To+Kill+A+Mockingbird+Essay

When I was about halfway through this book, I was still wondering why the title of the book was what it was. Once I finished the book I realized how Boo and Tom are actually both metaphorically mockingbirds. __To Kill a Mockingbird__ by Harper Lee is an excellent book about the harm that rumors can cause and the contradiction between children and adult's views on racism. The people in this book have an automatic hate for Tom and all of his family, when they haven't even taken the chance to meet them. Doing something like that is like doing the old the saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover." if you just look at the cover of the book and decide not to read it, and you may be missing out on a really good book. Take time to try and read the first chapter of the book, just like how you should try and take the time to meet a person.

Every single person in that courtroom knew Tom Robinson was innocent. There is NO doubt in my mind that if Tom were a white man, then he would have been released! "Guilty...Guilty...Guilty...Guilty...I peeked at Jem and his hands were white from gripping the balcony rail. Pg. 211" This quote really expresses how mad Jem got because he knew Tom was innocent, and he knew everyone in the courtroom knew he was innocent. Just because he was black, he was going to be arrested. It isn't like Tom chose to be born black, it just happened. I am sure he would change that if he could because of all of the cruel punishments he has gotten because of his skin color. Racism towards people is so wrong because they didn’t choose to be that skin color, kind of like how a dog or cat is born a certain color. What if the United States killed every brown dog that was born…that wouldn’t be giving them a chance to prove themselves. All of this and it is just because of color.

It seems like Scout didn't believe any of the nasty rumors that she heard about Boo. As I mentioned in my introduction, rumors can be extremely harmful and just because of the silly "squirrel eating" rumors, everyone thought Boo was a nasty man. Scout never believed any of this, and throughout the whole story Scout seemed to be dying to meet Boo. Scout somehow knew Boo wasn't a bad guy and he proved this to her in the end of the story when he saves her and her brother's lives. "Well it'd sort of be like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it? Pg. 276" Scout says this because she knows that if everyone started going to Boo's house and thanking him, it'd be like killing him. He doesn't like people, he doesn't like visitors, he likes to be alone. Boo never does anything to hurt people, all he does is help, like how a mockingbird does nothing but boring pleasure to people by singing.

"They've done it before, and they did it tonight, and they'll do it again and when they do it-seems only children weep. Pg. 213" This quote perfectly reflects how adults didn't even give a shit what was happening purely because of hatred toward colored skin. Once you get older, it seems like you get used to the racism taking place. Tom Robinson did nothing but help people and now he is lying in his grave many years earlier than he should be. Children, such as Jem for example, cry when events like this take place, but adults like Atticus seem to believe it as being completely casual. He needs to realize that it is NOT casual and that is absurdly wrong! I have a feeling that in Atticus’ heart, he knows it is wrong but knows that if he stands up for it he and his entire family will be shunned forever more.

Tom helped people for free and would never do anything to hurt someone purposely. Boo is just a hermit that always stays in his home. All he has ever done it help, give, and most importantly save two kid's lives. Both of these men are mockingbirds as I mentioned in my introductory paragraph. What I mean by this is when Atticus gave Scout and Jem air guns, he knew they would get bored of shooting tin cans and eventually would try to shoot live game. "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. Atticus says this because all mockingbirds do is pleasure people with their wonderful voices. They don't eat people's gardens or nest in corncribs, or anything except allowing people to enjoy them. This is how Boo and Tom are mockingbirds. Neither of them did anything except help, and brings joy to people. Scout recognized these mockingbirds and so did Jem which is why I think Lee thinks that children have more moral sense than adults. Harper Lee's novel __To Kill a Mockingbird__ reveals the truth about racism and lets the reader discover the pain that racism brought to people and families a long time ago. Racist acts are still happening today but not as juristically where we live. Tom shouldn't be in his grave this early and neither should many other black people that were killed because of hate crimes.