To Kill A Mockingbird Title Analysis

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the title is an appropriate title for this novel. To Kill a Mockingbird is mainly a novel about the events that lead up to Jem’s arm being broken. The novel follows Jem, Scout, and Dill’s adventures to try and get Boo Radley to come out of his house. This title is appropriate because Boo Radley is considered a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson symbolize a Mockingbird, and because many “mockingbirds” were killed in a sense.

The title To Kill a Mockingbird is an appropriate title because Boo Radley is considered a Mockingbird. Heck Tate, the town sheriff, and Atticus have a conversation about who killed Mr. Ewell and Heck says they shouldn’t tell the town. In this quote Heck is referring to Boo Radley, …show more content…
In this quote, Tom Robinson is testifying in court for the rape of Mayella Ewell and was explaining that he did favors for her and “‘Were you paid for your services?’ ‘No suh, not after she offered me a nickel after the first time. I was glad to do it… and i knewed she didn’t have no nickels to spare’” (Lee, pg 256) Mockingbirds are kind creatures, and since Tom Robinson did labor for Mayella without getting paid and letting her keep her change, he is a Mockingbird. Tom was glad to do Mayella’s deeds, just like mockingbirds are glad when they sing songs to people, making Tom have the spirit of a Mockingbird, which makes the title fit. Mr. Link Deas, Tom’s boss and audience member in the court tried defending Tom by shouting out in court, risking a retrial. “‘...That boy’s worked for me eight years an’ I ain’t had a speck o’trouble outa him. Not a speck’” (Lee, pg 261). Troublesome would not be a word to describe a Mockingbird, so since Tom hasn’t troubled Link Deas, Tom would be considered a Mockingbird. To Kill a Mockingbird is an appropriate title because as a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson worked for Link Deas and was loyal to him and didn’t act out or refuse to do the tasks he was asked to do. Although most likely tired, Tom was still worked for Link Deas without a fit. Tom Robinson was in court explaining the encounter between Mayella and …show more content…
In this quote, Jem are gives Dill a description of Boo Radley that he thought was reasonable for Boo. “Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall… he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch…long jagged scar that ran across his face...teeth...yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled…” (Lee, pg 16). Jem made Boo Radley seem like a monster, and made him seem like a savage which ruined Boo Radley’s name. Damaging Boo’s image was in a sense killing him because he was portrayed in a way that he wasn’t really like. Killing Boo Radley in this sense helps the title fit the novel’s story. Tom Robinson and the rest of the audience got to hear the verdict of whether Tom was guilty or innocent. “Judge Taylor was polling the jury: ‘Guilty . . . guilty . . . guilty . . . guilty’” (Lee, pg 282). The verdict of being guilty killed Tom Robinson in a sense. The evidence used against Tom was weak, while Atticus’ defense for Tom was strong and firm. Being charged as guilty killed Tom because he was innocent, but was charged with the crime mostly because of his skin color. Since Tom was a Mockingbird and was “killed”, the title fits the situation Tom Robinson encountered. Scout was being read to by Atticus and Scout was slowly falling asleep, but she summed up what she heard from the book that was read. “‘...an’ Atticus, when they finally saw him, why he hadn’t done any