Wednesday, December 1, 2010

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses characters to convey the theme that it is a sin to harm those who do not harm others. Choose...

In many ways, Harper Lee's novel is a narrative with the
underlying Christian motifs of charity and love.  For, Atticus continually instructs his
children to be charitable in their conduct towards the meek and humble such as Mr.
Dolphus Raymond, and Boo Radley and Tom Robinson, the two mockingbirds of To
Kill a Mockingbird


Tom
Robinson


Despite the Jim Crow Laws of his day and the
pejorative names and remarks directed to him all his life, Tom Robinson has Christian
charity in his heart at all times.  Without understanding how damaging his statement in
court is to him, Tom speaks from his heart when he testifies that he felt sorry for
Mayella and tried to help her when she seemed so desolate.  Truly, he exemplifies the
Good Samaritan.


Boo
Radley


Like Tom, Boo thinks from his heart.  Alienated from
others in a different way from Tom, Boo reaches out to the children by sewing and
folding Jem's torn pants from the night of sneaking up to the Radley house. He leaves
trickets and gum for the childdren in the hole of the tree.  And, when Scout and Jem are
threatened by Bob Ewell,  Boo risks his life, just as Tom unwittingly has, to extend
charity to his neighbors.


Mr. Dolphus
Raymond


A sensitive and intuitive man, as well, Mr. Raymond
is like the other two men in that he is ridiculed and disparaged because he has broken
the social norms by living with the blacks and by having mixed children.  But, when Dill
cries one day after court releases, it is Mr. Raymond who understands the great cruelty
and injustice of man.


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"Things haven't caught up with that one's
instinct yet. Let him get a little older and he won't get sick and cry.  Maybe things'll
strike him as being--not quite right, say, but he won't cry, not when he gets a few
years on him."



Charitably,
Mr. Raymond comforts the children and gives them a sip of his Coca Cola, revealing his
secret that he lets people think he is a drunk because then they can categorize him more
easily. 


Mockingbirds sing for no apparent reason other
than to bring joy to the air; they hurt no one.  Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are
innocents who harm no one and just wish to bring a song to someone's heart.  While Mr.
Raymond knows the darkness of man's heart, he yet offers solace to the children; he
would harm no one.

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