The Mockingbird Symbol in To Kill a Mockingbird

In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the symbol of the mockingbird is widely illustrated. A mockingbird in this novel symbolizes a person who receives underserved treatment and is “killed” despite their innocence. Essentially, mockingbirds are innocents who have been injured or destroyed through coming into contact with evil. While talking to Jem and Scout, Ms. Maudie states “‘Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’” (p.103). Jem Finch is one of the primary characters and protagonists in this novel, and he represents a “mockingbird” because he began as a childish boy whose only worries involved school and play but was forced to mature and learn numerous lessons. Throughout the novel, Jem begins to worry about grown topics and must gain the ability to withstand criticism. Furthermore, Jem learns about the unfairness and prominence of racism and its impacts as a whole. Finally, Jem increasingly understands the prejudices and grudges concerning race and that not everyone in the community is noble or beneficial to society. Altogether, Jem is the quintessence of a mockingbird as he has transformed tremendously and has lost his innocence.

At the start of the novel, Jem is innocent and does not partake in incidents that could harm him or the people who surround him. However, Jem is forced to become incorporated into a problematic and somewhat arduous experience involving his family and his family’s reputation, and as a result of this, Jem loses some of his innocence as his worries shift from innocent to mature. Prior to the conflict involving his father Atticus and defendant Tom Robinson, Jem’s singular worries and issues involved which adventure he would partake in on that particular day. But this blissful ignorance would not last for Jem, as Atticus's controversial involvement in the specific case resulted in numerous remarks and judgments placed on the Finch family as a whole. After Jem and Scout overhear Atticus talking to a group of men outside of the house, Jem runs to Atticus and asks “‘They were after you, weren't they?’ … ‘They wanted to get you, didn't they?’”(p.166). As the older brother, Jem is forced to mature and gain wisdom despite the feelings of anger that may occur. The constant comments and criticism given by the townspeople force Jem to fear for his father, his family, and his daily life. He even begins to fear that his father is being targeted by a white supremacy group, and Jem later questions Atticus about the KKK and whether Atticus was being targeted. Overall, Jem’s thoughts and worries have shifted from benign daily occurrences to a general fear for himself and his loved ones. Essentially, Jem is now having to worry about the conflicts of a man. 

In Chapter 22, the trial for Tom Robinson occurred and Jem was confident throughout the trial and the deliberation. However, when the verdict was reached and it was not in Jem or Tom’s favor, Jem came to somewhat of an understanding that racism is prominent and is extraordinarily discriminatory and unfair. As the trial progressed, other men in the town suggested to Jem that he should be less confident, but Jem didn’t listen. He was so sure about the results that when the verdict emerged and Tom Robinson lost, Jem was devastated. As Scout documents, “It was Jem’s turn to cry. His face streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. ‘It ain't right,’ he muttered, all the way to the corner of the square where we found Atticus waiting” (p.242). Jem now understands that despite the persuading arguments that Atticus provided, racism as a whole has a greater impact on verdicts than plain evidence. He is forced to see racism as it truly is and how unfair it is. As a child, Jem was able to look past racism, because it was just part of his life that went by relatively unnoticed. Now, as a result of the unfair verdict, Jem is compelled to question everything he’s known about race and its impacts and synchronously loses his innocence. Jem’s reaction shows how Jem is beginning to understand the unfairness and prominence of racism and the acts of racism in the town that he supposedly knows so well. 

After the Tom Robinson trial, the repercussions began, especially for Jem. Jem was somewhat traumatized after experiencing the trial and the undesired verdict. He then begins to realize the flaws and lack of equality in his community, and this makes Jem a mockingbird because he is very genuine and honest with his feelings yet is undeserving of witnessing the terrible actions of the people around him. At the end of the novel, Jem and Scout are attacked by Bob Ewell, which further supports the idea that Jem is a mockingbird as both Jem and Scout are undeserving of the attack. To begin, as the later chapters progressed, Jem struggled with comprehending just why the jury could decide such a thing despite the obvious evidence in Tom’s favor. Jem discovers issues during the court case that he had never thought of before, and essentially just wants the truth. While staring regrettably at his cake on Miss Maudie’s porch, Jem notes “‘I always thought Maycomb folks were the best folks in the world’” (p.246). In addition, Jem loses his innocence during the attack because he is forced to protect himself and his sister from a member of the community that he has known for years. Bob Ewell attacks the children as a way to get back at Atticus for defending Tom. However, the kids have done nothing to hurt Bob Ewell themselves. Jem realizes the depth of the hate that Bob Ewell carries and now understands that the hate that is so evident in Bob Ewell prompted Bob to do something terrible, like attack children. Fundamentally, Jem now truly understands how awful racism is and the incredible repercussions that resulted from something as miniscule as a case based on race. Jem had never experienced anything like Tom Robinson's accusation before, and he was forced to accept and learn that his so-called perfect world is filled with hate. 

Based on the above evidence, Jem Finch is a symbol of a mockingbird because his views and understanding of beliefs, ideals, and circumstances change drastically during the novel. Throughout the whole of the book, Jem has both matured and lost his innocence simultaneously. He now understands the influence of racism and the unjustness of the racist beliefs in his comfortable small town, and due to this, his overall conception of life has shifted. The evidence stated above has encapsulated how Jem has changed and lost his innocence, thus proving that he is the epitome of the symbol of the Mockingbird.