In class today (Thursday, December 13th and Friday, December 14th), we discussed the symbol of the mockingbird. The title To Kill a Mockingbird relates to the events in the novel in more than one way. In chapter 10, we begin to understand where the title comes from. For your response to this post, consider the following:
-Who are the "mockingbirds" in this novel?
-Who attempts to "kill" a mockingbird in the town of Maycomb?
-How might you relate a mockingbird to a ghost? (Remember Atticus's comment, "There are other ways of turning people into ghosts.")
-Consider this wikipedia entry information about a mockingbird
Post as a comment to this posting. I will post another "Discussion Post" tomorrow.
14 comments:
In the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" we are just now starting to see where the title comes from and what its significance is. In the book, characters such as Boo Radley could be considered "mockingbirds". When the children are talking about wanting guns Atticus tells them that they can shoot at tin cans and all the blue jays that they want, but that they should never shoot a mockingbird because all they do is sing peaceful songs. Boo Radley resembles something like this because he never does anything to harm anybody; he just goes about his business and watches the world go by from inside his windows. He never aims to hurt or scare anybody, but rather to just to watch them as they go about their daily lives.
In Maycomb Mr. Nathan Radley could be seen as someone who would “kill” a mockingbird. He keeps Boo secluded in the house and does not ever let him see the light of day. Mr. Radley does not let Boo come out of the house and be social at all, and when Boo makes an attempt to communicate with others, Mr. Radley puts and abrupt end to it. For example, when Boo is putting small gifts in the knothole Mr. Radley puts and abrupt end to it as soon he finds out.
A mockingbird could be symbolic of a ghost in the way that they are there, but they hardly make themselves noticed. A mockingbird sings beautiful songs, but never causes any trouble, thus at some points they could appear as almost translucent. Boo Radley is also symbolic of a ghost and a mockingbird because if you did not have previous knowledge that he lived inside that house, you would have no way of knowing. For Scout and Jem there is no denying that he is there, but for others they would never know that Boo even existed. This is just as you might never know that you were in the presence of a ghost or a mockingbird, so long as the mockingbird was not singing.
In "To Kill A Mockingbird," the phrase is used to depict a sin. When Atticus gives Jem and Scout their air rifles, he tells them to shoot at tin cans and blue jays but to remember that "it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." He says this because unlike blue jays, mockingbirds are just there so to speak, they don't rob other birds' nests or harm people's gardens. All they do is make beautiful music. This image is applied to a few characters in the book. Book Radley is said to be a terrible person who tried to kill his dad but really he hasn't done anything. He even put a blanket around Scout to keep her warm during the fire at Miss Maudie's house, sews Jem's pants and put gifts in the knothole for Jem and Scout. The "mockingbird" most important to the story would be Tom Robinson. He is innocent of the crime he is charged with but is found guilty because of the harsh racism in the South at this time period. This situation is compared to killing a mockingbird by Harper Lee beacuse the only reason Tom was found guilty of the crim was because he was black--even though he never hurt anybody.
In TKaM the title has a greater meaning then when first looked at. A mockinbird a bird that is invisible to the regular passerby. It is still there even though you can't see it. This goes for boo as well. To any tourists or travelers passing by the Radley Place there seem to be nothing wrong, it would seem ordinary to them. To anybody who knows that Boo is there it is like knowing where a mockinbird lives. Mr. Radley cans be assumed as the killer of the mockingbird. As soon as Boo tries to make any contact with the outside world ,it is cut off by Mr. Radley. An example of this would be when Boo gave Jem and Scout gifts through the knothole in the tree. Mr. Radley stopped this by sealing up the knothole with cement. A mockingbird is like a ghost as well. Nobody really knows where ghosts are until you find one. Neither ghosts or mockingbirds cause any trouble so no one pays any attention to them. Boo is a ghost too. If didn't previously know that Boo lived there you would have no way of knowing at all. This is the same with ghosts and mockinbirds. You wouldn't know they were there until you found them.
In a song that I had to sing in chorus once talked about the mocking bird singing the saddest type of song because he knows that things are wrong, and he's right. In "To Kill a MockingBird" the thing that isn't right is the racial segregation that is going on. It is definatly a sad song that people, even today cannot live together without noticing the differeces that we have. Is the differce of skin something that should cause false accusations? the religion that someone practices? the way someone lives? NO!!!! But who is the mockingbird in this situation? I think that the mocking birds in this situation are Scout and Jem. I think this because Scout and Jem are trying to grow up with a fair attitude towards all people. But Cecil Jacobs trys to 'kill' Scout by calling her father a negroe lover and Francis by telling her that it mortified the rest of the family how Scout and Jem were being brought up. Although we don't know how Jem is being 'killed' now, I'm sure that things will happen later in the book (hence the broken arm in the beginning of the book). The blue jays and tin cans that Jem and Scout are allowed to shoot could be ignorance and hate.
The mocking bird could be a ghost by paling in comparison to what is going on around it. The blue jay is a magnificiant bird and the mocking bird is kinda just a regular looking brown bird. Just like how ignorance and hate are so much more easy to turn to and follow, justice is like the mocking bird's song full of comfort and hope.
I think that Boo Radley, may be symbolized by the Mockingbird in "To Kill a Mockingbird." It says that adults may act wounded as to lure predetors away from the nest. That may not be exactly what Mr. Radley does, to keep the attention of Boo, or their life at home, but similar. Mr.Radley tries to cut off all of Boo's outside connections with the world, like filling his knot hole in the tree with cement, to try to keep him in his nest. Mr. Radley is kind of killing Boo, by making him stay in his house consealed form the world. Like Atticus said, there are other ways to turn people into ghosts, and Mr. Radley didn't actually kill Boo, but he kind of killed the spirt inside of him, his heart, his life, and his natural social habbits(even tho Boo was messed up :) ). I would write more, but I'm off to read the story in the Lit book!!
