Mockingbird Motif

In the beginning of the year, I barely knew any literary terms at all, including a motif. But as we went over terms, I found out what a motif was and when we finished To Kill a Mockingbird, I then had a complete understanding for a motif and how to find it by analyzing a story. I now know that a motif is a reoccurring symbol in a book.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, the motif is a mockingbird and how it is a sin to kill one. It is a sin to kill a mockingbird because a mockingbird only makes beautiful music and never causes trouble. Boo Radley is one mockingbird because he is seen as being evil by the town, and that it would be like killing him if he was forced to come out because the city found out he killed Bob Ewell.Tom Robinson is the other mockingbird because he was found guilty for raping Mayella even though he was crippled and everyone knew he had not done anything wrong, which shows the other motif: justice vs. injustice which is made from prejudice between white and blacks.