Question

Use the excerpt from the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee to answer the question.

"Atticus said to Jem one time that it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. That was the main reason I wanted to get one. Atticus said that 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."

What universal themes does the quote from To Kill a Mockingbird most strongly convey?

Select TWO correct answers.
A.The importance of protecting innocence and goodness in society.
B.The inevitability of harm in an unjust society.
C.The power of empathy and understanding toward others.
D.The need to take justice into one's own hands to correct wrongs.
E.The idea that society should focus on self-preservation over moral responsibility.

Answer 1

The two correct answers that best reflect the universal themes conveyed by the excerpt are:

A. The importance of protecting innocence and goodness in society.
C. The power of empathy and understanding toward others.

These themes are highlighted by the notion that mockingbirds represent innocence and goodness, and the idea that it is morally wrong to harm those who do no harm to others.