Miss Holmes, thanks for taking to time to do this blog again! It's awesome!
The title "To Kill a Mocking Bird" relates back to the quote that Atticus told Jem and Scout about the gund that they got for Christmas, when he told them never to kill a mocking bird because they just sing to people all day and are really nice and never hurt people. He said that they could shoot blue jays though because they are jsut mean and kill other birds' babies. This refers back to the trial and Tom Robinson because people want to prove him guilty for something that he didn't do and he is really a nice person at heart. Also the mocking bird is like a ghost because people don't really notice them because they never hurt people they just sing and are nice, so people don't really notice them. This is kind of like Boo Radley because nobody really notices him when he puts a blanket around Scout.
In the end of Part 1 of "To Kill a Mockingbird", is where we start to learn the meaning of the the novels title. Jem and Scout have been given rifles for christmas and Jem is outside practicing his shooting skills. Atticus comes outside and tells Jem that he can kill the bluejays, but not the mockingbirds because to kill them is considered a sin. I think the mockingbird in this novel are Boo Radley. Boo Radley is a seen as a mockingbird because he ahs never actually done anything wrong that has been preoven, yet people still think that he is a "neighborhood phantom". I think the children and the other residents of the street that Jem and Scout live on because they don't really care about the reality behind the Radley Story. Boo has never actually done anything wrong. He keeps to his business and doesn't get involved with the rest of the gossip going around the neighborhood.
A mockingbird relates to a ghost in different ways. For example, a mockingbird is just kind of there, not really noticeable and nonchalant. They are very quiet and innocent with their song. Although a mockingbird does relate with a ghost, there are some way in which I think they are different. Some people are afraid of ghosts and wouldn't be caught anywhere near where they think a ghost is. A mockingbird is a sweet being that people actually enjoy being around or seeing.
To Kill a Mockingbird? Hmm? Well Atticus once said it is a sin to kill amockingbird because they are innocent. Tom Robinson is innocent and chances are he's going to get the death sentense even though he is innocent. So killing him is like killing a mockingbird.
signed-B....Rugg*ero
In the novel to kill a mocking bird, the mocking bird is referring to Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. A mockingbird is described as a bird that doesn't hurt anyone, destroy any crops, just makes beautiful music for us to hear. This is why Atticus says that killing a mockingbird is considered a sin. Boo Radley is a mockingbird because he hasn't done anything wrong, but Jem, Scout and Dill still make fun of him, by making harmful games, and making up scary stories that aren't true about him. Boo's brother, Nathan keeps him locked up and never lets him out of the house to converse with anyone in the town, or anyone in the world. He makes him into a ghost, which is "killing" this little mockingbird. Tom Robinson is being "killed" by everyone in the town because he has not done anything, but they all believe just because he's black he has done something wrong.
The "mockingbirds" of Maycomb are Boo and Tom Robinson. Boo is being "killed" by Nathan Radley and Tom is being "killed" by the whole town.
A mockingbird could be a ghost when it sings all day but you never see it. when it stops singing, it has become a ghost.
"To Kill A Mokingbird" relates to the story becasue in the book, it is said to be illegal to shoot a mockingbird when scout is out shooting. The reason for that is becasue all that mockingbirds do is sing and they don't harm anything or anyone. Boo Radley is like a mockingbird because he never harmed anyone or anything, yet he is forced to stay inside and never gets to go outside. Another thing that could relate to the mockingbirds is the case of Tom Robinson, and how Atticus is being looked down upon for defending a black. Tom Robinson is like a mockingbird becasue, he might have not harmed anyone or anything, but they are trying to 'kill' him. The townspeople always seem to assume that just becsaue his skin is black, he is automatically giulty. He could be innocent, but they will find him guilty just becasue of the color of his skin.
The mockingbird could relate to a ghost becasue, people usually pay more attention to a beautilful robin, or blue jay, and not pay so much attention to a mockingbird.
To Kill a Mockingbird is all resemblance in this novel. Atticus also explains to them about how they should never shoot a mockingbird because its a sin. Shooting a mockingbnird is a sin because they just sing and dont eat your plants or do anything bad. i will post more in study hall.
In to kill a mocking bird the mocking birds have a lot of meaning. When Jem and scout get their guns Atticus knows they will shoot at birds. But he says not to shoot at mocking birds. All mocking birds do is sing and not bother people. The mocking bird is like Boo Radely. He is said to have done horrible things. But he has sewed up Jems pants and put a blanket around Scout. Tom Robinson is another character like the Mocking bird. he is discriminated because he is black.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Boo Radley and tom Robinson are considered to be the mockingbird. When Jem was going to shoot a mockingbird with his new gun, Atticus said that it was a sin to kill a mockingbird. A mockingbird is a bird that is harmless, it doesn't destroy anything, or hurt anyone, it only sings, but some people like to shoot it for no reason. The mockingbird is like Boo Radley because he has done nothing wrong, but he is getting punished for it. Nathan Radley keeps Boo inside, not allowing him to socialize with anyone outside the house. Nathan makes him into a ghost by doing this. Because Boo is locked up inside, it makes it seem like he did something wrong, or something is wrong with him, so Jem, Scout and Dill make fun of him. Tom Robinson was convicted for doing nothing. The only reason why he was convicted was because he was black.
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