Mockingbird Motif

After reading To Kill a Mockingbird the definition of motif was clear to me. I often mix up symbolism and motif however, the novel showed me that a motif enhances the meaning of things or themes within the story. The novel helped me understand motif since it explained the meaning of the motif within the themes and actions that portrayed the themes. The motif really helped me grasp the true meaning behind To Kill a Mockingbird. The part where I understood the motif the most was when Tom Robinson was caught while trying to escape the prison. Just like a mockingbird he was shot dead when he was in fact completely innocent; he was the victim. If the novel hadn't given examples to enhance the motif I wouldn't have been able to follow the story line and the meaning behind the novel.The motif is very simple: a mockingbird. It's thought to be a sin to kill a mockingbird since the bird is purely innocent and hasn't done anything harmful or wrong. You can relate that to life; it's wrong to blame someone who is innocent.

Without the motif the many themes within the pages of To Kill a Mockingbird would be pointless. All the themes follow the motif that it's wrong to blame something/someone who is not guilty. Throughout the book the motif is spread out and explained through different themes such as prejudice in all forms, standing in someone's shoes, and growing up. When you're being prejudice you're against a person, thing, or even a race and that theme was showed through Tom Robinson's case and through the Cunninghams even. People of lower class and race were blamed for things they did not do. As you grow up you realize things and as little kids Jem and Scout blamed Boo for doing things that he didn't do. After Scout realized Boo/Arthur had killed Bob Ewell she said that it wasn't Boo/Arthur because she didn't want Boo to go through court and be blamed. He had already been through many hard times and he was trying to protect Scout and Jem, not harm them. The motif is the base of the themes and shows that each theme/issue is not right and that blaming others/things for your problems could lead to unjust conclusions.