What does the title mean in 'To Kill A Mockingbird'?

The Mockingbird symbolises innocence, thus its death ('To Kill A Mockingbird') signifies the death of the children's innocence as they are exposed to the racial prejudices and the consequences of those prejudices (Tom Robinson's death) in Maycomb. The notion of the mockingbird being killed reflects the novels genre as a bildungsroman novel, or coming-of-age, as the Finch children progress from childhood to maturity, leaving their innocence behind.

MB

Related English GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How would I approach an unseen poetry question?


How do I respond to a Shakespeare extract?


How do I analyse an unseen poem in the exam?


Write the opening part of a story involving the weather. (English Language)