Question

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the image of the mockingbird carries great symbolic weight. Based on the following excerpt, what could the mockingbird symbolize? Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. The mockingbird symbolizes the beauty of music because it gives immense pleasure to people through its melodious singing. The mockingbird symbolizes the softer side of nature, because unlike most wild creatures, it doesn’t harm human habitat. The mockingbird symbolizes life that should be preserved for the nonmaterial value it provides people through its singing. The mockingbird symbolizes the aesthetic beauty of nature because it lifts the moods of people by singing its heart out.

Answer 1

The mockingbird in Harper Lee's novel symbolizes innocence and the idea that harming innocent beings, who cause no harm to others and only contribute positively to the world, is wrong. This symbolism is extended to characters like Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, who are metaphorical mockingbirds within the story.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the mockingbird symbolizes innocence and purity. It represents beings that bring only positivity into the world, like music from the birds, without causing any harm. When the character suggests that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, this carries the metaphorical weight that harming innocent people or creatures who do not cause harm to others is morally wrong. The mockingbird, therefore, is a symbol of innocence, goodness, and the nonmaterial value they add to life.

The symbolic meaning expands beyond the literal bird to encapsulate characters in the novel, such as Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, who are symbolic mockingbirds due to their kindness and vulnerability. Their stories highlight the sin of harming those who are innocent and whose existences are beneficial or at least not harmful to others.

Answer 2

The mockingbird symbolizes life that should be preserved for the nonmaterial value it provides people through its singing.