The significance of the mockingbird in American literature

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch tells his children, “It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird." Puzzled, his daughter Scout asks their cook, Miss Maudie, what he means. “Your father’s right, 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.” People interpret that to mean that their simple minded neighbor, Boo, causes harm to no one and should be respected for his humanity, and also that Tom Robinson, falsely accused of sexual assault, also is worthy of his own humanity and dignity. This book remains a touchstone of American literature, reminding us to avoid stereotypical judgments. Apparently, there are bumper stickers that read “What would Scout do?”