Chapter 10-11:Why do you think it is appropriate to kill a mad dog but not a mocking bird?

Chapter 10-11:Why do you think it is appropriate to kill a mad dog but not a mocking bird?(Carter Liou)

           

From when Atticus kills the mad dog, to when he and Mrs. Maudie tell Jem that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, it shows that it is ok to kill a mad dog and not a mocking bird.  On page 127, it says, “The rifle cracked.  Tim Johnson leaped, flopped over and crumpled on the sidewalk in a brow-and-white heap.”  This shows that they might want to kill the mad dog because it could be very sick and if it bites a human being it can transfer whatever disease it has to that person.  If that person gets that disease, he or she could easily die because the medical technology in 1930 is nowhere as advanced as it is today.  However, it is not appropriate to kill a mocking bird because Atticus says, “Shoot at all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mocking bird.” (Page 119).  Atticus is basically saying that you should never kill a mocking bird because it is an immoral act and an act against God’s will.  Also, Mrs. Maudie says, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.  They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.  That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (Page 119).  This statement shows that Mrs. Maudie is just explaining that mockingbirds do nothing wrong, and therefore; there is no reason to harm them in any way.  Though it is okay to kill a mad dog in Maycomb, it will forever be a sin to kill a mockingbird.

How do you think the dog got mad dog disease in February?  Do you think that the mocking bird plays an important role in this story, if so how?