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Critical analysis of how to kill a mockingbird by Harper lee
Themes in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird
Essays on to kill a mockingbird theme
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It’s a foggy Halloween night where masks and mist create a chaotic and confused atmosphere. Anyone can appear as anything by a simple change of costume. The same principle applies in the striking novel written by Harper Lee. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, presents the theme that one's true appearance or personality can be altered by stereotypes and suspicions. For the majority of his life, Boo Radley has been sheltered from the rest of society as a result of his different life style and abnormalities. Maycomb’s condemnatory society made rumors about Boo eating "…raw squirrels and any cats he could catch" (Lee 13) and how he stabbed his father with a pair of scissors. However, despite his life story derived from the judgmental minds of Maycomb’s’ residents, Boo is actually a kind, fragile person revealed through the presents he hid in the tree, his mending of Jem's torn pants, the blanket he …show more content…
Raymond has corrupted his life by becoming a drunk and is a traitor to the white community for marrying a colored woman. Lacking the knowledge about the kind of individual he truly was, presumptions about Mr. Raymond were accepted freely. "As Mr. Dolphus was an evil man I accepted his invitation..." (Lee, 200). In reality, Dolphus Raymond’s intoxication and whiskey in a bag, turns out to be a sham act only to validate Maycomb’s assumptions. Mr. Raymond describes prejudice as "the simple hell people give other people" (Lee, 200). He explains that, "When I come to town if I weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymond's in the clutches of whiskey - that's why he won't change his ways. He can't help himself, that's why he lives the way he does" (Lee, 200). Mr. Raymond’s decides to leave his true self undercover and allow Maycomb to continue to believe what they want. Mr. Raymond's hidden life goes to show how he is assumed to be an evil man because of the color of his
They all have qualities that make them unique in their own ways. In the town of Maycomb, Alabama, citizens are put under stereotypes throughout the novel. Characters get assigned labels that aren't entirely correct. Dolphus Raymond, Mayella Ewell, and Boo Radley are all products of what it looks like to hide behind fear and the social domination in Maycomb.
The book notably opens with an immediate instance of self-delusion: tricking the reader into believing that Maycomb is just an old, ordinary, and quiet town through description of the town’s history, when in reality, it was teeming with prejudice and racism. The reader immediately leans about this sleepy southern town where “a day was twenty-four hours long but seemed longer. There was no hurry, for there was
In the case of Scout and Jem, they believed that Boo Radley, who is an outcast of Maycomb, possesses a horrific appearance, and that he is a savage, "he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hands were bloodstained." However, as the story progresses, it is revealed that Boo is actually a kind-hearted person who has not done anybody wrong, but unfortunately, he was ruined by the hands of his family. Thus, Boo is an example of a mockingbird, as mentioned by Atticus. The disclosing of the character of Boo demonstrates Scout and Jem's loss of innocence. They can no longer see Boo as a mysterious threat in their life, instead they saw Boo as a person. "...he's crazy..but Atticus I swear to God he ain't ever harmed us, he coulda cut my throat...but he mend my pants instead..." In a way, Boo serves as a symbol of the transition of Scout and Jem's maturity, as the kids exhibit their ability to empathize with
After his father died, his brother moved in with him. While Boo was locked up inside is house, the people of Maycomb County made up stories about him. The legend of Boo Radley was well-known to the people of Maycomb. Jem describes Boo, “Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hands were bloodstained—if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time.”
Imagine living in a society where the color of your skin defines who you are. In Harper Lee’s Novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Maycomb County is surrounded in ignorance because people believe that people of a certain color are not as important as everyone else. An individual, Tom Robinson is attacked, and judged by Maycomb’s society because of false rape accusations and the color of his skin. The power of Atticus’s words show society that they were wrong about Tom because the color of his skin does not define who he is and being black does not make him a rapist. The three most important themes in To Kill a Mockingbird are knowledge versus ignorance, individual versus society, and power of words.
