To+Kill+a+Mockingbird+Essay

In the book, "__To Kill a Mockingbird__," the author, Harper Lee, talks about the concept of how it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. She shows this idea throughout the book, and she makes us question ourselves on many different matters.

First of all, in the book, a black man by the name of Tom Robinson is convicted for raping a white girl. However, in truth, Tom Robinson never raped the girl at all. All he ever did was help the white girl by doing different chores for her. One evening, she was caught by her father kissing Tom. Tom never wanted her to kiss him, but she was forcing it. Her father beat her up and accused everything on Tom. During the trial, Atticus, who was Tom's lawyer, made it perfectly clear that Tom was completely innocent. However, the jury judged Tom guilty because he was a black man. In the book, it says, "I shut my eyes. Judge Taylor was polling the jury: 'Guilty... Guilty... Guilty... Gulity...' I peeked at Jem: his hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, and his shoulders jerked as if each 'Guilty' was a seperate stab between them." (page 211) This shows that Tom Robinson is most definately a mockingbird, for he did nothing but be helpful and friendly. However, he was convicted for no reason just because he was black. Another example would be of Boo Radley. In the book, Jem gives and interesting assumption of what Boo would look like. It says, "Jem gave a reasonable description of Boo: Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that's why his hands were bloodstained- if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off." (page 13) However, in reality, Boo was just a man that gave lettle presents to Jem and Scout, and also including their lives. Boo represents a mockingbird because all he ever did was good, but in return, he was treated like a monster.

Finally, Harper Lee makes us think agout how a child's judgement of right and wrong differs from and adults. For examples, after Tom Robinson's trial, Jem begins to cry because he knows that it wasn't right for Tom Robinson to be convicted. In the book, it says, "'Atticus-' said Jem bleakly. he turned in the doorway, 'What son?' 'How could they do it, how could they?' 'I don't know, but they did it. They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it- it seems that only children weep.'" This shows that the only people that cry when ijustice happens is children. Adults rarely cry; if anything, they meerly get the feeling that something isn't right. This is probably because adults have been exposed to things much longer than children.

In conclusion, Harper Lee has shown to us the concept of which killing a mockingbird is a sin, for it does nothing but make music for all to enjoy. She has also shown us that whenever one is killed, only children cry over the matter.