Yasmine's Blog!!

Harper Lee titled the novel To Kill a Mockingbird because it relates to the racism occuring during that time period, as well as the internal struggles among people in the little town of Maycomb, Alabama. The trial of Mr. Tom Robinson was biased and racist because the jury was all white and the facts obviously pointed to Mayella not being raped by Tom, but her father beating her, yet the verdict for Tom, an African-American, was guilty. Tom was sentenced to the electric chair, but was killed earliar when trying to escape. The mockingbird relates to Tom because it is known as only a helpful creature, that "sings their hearts out for us." Tom would go to Mayella's house to help her with jobs she could not do herself, such as moving furnature. He never hurt Mayella and the mockingbird does not hurt any human. Therefore it is a sin to kill a mockingbird and it was a sin when Tom Robinson was accused and sentenced for the rape of Mayella. In addition, Boo Radley can be connected to the mockingbird. Boo is known as a torment and a creature to be scared of in the town of Maycomb, yet he did not do anything to the children except for leaving them pressents in the tree, and later saving their lives. He has been hunted down and looked down upon by the townspeople of Maycomb for as long as he has lived there, yet he has in no way done anything wrong. The mockingbird is just a creature, and sings to make music for our pleasure. Boo hasn't hurt anyone, and even gave the children gifts. Therefore, both Tom Robinson and Boo Radley can relate to the mockingbird and the title of the book seems fit since throughout the two main plots of the story, the characters can be compared to mockingbirds. Atticus is trying to teach the children, though making this statement, that people who are accused should not automatically be sentenced or looked down upon on account of past stories or because of race. You must not judge. In the end, the children finally learn this lesson. Although they believed that Boo was a terror and thought he was something to be frightened of, they found that he was only a caring person who has never hurt them, but gave them gifts and saved their lives and they learned that their past opinions on him were wrong. They also learned that racism is not an acceptable practice and that people should not be judged on account of race. The children were horrified when they learned of the injustices occuring because of race and past influences, and they therefore understood why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird.

posted by Yasmine Scott @ 7:08 PM