TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD ESSAY A true gift is, in one sense, an unexpected blessing bestowed by a person –or even, perhaps, by fate. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee gifts are used as symbols of the people’s character and also help the reader understand the book better as it unfolds. One of the gifts in the book was given to Miss Maudie. One night during the snow storm her house caught fire. The neighbors put the fire out but she needed a place to stay. Miss Maudie stayed with Miss Stephanie for the time being, “Miss Maudie would stay with Miss Stephanie for the time being.

” (#71) This particular scene in the book showed how Maycomb people had a strong bond, a unity and willingness to work together when a fellow neighbor is in dire need for help. This helps us understand more about how and why the people behaved the way they did. One of the situations is when they went to the jail to lynch Tom, as a community in their eyes he was guilty and they were going to punish him for the crime against one of their own. Another gift in the book was given by Boo Radley to Jem and Scout. One night when Jem and Scout were coming from the Halloween pageant they were attacked by Bob Ewell. He almost hurt them badly when Boo appeared. Although at the moment Scout could not tell who had saved her after things had calm down she figured out who it was, “Suddenly he was jerked backwards and flung on the ground, almost carrying me with him.”(#262) Boo had saved their lives.

The gift was a symbol of how someone was willing to sacrifice his life to save a neighbor and it helps.