Mockingbirds, in To Kill a Mockingbird, symbolize innocence. Throughout the book, Atticus seeks to teach his children (Jem and Scout) moral lessons. The children learn a lot about justice, which is what their father consistently pursues as a lawyer. He seeks to bring punishment to the harmful and guilty and to set the innocent free. He demonstrates his ideas on justice to his children by the way he uses his gun. For instance, he does not like the idea of shooting mockingbirds because they are harmless. In fact, in chapter 10, when he is faced with the threat of a rabid dog, he tells Mr. Tate, "I haven't shot a gun in thirty years" (109). Atticus never harms any innocent creature. However, he chooses to shoot the rabid dog in order to protect his family from danger. Atticus shows his children that innocent creatures should be protected and that only harmful creatures should potentially be punished, not innocent ones. He shows this when he shoots Tim Johnson, the rabid dog:
"With movements so swift they seemed simultaneous, Atticus's hand yanked a ball-tipped lever as he brought the gun to his shoulder." (ch. 10)
Many people notice that the name Tim Johnson sounds fairly similar to the name Tom Robinson. The first name is a three letter name starting with the same letter; the last name ends with "-son." And, their lives were both ended by gun shots. Does this suggest that they were both guilty? Definitely not. Atticus evaluates Tim Johnson, sees the symptoms of rabies, and then picked up his gun. He did this to bring rest to the harmful creature and to protect others. However, Atticus consistently presents Tom Robinson's innocence to his courtroom. For instance, he shows evidence that the physical evidence shows that a left-handed man hurt Mayella:
Her right eye was blacked and she was beaten mostly on the right side of the face. (ch. 17)
Tom Robinson had no use of his left hand due to an previous injury. It would have been nearly impossible for him to commit the crime that the Ewell family accused him of. Atticus sees this, as do his children. During the court case, Scout thinks about how Mayella must have been a very lonely girl, having a drunk father, lots of siblings, and almost no money. She then realizes that
Tom Robinson was probably the only person who was ever decent to [Mayella Ewell]. (ch. 19)
Like her father demonstrated, she first evaluates the evidence and then judges that Tom Robinson must be innocent. She learned Atticus's lesson on justice: protect the innocent, destroy the harmful. Atticus, at the end of the court case, clearly states his belief in the innocence of Tom Robinson—in other words, he shows his listeners that Tom Robinson was a mockingbird:
"The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence to the effect that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place. It has relied instead upon the testimony of two witnesses whose evidence has not only been called into serious question on cross-examination, but has been flatly contradicted by the defendant. The defendant is not guilty, but somebody in this courtroom is. . . "
Atticus, as well as his children and many of the spectators listening, believed that Tom Robinson was innocent of the crime he's been accused of. Nonetheless, they chose to pronounce him guilty because of his skin color.
Atticus tells his children that "it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird." Miss Maudie elaborates on the reason for his statement when she says, "they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us." The mockingbird is an applicable symbol for Tom Robinson because he is an innocent man convicted of raping Mayella Ewell.
Tom feels sorry for Mayella. He chooses to help her at her request because he is kind. During Tom's testimony, Scout considers that "Tom Robinson was probably the only person who was ever decent" to Mayella. It is Mayella that takes advantage of Tom. After Atticus completes his questioning of Tom, Mr. Link Deas stands and states, "That boy’s worked for me eight years an‘ I ain’t had a speck o’trouble outa him." Judge Taylor orders Mr. Deas to leave the courtroom for his outburst, but Mr. Deas' statement provides evidence that Tom is a good, peaceful, and hard-working member of the community. Tom is a mockingbird because the jury delivers a guilty verdict even though evidence points to his innocence. They see him as guilty because of the color of his skin.
Tom Robinson is portrayed as a morally upright, compassionate man who is defenseless against the prejudiced community of Maycomb. Tom Robinson goes out of his way to help Mayella Ewell complete various chores and refuses to accept payment because he understands that Mayella's family needs the money. Calpurnia mentions that Tom is "clean-living," and he is a respected member of the black community. When Jem and Scout attend Sunday service at First Purchase African M.E. Church, they witness the congregation collect ten dollars for Tom's wife and children. During the trial, Tom is depicted as a soft-spoken, genuine man who simply tried to help Mayella with her chores. Unfortunately, Tom is wrongly convicted of assaulting and raping Mayella Ewell and is sent to Enfield Prison Farm, where he is shot while attempting to escape. Tom is also considered a symbolic mockingbird because of his peaceful character and vulnerability.
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