To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is an emblem of racial jurisdiction. All throughout the book it shows how the law applies to blacks as opposed to whites. Lee shows how unjust the treatment of blacks is and the disregard for their human rights. Though through the actions of the characters in the book; it can be said that their actions show a glimmer of hope for this very prejudiced society. In To Kill A Mockingbird Atticus Finch is one of the top lawyers in Maycomb. He is not afraid to defend anyone. In the book, Atticus must defend a black man named Tom Robinson who is accused of rape. It is very hard to win a case of white vs. black, and Atticus knows this, and he know that they are treated unfairly which is what he tell Scout, “As you grow older you’ll see white men cheat black men everyday of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t forget it- whatever a white man does that to a black man no matter who he is, or how fine a family he comes from, he is trash”(Lee.223) Atticus is a very wise man and he sees the harsh and unfair treatment of blacks, and also he knows that even black people are humans, which is what he tries to teach his son, Jem, and his daughter, Scout. That is why he takes on a seemingly impossible case of a black man’s word against a white man’s. Atticus teaches the kids that even if someone is of high class, it is not okay to treat anyone with disrespect. If a man does do that, that man is “trash” as Atticus would say. The lesson that he teaches to Jem and Scout is something they carry and learn more about throughout the book. Another lesson taught by the father, Atticus, is point of view, he says, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you c... ... middle of paper ... ... he does not care. He takes great care of his children and he shows the world that it does not matter what race you come from, you can be happy together. He started a family with a black woman and they are very happy with their children. They don’t seem to care about ethnicity all they care about is the love they share together as a family. All they want is to be accepted by the community. They have taken a huge step in bringing a mixed race child into the community. And they risked a lot to do it. But they truly changed the rules. To Kill A Mockingbird is a great way to show how actions of people can change the face of a community. It wasn’t just the trial, but the actions of the people everywhere; from whites going to church with the blacks, to a black woman like Calpurnia caring for two white kids. These actions define the book, and start the dawn of a new era.
The theme of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mocking Bird is the existence of racism and prejudice in the 1930 – 40's. Harper Lee succeeds in presenting the topic in a manner that is not overly simplistic and thus achieves the task of allowing the reader to fully appreciate the complex nature of unjust discrimination. Harper Lee's inclusion of characters such as Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, Dolphus Raymond and many others, aid the reader to grasp the concept of racism and its central role in the town of Maycomb.
one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it is a sin to
In Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird" shows and teaches many lessons throughout the passage. Some characters that learn lessons in this passage are Scout, Jem, and Dill. Scout and Jems father Atticus, is taking a case that affects their lives in so many ways. They all learn new things throughout the story and it impacts their lives greatly. There are lots of things including the trial mostly that change the perspective of the world they live in. The kids are living in the Great Depression and it shows just how bad things really where. Scout, Jem, and Dill have experiences that force them to mature and gain new insight.
Atticus wants his children to ignore what everybody thinks of him when defending a negro. During a conversation between Jem and Atticus, tells Jem,” As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, whenever a white man does that to a black man, that white man is trash.” (223). At the court Atticus is sure that he will lose but wants to make a statement to this racist society. He wants this county to treat black people just how they treat white people....
To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee sheds light upon the controversy of racism and justice in his classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. The notion of equality in accordance with the law and the pursuit of justice are hindered by racial discrimination. The essence of human nature is pondered. Are we inclined to be good or in the wrath of evil? The novel reflects on the contrasting nature of appearance versus reality.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a story about injustice, racism and the co-existence of good
In chapter 16 of To Kill a Mocking Bird, the reader sees that racism during this era goes beyond a black and white skin color dichotomy. People of mixed race experience racism as well. Before the infamous trial of Tom Robinson, Jem explains to Scout what a mixed child is. Jem replies, “Half white, half colored… They’re real sad.” (p.215) Jem then goes on to explain the life of the “tragic mulatto”; this is the life of someone that isn’t accepted anywhere or by anyone.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is shown in a positive light, however, it should not be because of the white savior complex throughout the book. Harper Lee fails to mention the black community more than twice. Lee continues to make it worse by having Judge Taylor appoint Atticus Finch to Tom Robinson instead of Helen reaching out to Atticus. This book makes it painfully obvious that a white man is needed to save a black man; there is irony in Tom’s character being glossed over, an overly saccharine mood when the characters praise of Atticus, and the focus is primarily on the white community rather than the on racial inequality.
Towards the end of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus decides to represent a colored man by the man of Tom Robinson, who is being accused of raping Mayella Ewell, Bob Ewell’s daughter. Atticus believes that Tom is innocent, but he does not think that Tom will be found not guilty because of they way the townsfolk treat colored people. They treat them like dirt; like they are worth nothing. Atticus went ahead and represented Tom despite the fact that he knew the townsfolk would call himself and his children names and treat them disrespectfully. Even Scout’s relative Francis said rude things about them. “‘I guess it ain't your fault if Uncle Atticus is a nigger-lover besides, but I'm here to tell you it certainly does mortify the rest of the family-...’ ‘Just what I said. Grandma says it's bad enough he lets you all run wild, but now he's turned out a nigger-lover we'll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb agin. He's ruinin' the family, that's what he's doin'.’” Atticus set a good example for Scout and Jem. He had a difficult decision to make, but he chose what he thought was
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.
In Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird the use of literary themes, and motifs are used to express discrimination in the town of Maycomb. The transformation of the characters in the book through their innocence shows how lifelike they really are. The characters innocence is pulled and torn showing their physical and emotional struggles and how they react and handle their situation. So many innocent people get afflicted in the book not committing a crime but mostly by just being a bystander. Nobody has been affected more by discrimination than Boo and Tom Robinson.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a beautiful and well-written novel teaching the reader the difference between right and wrong through various characters. Harper Less shows how characters developed, twisted plot change but society’s harsh judgement was the by far the greatest theme. Maycomb County judges citizens by racism, society’s norms and class division. There was great use of theme, setting and characterization in the novel. Harper Lee uses detailed narrative conventions to shape Maycomb’s society’s judgemental nature in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Few months had passed since Boo Radley came out of his house and our incident with Bob Ewell. The gossip of his death did not exist any longer. Miss Stephanie Crawford had been telling Maycomb County how Bob Ewell’s body was dragged away with a garbage truck. Most women responded with the usual curiosity that only Miss Stephanie Crawford could arouse.
Harper Lee, the author, used great details on how the color of people can make a person feel differently about some one. This book explains how difficult it was to take a stand. Many of the characters knew what was right, but continued to follow through with the ridiculous punishments that they would push towards the colored people. To Kill A Mockingbird is a book about how racism could affect many situations and decisions in the old days, and sometimes now.
Atticus Finch says in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” Atticus Finch, also the father of Scout and Jem Finch, plays a great role in To Kill a Mockingbird. He represents a strongly principled, liberal perspective that runs contrary to the ignorance and prejudice of the white, Southern, small-town community called Maycomb, Alabama, in which he lives. Atticus is convinced that he must instill values of equality in his children, counteracting the racist influence of the community around them when he steps up to defend an African American, which was seen as outlandish for a white to do in that time.