Mockingbird Motif

Motif was one of the very few definitions I didn't quite understand in the beginning of the year. I relied on internet sources, but those didn't help. After reading To Kill a Mockingbird, my understanding of motif is really strong. A motif is a recurring element or symbol that enhances the theme of the book. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the motif is the mockingbird. Throughout the book, the author, Harper Lee constantly talks about a mockingbird, and how it's a sin to kill one. The mockingbird motif intensifies the themes, justice vs. injustice, good vs. evil, and racial prejudice.

The author refers to Tom Robinson and Boo Radley as the "mockingbirds". Tom Robinson is a mockingbird because he was killed for no apparent reason. The jury thought he was guilty, when he really wasn't. This reflects on racial prejudice and justice vs. injustice; he wasn't given a fair trial. Boo Radley is the other mockingbird in this book because people were always trying to bring him into the limelight, when he always lived a secluded lifestyle. It's a sin to do so, to kill a mockingbird, because they truly didn't do anything wrong.