Mockingbird Motif

Honestly, in the beginning of the year I thought a motif was a rug you hang on a wall. Like a mural. I guess they sound enough the same to mean the same thing. Actually, when I think of the word motif, I instinctively put a rug on a wall in my mind. Apparently I've mistaken them too long and two and a half months of knowing the correct term. It was explained to me that a motif was a reoccurring symbol. Like a mockingbird in To Kill A Mockingbird. Reading that I now understand the awesome-ness of motifs. Because they're like secret things you have to find. :D And it doesn't directly say it in the book.

In the book the mockingbird was a symbol of pure innocence. Like Scout, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley and stuff/people like that. Maybe not Scout. So mainly Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. Wait, so is his name Boo or Arthur? Is it the kids that call him Boo and Atticus/adults call him Arthur? So that must be his real name. So let's talk about him. Boo Radley. It was 'like killing a mockingbird' to send him to trial for killing Bob Ewell. Well, it was self-defense. If it wasn't for Boo killing Bob, he would've killed Jem and Scout. More innocent people. Then two 'mockingbirds' would be killed, instead of just one... 'bird.' And if Tom Robinson was a 'killed mockingbird' too. Because he didn't commit the crime that people said he did, and he was killed for it. Lesson: you shouldn't kill a mockingbird in Maycomb in the 1930's. I hope that last paragraph made sense.