Walt Whitman's 1859 poem "Out of the Cradle Rocking Endless" describes the mockingbird as a symbol of innocence singing or singing fond memories of the past . In contrast, Harper Lee's famous novel To Kill a Mockingbird, published in 1960, written nearly a century after Whitman's poem, portrays the mockingbird as an innocent but fragile creature with horrific memories: memories of discrimination, isolation, and violence. Set in the Deep South town of Maycomb, Alabama, To Kill A Mockingbird is set during a time of segregation and discrimination. The title of the novel is a bit misleading since the thrush only appears once, but it has great symbolic weight throughout the story. In this story of innocents destroyed, they first appear when Jem and Scout are learning to use their brand new air rifles. Atticus won't teach them to shoot, but he gives them a rule to follow. "I'd rather you shoot the tin cans in the back yard, but I know you'll be chasing birds. Shoot all the jays you want, if you can hit them, but remember it's a shame to kill a mockingbird." That was the only one. time I heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about this connection between the title of the novel and its main theme is made explicit several times in the novel. One of the most obvious characters to compare to a mockingbird is Tom Robinson. Tom is an innocent man who has done nothing wrong and has been screwed twice by the legal system. He is convicted in court simply because he is black, and then he is shot in prison. It was harmless, because he was a cripple, and it was absolutely unnecessary. After Tom Robinson is killed, Mr. Underwood compares his death to the "senseless slaughter of songbirds" (323). Killing Tom brought no good or prevented any harm, just like shooting a