Mockingbird Motif

At the beginning of the year, I thought that a motif was just a theme of the book. After reading To Kill a Mockingbird, I realized that a motif is a reoccurring theme in the novel, not just a specific theme out of many others. I now feel like I can understand the motifs in other books, and analyze them more deeply, not just reading thoughtlessly.

The mockingbird motif is pretty much a sin to kill something innocent. It was first brought up in the book by when Miss Maudie tells them that it's a sin to kill an actual mockingbird. As the story progresses, the motif gets deeper, and begins to relate things to innocence, such as Tom Robinson's case, how he was innocent, but still guilty. This describes clearly the theme of justice and injustice. Also, when Tom gets killed, the motif is brought up again by saying it was a sin to kill cripples.

Symbolism

I chose Jem as the dog and Scout as the cat because Jem is always aggressive, has his own thoughts and beliefs, and can also be playful and caring, like a dog. Scout on the other hand, sometimes does not know how to handle things, but does poke around alot, wanting to know what's going on, like a sneaky cat.

Life Lessons

My parents always tell me to be happy with what you have. When I was younger, I sometimes would want a new toy, or whatever other kids had at school. I remember complaining and being annoying to my mom and dad. They always remind me that there are people out there who don't have a home to live in, or food to feed their family. I volunteer at the food bank now, every other Wednesday, and there are a surprisingly large amount of people that come in to get food to feed their family.

I see now how lucky I am, to live in a house and have food at the table to eat. I never waste any food, even if I'm full, I finish it. (Or just put it in the fridge.) Some people don't realize that there are people that are sleeping outside in freezing temperatures, and worse. The main lesson is, be grateful for what you have; don't take things for granted.