In “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, a true definition of the Mockingbird is shown, an extremely important symbol for the novel. At the beginning of the novel, Boo Radley is condemned, not for his own actions but for the misdeeds of those around him. Many stories were invented to create a negative atmosphere for the name Boo Radley to the point that his home was essentially taboo. Later Tom Robinson is shown as the Ultimate Mockingbird, Tom is just an average nigger who tried to help a white person, which was obviously a bad decision. Other definition of mockingbird is innocence, which is evident in Atticus' daughter Scout. The unwritten law "It is a sin to kill a mockingbird" is often overlooked and also enforced in Maycomb County. Tom Robinson was simply a "respectable Negro" with a kind nature who was accused in the absence of wrong. Mr. Robinson is immediately seen as an enemy by most of the city of Maycomb. Is it because of his mischievous personality? Is it because of the color of her hair? Is it because he's arrogant? No, all this is false and he is immediately condemned because he is of a different ethnicity. It seems senseless but this is why Maycomb rejected a man of higher quality than the majority of the town. “Tom was a dead man the moment Mayella opened her mouth and screamed.” As soon as the trial began, Tom's chances of winning became increasingly slim and Maycomb realized that Atticus was fighting an unwinnable battle. But Atticus was determined to defend "the last mockingbird" to the end; even after the court case Atticus defends Tom in prison. A final act of Tom's innocence to prove his mockingbird status was while in court, he still didn't want to charge Mayella because it "seemed... middle of paper... situation going on around her and her. " innocence led her to stop the mob's actions that night. Later in the novel we see Scout begin to understand concepts such as the mockingbird mentioned earlier by her father. For example when Boo Radley kills Bob Ewell, Atticus asks Scout if she knew why and knew it would be like "shooting a mockingbird". Which is proof that he can understand these rather complex terminologies, which one would not expect him to know at such a young age. Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird is a perfect example of how people like Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are pushed to the bottom of the "social hierarchy", while others who may be less deserving are placed higher up. It shows that simply the things you encounter in your daily life can steal your innocence and that the moral laws that have been created are both met and neglected.