Summary Of Harper Lee's 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

You Never Know What You Had 'Til It 's Gone To Kill A Mockingbird is one of those stories that gives a deeper meaning to the simplest things. As it is in the title, obviously mockingbirds are important to this story. The first that these mockingbirds seen are when Scout and Jem got their ar rifles. Atticus, not wanting to teach them how to shoot, gave them a rule he wanted them to follow. " 'I 'd rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you 'll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember its a sin to kill a mockingbird. ' That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. 'Your fathers right, ' she said 'Mockingbirds don …show more content…
He would help others no matter what small thing it was, it might have not even mattered who it was, and wouldn 't take or ask for anything in return. He just knew how to be thoughtful like it was a second nature to him. In the story, Tom was first introduce as the man who was to be defended by Atticus, because it was claimed the he raped Miss Mayella Ewell. During his case he had two acclaims against him, Mayella Ewell and her Father Bob Ewell, but it was clear that Tom was innocent with every word he said in court. When it was said that Tom was killed it pulls at anyones heart strings, even to the citizens in Maycomb. Even Mr. Underwood, though without being exact, gave the message of the mockingbird in the editorial after Tom 's death. "Mr. Underwood didn 't talk about miscarrages of justice, he was writing so children could understand. Mr Underwood simply figured it was a sin to kill cripples, be they standing, sitting, or escaping. He likened Tom 's death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children, and Maycomb thought he was trying to write an editorial poetical enough to be reprinted in the Montgomery Advertiser."(241) He tries to get through to everyone in Maycomb to understand that Tom and the mocking bird are one in the same, because of him being a cripple. The senselessness of his death, as it seems, is the key: killing Tom didn 't make things good nor did it prevent something bad, …show more content…
Atticus Finch is on of those people who has a great influence on others because of his wisdom and kindness. "Judge Taylor was saying something. His gavel was in his fist, but he wasn 't using it. Dimly, I saw Atticus pushing papers from the table into his briefcase. He snapped it shut, went to the court reporter and said something, nodded to Mr. Gilmer, and then went to Tom Robinson and whispered something to him. Atticus put his hand on Tom 's shoulder as he whispered. Atticus took his coat off the back of his chair and pulled it over his shoulder. Then he left the courtroom, but not by his usual exit. He must have wanted to go home the short way, because he walked quickly down the middle aisle toward the south exit. I followed the top of his head as he made his way to the door. He did not look up. Someone was punching me, but I was reluctant to take my eyes from the people below us, and from the image of Atticus 's lonely walk down the aisle. 'Miss Jean Louise? ' I looked around. They were standing. All around us and in the balcony on the opposite wall, the Negroes were getting to their feet. Reverend Sykes 's voice was as distant as Judge Taylor 's: 'Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father 's passin '. '" (211) Atticus, with all the good intentions in his heart, did his best to defend Tom Robinson and even made