We Are All Mockingbirds
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We are All Mockingbirds
Innocence isnt something that you earn; its not something you can get back once you lose it. Innocence is what youre born with. And once you are born you become vulnerable to the evil that can potentially take away your innocence. The infiltration of evil on innocence can be so surreptitious and pervasive. In To Kill A Mockingbird we experience horror in anticipation of this process. Its so inescapable that almost every character we come to know has been influenced by evil. Its the challenge and the hope as we read that our favorite characters will come out unscathed. Unfortunately, thats not how the story unfolds. “Mockingbirds dont do one thing but make music for us to enjoyThey dont do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. Thats why its a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (10.90) In this novel, mockingbirds represent innocence. Therefore, killing this bird is a symbol of eradicating innocence. Throughout the book, characters are described as being mockingbirds because they are innocent people being impaired by exposure to evil.
A reader would naturally wish that Boo Radley remain pure of heart. He spends his life in isolation from Maycomb and is thus isolated from burdens that come from societys prejudices. Jem says, “I think Im beginning to understand why Boo Radleys stayed shut in the house all this time… Its because he wants to stay inside.” (23.227) He is one of the novels mockingbirds because this isolation protects him from evil until Bob Ewell exposes him to it by failing to contain his evil nature as he attempts to stab Jem and Scout in from of his house. At this point, Boos good nature propels him to come to their rescue. His innocence has now been lost and cannot be restored.
Tom Robinson had a propensity for fairness; therefore his unjust conviction was all the more appalling. As a black man born in Alabama, did he even stand a chance of escaping the evils that come from the prejudices permeating the south during his lifetime? Jem acknowledges that the severity of the crime isnt nearly as severe as his punishment. “The jury didnt have to give him death – if they wanted to they couldve gave him twenty years.” (23.219) Tom Robinson was convicted of a crime he did not commit, involuntarily stripping him of his innocence. This wrongful accusation led to his death, which is reminiscent of the title.
Other characters that could also be classified as mockingbirds are Jem, Scout, Atticus and Dill. From part one to part two, these characters are exposed to a variety of negative influences. From Jem and Scouts abusive encounter by Bob Ewell to Atticus rejection by his own community for supporting a black