The Mockingbirds
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In a book about racism and crime, why is the title about mockingbirds? Mockingbirds signify innocence. Atticus says that to kill a mockingbird is a sin. Just like people who kill mockingbirds for fun, people kill innocence, in this case other people who are innocent. Atticus tells Jem and Scout to never to kill mockingbirds in a figurative and literal way.
The mockingbirds in this story were the innocent victims. Tom Robinson is one of the mockingbirds. Although Tom Robinson was probably innocent, the court declared him guilty because of his race. Tom Robinson is a Negro so when he was convicted of raping Mayella, all the whites wanted him to be convicted. The mockingbird represents Tom Robinson because it is a sin to kill mockingbirds and innocent people. Tom Robinson lost all hope because he got convicted, so he went and got himself killed, thinking there was no other way out. In the end, Tom Robinson died because of the unfair trial. Killing him was sinful, just like killing mockingbirds.
Another one of the mockingbirds in this book is Boo Radley. When Boo Radley went to defend Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell’s threat, Bob Ewell was