To Kill a Mocking Bird

The title “To Kill a Mockingbird” is very significant. To realise the true significance you must first understand what the saying means. The full saying is that ‘It is a sin to kill a mockingbird.’ This is because mockingbirds do nothing to harm humans. They don’t eat crops or hunt native animals. This saying is first mentioned by Atticus when he gives Jem his first gun; “I'd rather you shoot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.” This is because all they do is sign and make music for human’s pleasure. As a metaphor the mockingbird represents anything that is innocent and “killing” it wrongfully acting upon the innocent. This saying is used as a metaphor to describe many aspects of the novel and it is represented by many characters throughout the story.

The first of these characters is Tom Robinson. The Tom Robinson rape case is the centre of the novel. Before the trial Tom Robinson had never done anything untoward to anybody. He led a simple life. He had not even wronged Mayella Ewell before the rape accusation. In fact he had gone out of his way to help her doing chores around the house. It is in this way that Tom Robinson represents the innocent mockingbird. The town reacts unfairly and harshly towards him when the accusation is laid against him. The town’s treatment of him literally ends up killing him as he tries to escape from the prison where he was wrongfully sent.

Another character who represents the mockingbird is Arthur “Boo” Radley. “Boo” Radley is a quiet man who lives a secluded life inside his house. He never leaves it even for chores, such as doing the shopping. These are done by his brother. He is the mocking bird in that