Question: what does jem finch symbolize in to kill a mockingbird?
Answer: Thus, to kill a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. ... That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.” That Jem and Scout's last name is Finch (another type of small bird) indicates that they are particularly vulnerable in the racist world of Maycomb, which often treats the fragile innocence of childhood harshly.