In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, author Harper Lee uses the Mockingbird to symbolize the innocence of many characters. A symbol is defined as “Something used or taken to represent something else” (Dictionary.com). The symbol of the mockingbird is intended to represent the innocence of many characters in the novel. Miss Maudie tells the children, “All they do is sing at the top of their lungs for us. That is why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 119). In other words, to kill a mockingbird is to kill innocence. In this novel there are many characters who can be compared to mockingbirds. These characters are innocent people, but they are killed or ruined by the evil of society (Lee). Tom Robinson is an example of Mockingbird in the novel. Tom Robinson is a paralyzed African American accused of assaulting and raping a white woman named Mayella. Tom loses the trial because of his race, not because of the evidence in the case. He tries to escape from prison after his conviction and is shot. Tom Robinson is one of the greatest examples of mockery...