or anything else. All they do is make music for us to enjoy and that's why it would be a sin to kill a mockingbird. The symbol represents a person or thing that has no fault. Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are examples of this symbol. I think the author included this symbol because it shows us that there are a lot of people that have no fault and they are falsely accused. I think it's important to the story because it forms the base of the whole book and all the rumors of Boo Radley and of all the false accusations said about Tom Robinson.
ReplyDeleteI think the main symbol in “To Kill a Mocking Bird” is a mocking bird. It was given when Scout and Jem got their pellet guns. Scout asked what she could shoot at and Atticus said that she could not shoot mockingbirds because it was a sin; all they did was sung their hearts out for people.
ReplyDeleteWhat does the symbol represent: The symbol represents something innocent; something that does not deserve to be hurt. I think is also stands for Tom Robinson because he was innocent and he did not deserve to be prosecuted.
Why it is important to the story: It is important because it is in the title of the book and it shows how horrible it is to hurt something that is innocent.
Why did the author put it in the book: I think she put it in mainly because it made the case with Tom Robinson easier to understand. It offered new perspective on the situation and why he was innocent.
One symbol in To Kill a Mockingbird is the mockingbird. One representation of the mockingbird is Boo Radley. In chapter 30, Scout tells Atticus, “Yes sir, I understand,’ I reassured him. ‘Mr. Tate was right.’ Atticus disengaged himself and looked at me. ‘What do you mean?’ ‘Well, it'd be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it?" Scout was telling Atticus that she understood what Mr. Tate meant. He meant that it would be like killing a mockingbird to make Boo Radley testify what happened that night in court where everybody could see him. Another person that represents the mockingbird is Tom Robinson. He was convicted of a crime that he did not do, and they did not have nearly enough evidence to convict him. He was later shot when he tried to run away from Enfield Prison Farm. Mockingbirds do not harm anyone; according to Miss Maudie, “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." This means that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird but not other birds because other birds will nest in corncribs and will eat people’s gardens, but mockingbirds don’t do anything to harm people or any of their things.
ReplyDeleteThe symbol in To Kill A Mockingbird would be a mockingbird. It is seen many times throughout the book. One of those times is when Jem and Scout get new rifles and they decide to go to their backyard to shoot things. Atticus tells them "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird". I think the author put it in the book to help the readers understand Tom Robinson and his situation. Mockingbirds do no harm. I believe Tom Robinson is like a mockingbird. He didn't hurt/harm anyone, even though he was accused by several people. Tom was completely innocent just like a mockingbird until Bob Ewell and Mayella Ewell turned his world upside down. Once Miss Maudie said to Scout, "Mockingbirds don't do one thing... but sing their hearts to us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird,". I think mockingbirds show innocence. That's why it was wrong for Bob Ewell to accuse Tom Robinson of raping Mayella. It would be like Scout Finch shooting a mockingbird for no reason. There's no point in killing a mockingbird. Tom Robinson was innocent.
ReplyDeleteOne symbol in this book would definitely be a mockingbird. It is mentioned many times throughout the novel. One time is when Mrs. Maudie is talking to Scout and tells her why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. It is also mentioned when Atticus gives a gun to Jem and Scout and tells them that it’s a sin to kill a mocking bird. The phrase “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” is the main idea or symbol. Mrs. Maudie said that mockingbirds did not eat their crops or do any harm; they just sang their heart out for them to enjoy. I believe it represents the innocence of Tom Robinson. I think the author included this to show us how the racism throughout this story tears down the innocence of Tom and does not give him a chance. I think the mockingbird also represents the innocence of Boo Radley. Everyone assumes he is a bad person but he is truly innocent. I think another symbol would be the ownership of a gun. It sort of gives them “false strength.” They think they have more power and are stronger if they have a gun. This is proven when Atticus shoots the dog and when the man in the newspaper stand stood there with a gun in hand telling Atticus that he had his back when the group of men came up to him at the jail. I think the author may have included this to show us how people will change if they feel that they have more power.
ReplyDeleteI think a symbol in to kill a mockingbird would be the mockingbird. I think the mockingbird is symbolic in itself because I believe Tom was a mockingbird, he did nothing wrong but someone disrupted that by false accusation. It would be just like Atticus Finch told his children; it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. I think this mockingbird could represent anything though; the mockingbird did nothing wrong so to kill it would be a sin on your part. I think Jem also represents a mockingbird. He was not killed but he was hurt when he did nothing wrong. Therefor he was innocent when Bob broke his arm so I believe that is what the mockingbird in to kill a mockingbird represents. I think the author included it to help the theme of racism and to help with the title of the book, so by the time you read the book you would understand the phrase. To Kill a Mockingbird.
ReplyDeleteI believe there are two symbols in this story: Boo Radley’s house and a mockingbird. It is still not clear to me, but Boo may have always stayed in his house because that’s where he felt safe. People had made up horrible rumors about him, when they had no idea who he really was. They didn't know that he was the one to put a blanket on Scout's shoulders when she was cold. Later in the story, he was the one to actually save Jem and Scout from Mr. Ewell. The mockingbird is a bird that harms no one, but only sings. If you think about it, these things are alike with the Tom Robinson case. The mockingbird represents innocence, just like Tom was.. even though they pleated him guilty because he was black If you put yourself in all three of these positions, you can realize maybe why Boo stayed in his house, or how Tom felt when he was convicted of raping Mayelle Ewell, or why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. The author may have included these things because even though some people (or things) do nothing wrong, others are constantly making false accusations towards one another.
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