“Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.”. This quote from Atticus Finch is very meaningful and important in TKAM. Atticus believes that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird but not to kill a blue jay or a mad dog. This is because mockingbirds are innocent. They do nothing to harm anyone in anyway. The only thing they do is sing peacefully and mind their own business. On the other hand, a mad dog is very dangerous to have running around loose in Maycomb. Mad dog is another term for a dog with rabies. There is a big difference between a mad dog and a mockingbird. Atticus’ opinion on this topic is very reasonable and he has every right to think so. This quote is very central for the book TKAM. I believe that we will see and find more examples of this idea as we keep reading further on.
JVISSCHER
I think Justin has this almost right on. He mentions how Atticus believes that killing a mockingbird is a sin, but killing a mad dog isn't. I agree with him here because, even though they are both part of creation, a mockingbird only does things that people enjoy, singing, while a mad dog could be extremely dangerous to the community. Killing a dog still isn't right, but it isn't bad either if it is mad because it is better for the whole of the community.
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