What To Kill A Mockingbird Really Means
"To kill a mockingbird" is a phrase used in Harper Lee's book by Miss Maudie to teach the children not to hurt creatures that do not cause any harm. In
To Kill a Mockingbird, we learn that both adults and children discriminate by hurting or looking down on others because of their differences, but it is the fault of adults that prejudice continues over time. Lee shows us that discrimination is rampant in Maycomb County as it was in most places in the South in the 1930's. The racism encountered by Tom Robinson and the discrimination against Arthur Radley are not fair, but the same types of prejudice are still apparent today.
Lee told the story through the eyes of Scout to show how racism is not natural to children. The "killing of mockingbirds" happens regularly in today's society. Children bully their peers in the schoolyard, to make their victims feel bad for no reason. An example is when Cecil Jacobs made Scout forget her promise to Atticus not to fight," He had announced in the schoolyard the day before that Scout Finch's daddy defended niggers."(Lee, p.74) Although this does seem shameful, older people have a way of making it worse. Adults have more power; therefore they can hurt children and other adults with no motive other than the enjoyment of dominating a person weaker than them. This is shown in the novel when Bob Ewell wants to get back at Atticus, "... this morning Mr. Bob Ewell stopped Atticus on the post office corner, spat in his face, and told him he'd get him if it took the rest of his life."(p.217) It did take the rest of his life, and Bob should have known better. It is worse for adults to "kill mockingbirds" because they have more experience in life and should understand the effect of their own actions.
I remember times when I have both physically and mentally hurt people just for a laugh. After I thought about these incidents it became more personal, and I...
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