Analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

In the 1960s Harper Lee wrote the award-winning novel To Kill aMockingbird. The novels story is told through the eyes of Jean LouiseFinch (aka. lookout station). It all starts when Scout is only six years of age.She lives with her Father Atticus (Lawyer), Brother Jeremy (Jem), andtheir lovely total darkness Housekeeper, Calpurnia. They live in the Deep Southin a small town called Maycomb. Scout and Jem make a new friend earlyon in the book, Dill, with whom they get into frequently mischief with. Theysoon come to realize that in their little racial town, there is moreto it than meets eye. They find there is much corruption and deceptiongoing on, people are not who they are made out to be. Characters couldbe described as a Mockingbird, symbolizing innocence (free from anywrong pure. (Stated in the Macquarie Dictionary)), or a Blue-Jay,symbolizing immorality (wrong according to the moral law or toaccepted patterns of behavior (Macquarie Dictionary)).Two main characters that are consi dered to be Mockingbirds areScout (six year old white girl) and Tom Robinson (25 year old swartfamily man, who lost his arm in a machinery accident). TheseCharacters are Mockingbirds due to their innocence through the book.Scouts innocence is bound by her age she is seen as young and nieve. end-to-end the book there are many sequents in which she doesntunderstand what is going on around her, due to her lack of knowledge.One such incident is at Christmas time when Jem and Scout receive airriffles. Atticuss words of caution to them were, Shoot all theBlue-Jays you want. If you can hit em. But remember, its a sin tokill a mockingbird(p.99). Scout was confused, for that was the firsttime Atticus had said anything was a sin. Scout consulted her neighbor run away Maudie for an explanation. Miss Maudies exact words were,Mockingbirds dont do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. Theydont eat up peoples gardens, dont nest in corncribs, they dont doone thing but sing their hearts out fo r us. Thats wherefore it is a sin tokill a Mockingbird. Scout didnt realize this at the time but she wasgetting a valuable lesson that she volition understand later in life.At one stage in the book Scouts innocence saves Atticuss and TomRobinsons Lifes. Jem, Scout and Dill all sneak out to surpriseAtticus, but when they arrive at the jail cell where Atticus isminding Tom, they get their own surprise. They come on the button in time tosee a mob of farmers arrive trying to get into Toms cell for a reason