Theme

There are several themes in To Kill A Mockingbird. One apparent theme that is shown through several characters is the Mocking Motif. A Mockingbird is an innocent person, or a victim, who has done nothing wrong, but people dislike them and avoid them for no good reasons. Three characters who are known to be "mockingbirds" are Dill, Tom Robinson, and Arther(Boo) Radley. Boo Radley did nothing wrong but sadly the people of Maycomb think of him as a weird person who never wants to be with people. Ms. Maudie gives an excellent definition of a mockingbird, "Mockingbirds don't do one wrong but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncobs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."(pg. 90).

Dill has also been innocent and sweet from the start but his parent don't care about him or spend any time with him. He feels so left out he runs away from home to Jem and Scouts house. Tom Robinson. on the other hand, is being accused of raping a white girl. Tom has no criminal record nor has done nothing to upset anyone. All three characters are mockingbirds for there own reasons.