A mockingbird can symbolize many things, including innocence, goodwill towards others, or even misunderstanding between individuals. Author Harper Lee methodically uses the young voice of Scout Finch to portray how one’s true identity has a tendency to become muddled by prejudice. This misunderstanding of individuals can be associated with the inevitable death of those seen as mockingbirds, or sinful murdering of these majestic birds, in the well-written classic To Kill a Mockingbird. Tom Robinson was an innocent black man, accused of rape by a white female because her drunken father caught her attempting to romanticize their relationship. Insisting that “...she’d call me in, suh’...” (Lee 218), Tom strengthens his case against Mayella Ewell,
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Constantly teaching his children to think about the circumstances of others before passing judgement, he lived what he taught. Atticus took on the Tom Robinson case simply because he knew that no one else in Maycomb would bid their best abilities to prove his innocence by reason of his race. Unfortunately, not everyone in the Finch family agreed with Atticus’ responsiveness. Cousin Francis stood firm that, “... Uncle Atticus is a nigger-lover…” (Lee 94). Displaying his true level of ignorance, solidifying exactly why Atticus made the decision to take the case to begin with. Atticus knew all the reasons why people in Maycomb disapproved of him defending Tom Robinson, but Scout was still too young and naive to quite grasp the idea of racism. On another occasion, when a peer questioned her father’s motives, Scout confronted Atticus. She questioned her father, “Then why did Cecil say you defended niggers? He made it sound like you were runnin’ a still.” (Lee 86). Seeming to recognize that it was Atticus’ job as a lawyer to defend his clients, she was perplexed as to why he was continuously being questioned for doing what was right. The majority of the white population at this time was still predominantly racist, along with having a sense of superiority over minorities, specifically blacks. Ironically, by Atticus simply doing his job, along with doing what was right, he faced scrutiny as well as
Constantly teaching his children to think about the circumstances of others before passing judgement, he lived what he taught. Atticus took on the Tom Robinson case simply because he knew that no one else in Maycomb would bid their best abilities to prove his innocence by reason of his race. Unfortunately, not everyone in the Finch family agreed with Atticus’ responsiveness. Cousin Francis stood firm that, “... Uncle Atticus is a nigger-lover…” (Lee 94). Displaying his true level of ignorance, solidifying exactly why Atticus made the decision to take the case to begin with. Atticus knew all the reasons why people in Maycomb disapproved of him defending Tom Robinson, but Scout was still too young and naive to quite grasp the idea of racism. On another occasion, when a peer questioned her father’s motives, Scout confronted Atticus. She questioned her father, “Then why did Cecil say you defended niggers? He made it sound like you were runnin’ a still.” (Lee 86). Seeming to recognize that it was Atticus’ job as a lawyer to defend his clients, she was perplexed as to why he was continuously being questioned for doing what was right. The majority of the white population at this time was still predominantly racist, along with having a sense of superiority over minorities, specifically blacks. Ironically, by Atticus simply doing his job, along with doing what was right, he faced scrutiny as well as