You Don’t Know What You Have Til It’s Gone
You Never Know What you Had ‘Til It’s Gone To Kill A Mockingbird Is one of those stones that gives a deeper meaning to the simplest things. As it is in the title, obviously mockingbirds are important to this story. The first that these mockingbirds seen are when Scout and Jem got their ar rifles. Atticus, not wanting to teach them how to shoot, gave them a rule he wanted them to follow. “‘I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the blue]ays you want, if you can hit ’em, but remember its a sin to kill a mockingbird. That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to o something. and asked Miss Maudie about It. ‘Your fathers right,’ she said ‘Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They dont eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest In corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out tor us. Thats why its a sin to kill a mockingbird. ‘”(90) In To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, we are shown important lessons that even now we can use. The story tells us that mockingbirds are harmless, innocent creatures, and killing them is wrong, because they don’t hurt anyone, nor do they want to.
The symbols of the mockingird used in the story are generally important in he town of Maycomb. If one of them were taken away the whole town of Maycomb would be worse off because of It. Tom Robinson Is one of those people that we need these days. He would help others no matter what small thing It was, It might have not even mattered who It was, and wouldn’t take or ask tor anything in return. He just knew how to be thoughtful like it was a second nature to him. In the story, Tom was first introduce as the man who was to be defended by Atticus, because it was claimed the he raped Miss Mayella Ewell.
During his case he had two acclaims against him, Mayella Ewell and er Father 30b Ewell, but it was clear that Tom was innocent with every word he said In court. When it was said that Tom was killed it pulls at anyones heart strings, even to the citizens In Maycomb. Even Mr. underwood, though without being exact, gave the message of the mockingbird In the editorial after Tom’s death. “Mr. underwood didn’t talk about mlscarrages of Justice, he was writing so children could understand Mr Underwood simply figured it was a sin to kill cripples, be they standing, sitting or escaping.
He likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters nd children, and Maycomb thought he was trying to write an editorial poetical enough to be reprinted in the Montgomery Advertiser. “(241) He tries to get through to everyone In Maycomb to understand that Tom and the mocking bird are one in the same, because of him . The senselessness of his death, as It seems, is the key: killing Tom didn’t make things good nor did It prevent something bad, Just like shooting a mockingbird. The price of this mockingbird may have been Bob Ewells life, for trying to kill him offfor Mayella’s mistake, tempting a negro.
The next time a mockingbird turned up in the book is with the assultot Jem and Scout in the end of the book. Scout shows how she understand how they shouldn’t drag Boo, Arthur Radley, into court. “Atticus looked like he needed cheering up. I ran 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? ‘” (276) All that Boo did was watch the neighbourhood, gave trinkets to Scout and Jem in the knot of a tree, and protected them when they were attacked.
Harming someone who never ment to harm anyone and tries to help is like killing a mockingbird, and arresting Boo would serve no real purpose. Though the next example is not the typical idea for the mockingbird symbolisum he still gives the same message as his character further developes in the story. Atticus Finch is on of those people who has a great influence on others because of his wisdom and kindness. “Judge Taylor was saying something. His gavel was in his fist, but he wasn’t using it. Dimly, I saw Atticus pushing papers from the table into his briefcase. He snapped it shut, went to the court reporter and said something, nodded to Mr.
