To Kill a Mockingbird
Be sure to follow the basic paragraph structure
topic sentence
context of the quotation to introduce it
quotation
in depth reflection on what the quotation reveals and how it connects to your thesis
Jem and Scout first encounter the mockingbird rule in real life with the racist verdict of guilty in the Tom Robinson trial. Jem asks his father about the jury’s finding, “How could they do it, how could they?” and Atticus answers him with: “I don’t know, but they did. They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it—it seems that only children weep.” This is the crux of the mockingbird theme that Harper Lee so passionately argues through her novel. The twelve men on Tom’s jury, and ordinary adults across our world, commit atrocious crimes against the innocent because of prejudice, fear, and ignorance. To Jem, who in his innocence cannot understand their hatred, this is unbelievable and unpardonable. With this poignant experience, Jem learns the importance of the mockingbird rule and enters manhood. He sees the cruelty of the world around him realizes that not all adults are wise or kind. Rather than adding wisdom, the years of life often harden humans away from the most basic truth: the innocent must not be harmed. The power of fear and hatred is stronger than that of compassion because of the central human weakness of narrow-minded self-interest.