that he could tell the "biggest ones" she ever heard. One reason Dill lies is to hide the fact that he has a difficult home life. Dill does not know his biological father, and his parents act distant, which is why he feels like he is not wanted in his home. Dill's difficult home life and childhood innocence make him a vulnerable, defenseless individual, which is one reason he is considered a symbolic mockingbird. Similar toJem and Scout, Dill loses his childhood innocence after witnessing racial injustice firsthand. Overall, Dill is a symbolic mockingbird because he is a naive, vulnerable child, who has a difficult home life and loses his childhood innocence after witnessing Tom's wrongful conviction.

The mockingbird in To Kill A Mockingbird symbolizes any person who is damaged or injured by evil or cruelty, resulting in a loss of innocence, an understanding of the brutal world, or even physical injury or death.

During Tom Robinson's trial, the reader begins to see how Dill is a symbolic mockingbird. Specifically, after the cruel cross-examination by Mr. Gilmer, Dill reveals this side of himself. He and Scout go outside where Dill compares Mr. Gilmer with Atticus. He says that Atticus does not treat witnesses in that manner. A man who is outside with them, Mr. Dolphus Raymond, assures Dill that he will soon reach a point in his life that he will not cry about such matters. It is during this time that the reader sees a loss of Dill's innocence. Dill realizes that people do not always treat others fairly or care about understanding others. Up until this time, Dill was essentially unaware of differences between black people and white people, and just assumed that all people are equal as they are all members of the human race. During this scene in the book, Dill loses his ability to be blind to race and color, therefore losing his childish innocence, and becoming a symbolic mockingbird.

Taken more literally, Dill is like a mockingbird in that he flits in and out of Scout and Jem's lives since he visits them only during the summertime (while he is staying with his Aunt Rachal). His cheery disposition and constant twittering (always telling stories and "stretching the truth") brighten up their lives considerably. The only exception is the one time he ran away from home and hid at the Finches (Incidentally, also the name of a species of birds) until found out.

In the symbolic context of the novel, though, I don't see Dill as being a proper example of a mockingbird since he is not really a victim in any way. He doesn't suffer from the brunt of prejudice as Tom Robinson and Boo Radley do - they are the true "mockingbirds" of this story.

As for Dill's loss of innocence, that is another question altogether.

Dill's mockingbird status is revealed during the trial. Specifically, he shows this side after a particularly cruel cross-examination by Mr. Gilmer. Dill and Scout go outside of the courthouse, where they encounter Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Dill explains why he is so upset about Mr. Gilmer's treatment of the witness. He compares Mr. Gilmer to Atticus Finch, and makes the point that Atticus doesn't treat witnesses like that. Mr. Raymond calms the children, and makes the statement that someday Dill will not cry about these things. It is in that moment that we see a loss of innocence by Dill. Dill sees that people are not always understanding and do not treat everyone fairly. When teaching this book, I discuss the opinion that I have that children are "color-blind" and blind to other things up to a certain age. Young children (perhaps up to around 5 or 6 years old) do not notice differences among other children. They do not notice racial differences, physical differences, and other differences that are more readily apparent to adults. All that a young child sees in another child is a fellow friend with whom he can play. In the courthouse, Dill loses his ability to be "color-blind" and therefore loses his innocence, and becomes a symbolic mockingbird.