In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, a character named Boo Radley is humiliated by the citizens of Maycomb, Alabama. Boo Radley has stayed inside in his home for most of his life due to a violent incident that occurred with his father when he was a teenager (Lee 13). The novel states: “According to Miss Stephanie, Boo was sitting in the livingroom cutting some items from The Maycomb Tribune to paste in his scrapbook. His father entered the room. As Mr. Radley passed by, Boo drove the scissors into his parent’s
Raymond. Mr. Raymond drinks with a plastic bag to hide from his wife and his chances. “He’s got Co-Cola bottle full of whiskey in there.”(pg. 214). He’s purposely gets drunk just to hide his personality because he is afraid he will lose his friendship and love from his wife and friends. Mr. Raymond acts like he is drunk so he can hide his personal lifestyle from his friends and his wife. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Mr. Raymond explains that he feels he has to give the population some reason for his odd behavior. He acts friendly toward black people. Mr. Raymond believes it 's easier for people to handle strangeness when they have a reason to explain it. He thinks children that haven 't lost the instinct that tells them that it 's wrong for white people to give hell to black people without consideration for basic humanity of humankind. Mr. Raymond tells the children because they are not racist and they will understand. Mr. Raymond is unlike most people in Maycomb because he is not a racist. Since people have a hard time believing he could love a Negro wife and half-breed children, he lets the town believe he is
Boo was misjudged, Jem and Scout judged him based on what they heard from the other children and adults of Maycomb. Boo is not bad or evil; He helps Jem and Scout out on many occasions First, he left gifts in the knothole of one of the oak trees in his yard. He mended Jem's pants when Jem got caught in the fence and had to come out of his pants because of when him, Dill and Scout went to go look in through the windows of his house. When Miss Maudie’s house burnt down while Jem and Scout were watching the flames he put a blanket around Scout because he saw that she was cold standing outside in just her robe and
The author George Elliot once said “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Appearance can be very misleading, and you shouldn't prejudge the worth or value of something by its outward appearance alone. This philosophical idea has been included in many works of literature, including the timeless classic To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee. The novel takes place in the town of Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. Many citizens of Maycomb tend to make judgements based on outward appearances alone. In the novel, Lee uses minor characters such as Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose, and Tom Robinson to convey the book’s theme of prejudice.
Symbolism. Why is it important in a novel? Why do authors incorporate symbols into their writing? Symbolism aids the reader in understanding what the author wants to portray. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird, she writes about the racism in a small town in Alabama named Maycomb set in the 1930’s and about two children growing up and learning that their town is not as perfect as they thought. The theme topic appearance versus reality helps to get a better understanding of the symbols used in the novel and that you should not judge something by their appearance, you should judge by the reality of what it is. “As Atticus once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem’s skin and walk around in it.” (Scout page 77) In her novel, there are many symbols throughout the narrative that relate to the theme topic appearance versus reality. Harper Lee writes symbols into her novel, such as the snowman, Mrs. Dubose’s Camellia flower and Dolphus Raymond’s Coca-Cola bottle to help reinforce the theme topic of appearance versus reality throughout the novel.
Boo Radley is first introduced as a mysterious monster-like man that doesn’t leave his house, but the truth is later revealed. Boo’s backstory was one of a misunderstood teen that hung around the wrong crowd d out the truth with a strict father. Boo was preyed upon by a couple of boys that led him to get into trouble and then seen as a creepy shameful man although he was just a harmless mentally ill person. Boo was very reclusive and possibly autistic. This explains why his father was so protective, also why he was very shy never left his house because he could be socially awkward. Boo’s possible undiagnosed autism and lack of knowledge of mental illness
You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen. You know Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen. But do you recall the most famous reindeer of all? Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was misperceived at first. All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names, but after he led Santa’s sleigh, they loved him. Misperceptions like this happen all throughout Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. As you read the novel you see original judgments made about characters transform into new conceptions and new understandings. Some characters twist your views of them on purpose, others do it involuntarily. To Kill a Mockingbird shows this happening over and over again. All you have to do is look for it.
Mr. Dolphus Raymond is another character who suffered from Maycomb’s racism. He was a respected, wealthy member of the community, but then he chose to live with the black community. This was considered a felony by the inhabitants of Maycomb. He knew they would never be able to understand his choice, so he made it easier for them by pretending to be the town drunk.
Among the many plots within the story, many of them surround Boo Radley or attempting to have Boo Radley come out of his house. In these stories show Jem, Scout, and Dill are terrified of the Radley house and what be inside. However, they are mistaken, for Boo Radley wants to do the exact opposite of scaring the children. For example, Boo tries to show friendship to Scout and Jem by leaving them gifts in the tree outside of his house. These gifts include dolls, gum, a knife, a watch, etc. Boo also is thought to have wrapped Scout in a blanket during the chapter in which Miss Maudie’s house had burned down. Boo Radley is thought to have done it because Atticus says “Boo Radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn’t know it when he put the blanket around you.” (Lee 96) supporting the fact that Boo Radley was looking out for Scout. Lastly, Boo Radley saved Scout and Jem when they were attacked by Bob Ewell. This heroic effort was not only full of care, but also, full of
Dolphus Raymond is known for his brown paper bag of whiskey and interracial children. To Maycomb, Dolphus is a helpless drunk man who liked colored people. While the rest of Maycomb showed prejudice to the colored people, sticking out like a sore thumb, Dolphus embraced them. Although his liking towards colored people was not embraced in Maycomb, he tried to “fit in”. Instead of having whiskey in the brown paper bag, Dill discovered Coca-Cola. Dolphus describes “if I weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whiskey—that’s