Theme is defined as the message the author wants to convey to the reader through the text. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, the author Harper Lee introduces a small town in Alabama during the 1930s. This town faces a major trial in which, an African American man is accused of raping a white girl. Atticus, the father of the young narrator, defends this man, Tom Robinson, the trial proves to be dangerous for himself and his children. Throughout the book and the trial Lee shows four major themes, one of those themes being innocence. Harper Lee effectively develops the theme of innocence through three major characters. Atticus F. Tom R., and Heck T.. The first occurrence of the theme, innocence, in the novel is during Christmas
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After Tom’s death, Scout reads an editorial written by B.B Underwood, the publisher of the Maycomb Tribune. She paraphrases his comment: “Mr. Underwood didn’t talk about miscarriages of justice, he was writing so children could understand, he simply figured it was a sin to kill cripples, be they standing, sitting, or escaping. He likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children . . .”(323). Tom is an African American man that helps Mayella Ewell, the rape victim, with her daily chores even though he has a crippled arm, so it makes no sense why he was convicted and it makes no sense why he was shot seventeen times when three would have been enough. One can see how Tom's death is an injustice and his death was on …show more content…
Tate insists, “ Mr.Finch, taking the one man who’s done you and this town a great service and draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight--to me, that’s a sin and i’m not about to have it on my head.” Scout, having just met Boo, reveals a mature understanding of Tate’s position when she responds, “Well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?” (370). This is the third occurrence of the theme and is important because Scout recalls the shooting of the mockingbird which takes the reader back to the first occurrence of the theme. Heck is right that the town should not bother Boo because he has only ever tried to help and has never bothered anyone in the town. This connects to the theme because Atticus says to never hurt mockingbirds because all they do is help and never hurt or bother anyone just like Boo
After Tom’s death, Scout reads an editorial written by B.B Underwood, the publisher of the Maycomb Tribune. She paraphrases his comment: “Mr. Underwood didn’t talk about miscarriages of justice, he was writing so children could understand, he simply figured it was a sin to kill cripples, be they standing, sitting, or escaping. He likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children . . .”(323). Tom is an African American man that helps Mayella Ewell, the rape victim, with her daily chores even though he has a crippled arm, so it makes no sense why he was convicted and it makes no sense why he was shot seventeen times when three would have been enough. One can see how Tom's death is an injustice and his death was on …show more content…
Tate insists, “ Mr.Finch, taking the one man who’s done you and this town a great service and draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight--to me, that’s a sin and i’m not about to have it on my head.” Scout, having just met Boo, reveals a mature understanding of Tate’s position when she responds, “Well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?” (370). This is the third occurrence of the theme and is important because Scout recalls the shooting of the mockingbird which takes the reader back to the first occurrence of the theme. Heck is right that the town should not bother Boo because he has only ever tried to help and has never bothered anyone in the town. This connects to the theme because Atticus says to never hurt mockingbirds because all they do is help and never hurt or bother anyone just like Boo