To Kill a Mockingbird

In the novel to ‘Kill a mockingbird’ it demonstrates that two characters clearly symbolize Mockingbirds but they are not the only two. Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley is portrayed as a mockingbird, but unfortunately the people of Maycomb are blinded by his mental instability and given him a name as a carnival-freak-show curiosity. Boo never left his house, he was trapped by his brother and was lonely everyday. Tom Robinson is another character that is compared to a mocking bird, he is a genuinely kind person who in the end is destroyed by his willingness to help Mayella Ewell. Just like a Mocking bird, He never hurt anyone, yet he was also persecuted by society for his kindness and his race.

Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley certainly is a symbol of a mockingbird. He was portrayed as quiet, alone and always tried to search for love and friendship from others. Boo never left his house, he had been stuck with his brother his entire life. Over the years the neighbours of Maycomb told many different stories about Boo, they made other children afraid of him and had no intention of talking to him. Boo tries to interact with Scout and Jem by leaving gifts for them in a knothole of an oak tree, until his brother, realises he is trying to talk to them, he cements the knothole to make them stop. “ Someone had filled our knot-hole with cement!” (p.69). Boo is a sweat boy and after a while cares for Scout and Jem, when Miss Maudie’s house burned down, Scout and Jem were standing at the Radley place, behind scout Boo wrapped a blanket over her shoulders to keep her warm.

“You were so bust looking at the fire you didn’t know you didn’t know it when he put the blanket around you.[Boo Radley]” (p.80). Boo is a very kind person and tries to help Jem and Scout, When Jem got his pants caught under the wire fence, he had to leave them there, after a while he came back for them and suspiciously found them hanging up on the fence folded and stitched back up, “They were folded across the fence…like they were expectin’ me.” (p.64) Therefore, Boo Radley is a perfect example of a Mockingbird.

Tom Robinson is a big character that is most defiantly a Mockingbird. Tom is a Negro, and sadly was never liked by anyone in Maycomb. He is a sweat, kind-hearted person who is characterized by his colour. After being accused of raping a white women (Miss Mayella) most of the people see him as an evil beast. According to Miss Mayella’s father, Tom Robinson is an animal who tormented and violated his daughter, “I