Mockingbird Motif

By definition, a motif is a recurrent thematic element in an artistic or literary work. Before honors english I did not have a slight idea what motif was and to be quite frank, had never heard of it. When I was working on my summer assignment and found motif, it was actually the most intriguing part of the project to me. Catcher in the Rye had excellent examples of motif and symbolism, which gave me a greater understanding of the word and a greater appreciation for analyzing literature.

In reading To Kill a Mockingbird, motif was used abundantly and enhanced some key themes of the book, such as justice vs. injustice and standing in another's shoes. I also like motif in the sense that it gives more depth to characters and shows some of their motives. Most obviously the mockingbird motif represented innocence, which could be used to heavily describe characters such as Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. In context of Boo Radley, I think the quote “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" describes him perfectly. Killing a mockingbird is ultimately destroying innocence, which is what happened to him as a child. Although he was corrupted his purity and goodness was shown when he helped the children, which to me helped tie in the motif. In Tom's case, his innocence became obvious during the trial. Tom's sincere and helpful nature was twisted into an unfair court verdict, which also helps tie in the theme of justice. vs injustice and show Maycomb's racial tension.

While in general I didn't love this novel I developed a greater appreciation for the book and it's literary devices. :)