Why does Atticus consider it a sin to kill a mockingbird but okay to kill a mad dog? -Medina
For Christmas, Jem and Scout receive air rifles and want to learn how to shoot, Atticus would not
teach them how to shoot so Uncle Jack ended up teaching them. Atticus realizes that Jem and Scout are
still young and therefore, they’d just shoot things carelessly. Scout was told by Atticus that she can shoot
whatever she wants except mockingbirds. Miss Maudie soon explained why, she says, “Mockingbirds
don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s 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.”(103) Harper Lee wants Scout to grow and realize there's no point of harming something
that only does good things and nothing else, in this case, that’s the mockingbird. Soon after Miss Maudie
says this, Atticus is forced to shoot a sick dog. Atticus believes it’s okay to shoot a mad dog but a sin to
kill a mockingbird. Atticus believes this due to the fact that a mad dog can cause harm to others and can
make a lot of bad things happen but on the other hand, a mockingbird does not do anything bad. Lee has
Atticus shoot the mad dog while Scout watches so that Scout can learn that you should protect yourself
from things that can cause you harm while also not harming things that don’t do anything. Atticus
considers it a sin to kill a mockingbird because there’s no reason to kill one, Atticus also believes that it’s
okay to kill a mad dog because a mad dog can cause a lot of harm.
teach them how to shoot so Uncle Jack ended up teaching them. Atticus realizes that Jem and Scout are
still young and therefore, they’d just shoot things carelessly. Scout was told by Atticus that she can shoot
whatever she wants except mockingbirds. Miss Maudie soon explained why, she says, “Mockingbirds
don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s 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.”(103) Harper Lee wants Scout to grow and realize there's no point of harming something
that only does good things and nothing else, in this case, that’s the mockingbird. Soon after Miss Maudie
says this, Atticus is forced to shoot a sick dog. Atticus believes it’s okay to shoot a mad dog but a sin to
kill a mockingbird. Atticus believes this due to the fact that a mad dog can cause harm to others and can
make a lot of bad things happen but on the other hand, a mockingbird does not do anything bad. Lee has
Atticus shoot the mad dog while Scout watches so that Scout can learn that you should protect yourself
from things that can cause you harm while also not harming things that don’t do anything. Atticus
considers it a sin to kill a mockingbird because there’s no reason to kill one, Atticus also believes that it’s
okay to kill a mad dog because a mad dog can cause a lot of harm.
Questions:
- If Scout were to encounter a mockingbird with her air rifle in hand, what do you think she’ll do?
- Do you think Atticus is right to think it’s okay to kill a mad dog?
- Do you think mockingbirds will play a big part in the book To Kill a Mockingbird? Why?
I agree that Scout learns how there is no point in harming something if it does not do anything bad. I think that this can also translate to Boo, he has not done anything bad to the children so they should not mock him. When Francis was teasing Scout and saying bad things about Atticus, Scout knew that she had to defend her father by punching him, the way he shot the dog. I think Atticus is right that it is ok to kill a mad dog. It seems strange to keep a mockingbird over a dog, because the dog is a pet and we can interact with it and they seems more intelligent than a bird. When it comes down to the value of each, what is better a dog or a mockingbird? The dog is mad and could hurt someone though and it also is suffering, so it is fair to kill a mad dog. Killing a mockingbird is killing an innocent animal that is doing nothing to hurt anyone. Do you think most parents would have told Scout and Jem not to kill the mockingbirds or is it an Atticus thing?
ReplyDeleteAlthough To Kill a Mockingbird is the title, I do not think that mockingbirds will become a large part of the book. Harper Lee included the quote from Atticus and the explanation from Miss Maudie because this lesson on killing mockingbirds develops Scout's character. When learning what she can and can not shoot with her air rifle, Scout learns about morals and self-restraint, which is something she is lacking. Miss Maudie and Atticus are arguably her largest parental figures, and Scout will always try to listen to their advice. This lesson could be a turning point for how Scout views the world, but I do not think there will be a literal mockingbird that plays a large part in the plot. Why do you think Atticus let Jem and Scout have air rifles in the first place?
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DeleteI think that Atticus let Scout and Jem have air rifles for a number of reasons. First, he knew that they wanted them and he wanted to make them happy. Even if he didn’t like to shoot things anymore he realized that they are like he was when he was a child. Second, he knew how much fun shooting used to be for him and he wanted to let them try it. Even though he thought differently about shooting now that he is an adult, Scout and Jem are to young to have that kind of moral compass. They don’t think about how the animal they shoot feels but only about the fact that they hit it. I think that Atticus was hesitant to get them the rifles but in the end his love for his children won out.
While I don't believe that mockingbirds will play a large part in the plot, I do think that they will grow into a more symbolic definition throughout the rest of the book. A mockingbird is innocent and does nothing but make music for people to enjoy, and therefore it is a sin to kill one. Already we can define one "mockingbird," per se, as being Boo Radley. Boo was a kind boy and appears to be an equally kind man, caring for Scout and playing with the kids. It was the town that victimized him, turned him into a ghost, spread rumors until he was nothing but a monster, and ultimately "killed" him. As the case progresses, Tom Robinson may become another mockingbird. He is clearly innocent of the crimes he is being accused of, yet he is still persecuted due to his race.
ReplyDeleteThe role of Tim Johnson in this chapter was a key essential for Atticus’s character and Scouts growth. Harper Lee expressed that Atticus is trying to be a role model figure for his children by hiding his past. She also showed how Scout only knows of the things her father as told her and modeled for her. When Miss Maudie tells her of the skills that Atticus has like the ability to play a Jew’s Harp and being the best checker player in all of Maycomb, Scout is astonished. After Harper Lee had just shown that Scout thought her dad was old and didn’t do anything, Miss Maudie’s confession helped Scout grow by understanding more about her father and who the person is that she looks up to. Atticus shooting the dog with his marksman skills and him having the ability to see the misery that will be taken away from the dog is another factor that goes into Scout learning more of her father. I think Atticus killing the mad dog isn’t really about the kill itself, but what it brings out in him and what it shows to others.
ReplyDeleteAtticus has a point when it comes to killing mockingbirds and mad dogs. Calpurnia explains to Jem and scout that even though mad dogs and mocking birds are both animal the behave very differently. "Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird"(103). This shows how Atticus believes in action more than identity. Even though dogs are viewed as more precious animals, Atticus doesn't hesitate to shot it because it could have hurt people. Killing a mockingbird on the other hand Atticus considers a sin for. This could be another contributing reason why Atticus choose to defend Tom Robinson. Even though Tom is black, he was innocent and didn't deserve to be locked up.
ReplyDeleteI think that although Atticus does shoot the mad dog, he does not think it is right to do so. He hesitates when he was asked to shoot the dog, and even when he had the gun it took him to shoot it. But all in all, I think that Atticus shoots the dog for his kids. He would do anything to protect them, even changing their opinion on him. A little part inside of him as well might have wanted to show Scout that he is still young and can do anything, if not more than a regular father at Scout and Jem's school could do. I infer that mockingbirds will be a big part of the novel. Not only is it in the title of the book, but it comes up in this chapter as a bird who spreads joy, love and song, which I think is exactly what everybody needs a little more of in this town.
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