To Kill a Mockingbird

When first hearing motif, I had no idea how to find it in any book. As I read To Kill a Mockingbird, the meaning and purpose of motif suddenly became amplified and I began to understand exactly what it meant. Reading this book mainly helped me learn how to depict a reoccurring symbol and decide if it had anything to do with the theme throughout the novel. Now, I can analyze literature and the meaning behind a symbol in it with much more ease because of this book.
The Mockingbird motif is introduced throughout the story when something bad occurs. The Mockingbird is used to portray someone or something that is innocent, doesn't hurt anyone, and minds their own business unless they want to help someone. Atticus tells Jem and Scout not to kill Mockingbirds and this helps add symbolic meaning to the book because it compares characters who are composed of the same aspects of the Mockingbird. This bird resembles all people who are similar to Tom and Arthur who mind their own business and don't like to make themselves too known. The Mockingbird motif contributes to the different themes of the novel because they are birds and can't be racist or hypocritical, although they are still respected by all.

Life Lesson

I am using a lesson my uncle told me when I was about eight, and he has reminded me of it since. He told me to learn from the mistakes that I've made, and most of all, the mistakes of others. He wanted me to understand and analyze other people's actions and learn what I could from them. I was also encouraged to learn from my own mistakes, because he knows I will mess up no matter how attentive I am of other people throughout life. He wants me, mainly, to run into the least amount of problems I can by watching and learning. Most of what I have gained from him has been from his mishaps in the past , which he doesn't want me to repeat.

His words have helped me along life in many ways, such as, not embarrassing myself during things like games, or more recently, during concerts. I have also improved his words by thinking about what I do before I actually take action so I can prevent future mistakes before they actually occur. I have taken what he tells me and try to make what I can of it by trying to see if it can be used in whatever situation I'm in.