At first, this excerpt may appear to be insignificant to the story. However, the reader becomes aware that the mockingbird image is used extensively throughout the book. As the first half of the novel focuses on the mysterious Boo Radley and the second half on the Tom Robinson trial, both of these characters can be viewed as mockingbirds - harmless creatures who are unjustly persecuted by society.

The full significance of Atticus’s remark, “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (p. 99), is explained by Miss Maudie Atkinson. Miss Maudie informs Scout that mockingbirds do nothing but “sing their hearts out for us” (p. 100), making music for us to enjoy. They represent a gentle and innocent creature and the destruction of these birds is a senseless act of injustice. The slaughter of a mockingbird can be likened to the bigoted treatment of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.

Some topics in this essay:
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