The title of To Kill a Mockingbird refers to a story told by the character Atticus Finch to his children. As a teenager Atticus received his first gun. His father told him if he was to shoot at birds, he must never kill a mockingbird. The reason was that the mockingbird only makes beautiful music for people to enjoy, so killing it would be a sin.
As a symbol, the mockingbird represents innocence. Scout, Jem, and Tom Robinson are innocent in different ways. Tom Robinson is innocent of rape, while Jem and Scout are innocent because they are still children.
The destruction of innocence occurs when Tom Robinson is killed by police after he is found guilty of rape. Though Jem and Scout are still alive at book's end, the death of Tom Robinson, along with the near fatal attack by Bob Ewell, forces the siblings to face the complexities and injustices of the adult world.
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