Mockingbird Motif

Reading "To Kill a Mockingbird" has enhanced my understanding of the word motif because, "To Kill a Mockingbird" has such a well exemplified motif. The "Mockingbird" motif is basically the idea that, to harm or mistreat something that has never hurt anyone else is one of the worst things you can do. This book is called "To Kill a Mockingbird" because this motif is based on the idea that a mockingbird has never done anything to hurt anyone, so to kill it is a sin.

This idea has many examples to back it up through out the book. One example is when Bob Ewell tries to kill Jem and Scout, Jem and Scout are completely innocent and have never harmed anyone so they represent mockingbirds and to kill them would be unimaginable. Another example is the idea to put Boo Radley up for trail after living peacefully in his house for years and only committing a crime to defend innocent children. Both of these examples of the Mockingbird motif specifically represent the theme of innocence in the book and how fragile it can be at times when other people don't understand how much it should be cherished.

Symbolism: Extra Credit

Bob Ewell This beer represents all that is wrong about Bob Ewell's life. When he drinks he throws away all of his family's money leaving his children with very little potential for their future. If Bob Ewell was the type of person that led a better life he wouldn't be racist, he wouldn't beat his daughter and he wouldn't abuse alcohol.

Life Lessons

The main life lesson my parents have ever taught me is that there is no strict set of rules that dictate how you life should be led. This is something they have taught me not just by sitting me down and saying it, but by the actions they have done in life and the way they have raised me. I don't think I can once remember my parents saying not to do something because it's too weird or too different, in reality they almost encourage me to be different. Looking back there are so many things I have done in my life that personally if I was there, watching myself from the past as me now, I wouldn't even think before telling me from the past to stop (take a second to process that whole sentence).

With this in mind, I personally do think some things are...a little weird, but rarely will I say that out loud because everyone has the right to express themselves in their own way. As I've grown older I've taken a lot from this whole life lesson. I know that no matter what I do even if the rest of the world judges me, my parents won't judge me (that's definitely not 100% true). Along with this affecting my personality in life it also affects how I treat other people. Although I said before that every once in a while I think other people are a bit weird, everyday I get a bit more accepting of other people and maybe, just maybe someday I'll be able to tolerate a weird messed up child such as myself.