24-26

Write Mr. Underwood’s editorial about Tom Robinson’s death. Use the information given in the text, but also expand upon it.

Mr. Underwood likened Tom's death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds and Mr. Underwood is essentially saying that Tom was a helpless, innocent man who did not deserve to be killed

Explanation:

Mr. Underwood wrote in his editorial that he felt that it was a sin to kill cripples.

Mr. Underwood likened Tom's death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds in which Mr. Underwood is essentially saying that Tom was a helpless, innocent man who did not deserve to be killed.

Earlier in the novel, Atticus tells the children that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird and Miss Maudie elaborates by mentioning that mockingbirds do nothing to harm anybody, which is why it was been considered as a sin to shoot them. And Mockingbirds tend to symbolize innocent beings throughout the novel.

Tom Robinson is a symbolic mockingbird. Similar to a mockingbird, Tom does nothing to harm anybody and even helps Mayella out with her chores but Unfortunately, Tom is crippled and defenseless in front of the prejudiced community.

Therefore Killing Tom was similar to killing a harmless mockingbird and Atticus's instructions to not kill mockingbirds can be applied to protecting and respecting innocent people, which directly relates to the title of the book.

fears about being blown up