A mockingbird does not destruct areas or pester the things around it. A
mockingbird, as Miss Maudie said, "...don't do one thing but sing their
hearts out for us." (119) They are giving animals, not ones that take away
happiness or disturb life. Mad dogs, however, are quite the opposite. Atticus
is more willing to kill a mentally instable dog over a mockingbird because of
how they treat the world around them. In that way, a mockingbird's persona is
similar to Atticus himself. Describing who and what a mockingbird is and does
is another way of Harper Lee trying to reinforce readers' knowledge of who
Atticus is, especially as the case of Tom Robinson grows closer. Atticus is not
the man who tries to upset others around him, but rather the man who shares his
brilliant life lessons with those around him. He 'sings' for his
family and town, and because of it, people look up to him. He is looked upon as
a leader, especially by his children. Unmated male mockingbirds, according
to http://www.allaboutbirds.org, are also "...the most insistent
singers, carrying
on late all day and late into the night,” and the correlation to Atticus in
that way is also very similar. Atticus considers killing a mockingbird a sin,
and his opinion of spreading morals and sharing his knowledge throughout is just
as important to him.
Do you
think Scout really understands why Atticus cares for mockingbirds so much? Is
the killing of the mutt important? How do you think did Cal know the dog was rabid?
Do you think that killing the dog is at all like Atticus standing up to all of
the people disapproving of him standing up to protect Tom Robinson?
When Atticus lets his children know that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, Scout doesn’t give credence to this idea, probably because she doesn’t comprehend it. However, there has to be meaning behind this line. From Mrs. Maudie, we have learned that mockingbirds are graceful, singing creatures that are anything but harmful. Despite this, Atticus wouldn’t have made such a comment if there weren’t a deeper connection behind it. Atticus does say that Jem can shoot all of the blue jays he wants, just to watch out for the mockingbirds. Here, Harper Lee is giving is a signal that the mockingbird and blue jay represent something more than just birds. In this situation, “Boo” Radley would be the mockingbird. Boo has not done anything in recent times that has affected Maycomb County in a negative way. Similar to all mockingbirds, Boo is simply doing his own thing, and caring for others. For example, during the cold snowy night when Jem and Scout were told stay nearby the Radleys, Arthur mysteriously draped a blanket over Scout, giving her comfort and warmth in the freezing cold weather. This shows that Arthur is there and is watching out for his town peers. It would be a sin to kill him if he’s taking nice actions in the world. On the other hand, the Blue Jays are people in the story who are rude and don’t have respect for others. These people don’t do good in the world. Maycomb County and any other places would be fine without them. It is unclear who exactly this group of people is, but Harper Lee will further attend to this topic of who symbolizes the mockingbird and who represents the blue jays.
ReplyDeleteWho is causing bad things to happen in Maycomb? Who in the Maycomb Community is not showing nice actions? Could these people be the blue jays to whom Atticus is referring?
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ReplyDeleteIs the killing of the mad dog important?
ReplyDeleteI don't think the actual killing of the dog is important but what it reveals. First, it shows how Atticus "was the deadest shot in Maycomb County..."(129) This proves that Atticus wasn't always the inactive middle aged man that Scout has grown up with. Furthermore, the mad dog incident allows Harper Lee to further characterize Calpurnia as the motherly figure in Scout's and (more or less) Jem's lives when she immediately brought them back to the house for their own safety.
Why does Atticus go so out of his way to keep Scout and Jem from knowing that he is a great shot?
The killing of the mutt is very important. This event shows a lot more of Atticus’ character than the reader initially perceives. It shows that Atticus knows more about guns than he says to Scout and Jem. For example, towards the end of Chapter 10, Miss Maudie says, “Forgot to tell you the other day that besides playing’ the Jew’s Harp, Atticus Finch was the deadest shot in Maycomb County.”(98) This shows that there is more to Atticus than meets the eye. So, the killing of the crazy dog was a very important event which showcases Atticus’s more free and wild side.
ReplyDeleteThis line is more related to the trial than Boo Radley. I could see where it could be related to Boo Radley, but he is not mentioned enough in the chapter. The line is tied to the Robinson trial. When Atticus says “” it is a sin to kill a mockingbird,” he is referencing Scout and Jem. Scout and Jem did not want to be involved with the case in the first place. All they wanted was to be normal kids. The mad dog is Atticus. Atticus is defending a negro convicted for rape. He is who people think is mad and he is the odd one.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that Atticus is the Mockingbird or is it someone else?
I believe that it could be Boo Radley who is the Mocking Bird. Harper Lee has made Boo into a very innocent character like a mocking bird. A mocking bird has no point to be killed and Boo has no point be be afraid of because no one knows Boo for who he really is. This is why it would be a sin to kill Boo for just a small incident in his past.
ReplyDeleteAtticus says that it is a sin to killa mokingbird but okay to kill a mad dog because a mocking bird is doing nothing to hurt anybody or annoy anybody but a mad dog could hurt someone and can be extremely annoying. I agree with Lyons when he says that the mockingbird could be Boo Radley and it could also represent Tom Robinson because neither of them did anything wrong, so why hurt them. Harpor Lee uses the mockongbird to symbolise all those being tortured who do not deserve it.
ReplyDelete