Analysing To Kill a Mockingbird

In Harper Lee’s 1960 bildungsroman To Kill a Mockingbird, six year old Scout Finch recounts the harsh realities of living in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama. A black man named Tom Robinson is falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell and becomes imprisoned, thus revealing the deep inequality of the town’s justice system. Lee utilises symbolism to explore complex themes such as justice and the loss of innocence.

Lee utilises the poignant symbolism of the mockingbird to represent the harmless, innocent characters who only seek to bring joy and need to be protected by society. As a mockingbird is incapable of harm and only aims to sing songs of happiness, Lee reasons that it is a “sin to kill a mockingbird”. The neighbour Boo Radley is likened to a mockingbird because he brings gifts for the children and protects them from Bob Ewell’s violence. As a black man with a disability, Tom Robinson is as vulnerable as a mockingbird and needs to be protected. These metaphors enable the reader to identify the plights of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson, evoking sympathy from the reader.

Radley’s tree mirrors the children's loss of innocence and perception of the world around them. Initially, the tree is where the children finds the gifts left by Boo Radley, thus revealing the innate goodness the children sees in everyone. However, as the children grow older, they become increasingly curious to explore Radley’s house, thus showing their growing desire to understand the world around them. Eventually, when the children are nearly attacked near the Radley tree by Bob Ewell, this demonstrates the loss of innocence and the realisation of the deep inequalities that endanger the world around them.

Lee also utilises the symbolic setting of the front porch outside the characters’ home for the purpose of characterisation. Radley is a generous and kind spirit, so he spends most of his time overlooking the children on the front porch to protect them. Contrastingly, Mrs Dubose represents the judgmental and prejudiced society during the 1960s. She is constantly observed making spiteful comments on the front porch towards Atticus. Hence, the characters’ reactions and behaviours on the front porch are juxtaposed, revealing the racism entrenched within American society during the 1960s.

In conclusion, Harper Lee expresses the difficulty in attaining justice for minorities during the 1960s. She personifies the harmonious and chirpy mockingbird, likening them to the vulnerable individuals in society who often face discrimination and racial inequality. This incite sympathy in the reader and allows the reader to recognise the need to fight for justice. Using the setting of Radley’s place, the tree symbolises the innate goodness in humanity. Lee also juxtaposes the settings for effective characterisation.

Who wrote To Kill A Mockingbird and what was the intention of the author?

Harper Lee wrote the novel to let readers know what it would be like as a young person in Alabama during 1960s. As a young person in the 1960s, one would have seen racial inequality and this was terrible for the black community. The black community faced white elitism. They needed to follow rules the white community did not need to, such as decreased access to education and transport. Tom Robinson in the novel was a black, innocent man who was jailed for rape. Therefore, this incident reveals inequality within the legal system. Although Tom’s lawyer was the respected Atticus Finch, the law will punish the black community regardless of their innocence.

What is the genre?

It is a Southern gothic novel as well as a bildungsroman. Bildungsroman means that it is a coming of age novel. It traces how Scout loses her childhood innocence as she sees racism and inequality of the world around her.

What are the main messages in To Kill A Mockingbird?

Lee raises awareness to how the black community is unfairly treated in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama. She urges the reader to “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”. In other words, Lee conveys that it is a crime to kill innocent people. The innocent people in To Kill A Mockingbird include Jem, Scout, Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.

Why was Boo Radley not convicted in the end even though he killed Bob Ewell?

Atticus covered for Boo Radley saying that Bob Ewell had accidentally hurt himself. Bob Ewell did the wrong thing by attacking the children and Boo was trying to protect the Finch family. Atticus concealed the truth because he was grateful for Boo’s help in protecting his family and knew that Boo had good intentions. It would be a crime to convict Boo because he is a very good and kind person.

Why is the meaning behind the symbol of the mockingbird?

The mockingbird represents the innocent people. The mockingbird is a harmless creature which only wants to sing beautiful tunes. Examples of characters in the story who are like a mockingbird include Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. Boo is like a mockingbird because he is harmless, kind and innocent. All he wants is to leave presents and protect them from danger. Tom is like a mockingbird because he did nothing wrong and his disability makes him vulnerable too. Lee wrote To Kill a Mockingbird to tell us to nurture the “mockingbirds” and the kind innocents around us.

What are the main techniques in To Kill a Mockingbird?

The main techniques in To Kill a Mockingbird include simile, metaphors and personification.