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Analysis of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have a Dream Speech
Theme of racial segregation in the novel to kill a mocking bird by harper lee
Theme of racial segregation in the novel to kill a mocking bird by harper lee
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Racism is an issue that many generations have struggled with and continue to struggle with today. The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee demonstrates the issues that many Americans went through during the time of segregation. Harper Lee addresses segregation through her main character’s, Atticus Finch, closing argument during the Tom Robinson trial. Another speech related to the issue of segregation is Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a Dream,” which happened a few years after the book was published. These two speeches address segregation and the idea that “all men are created equal.”
In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is faced with a major social issue. He is asked to defend an African American, Tom Robinson. Finch knows that in his society he will be judged for defending a black man, but
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Atticus and King both mention the idea that “all men are created equal.” They state that people shouldn't be judged because of their skin color, but instead of who they are. Harper Lee uses the fictional character’s, Atticus, closing argument to express a nonfictional idea of racism. She demonstrates what the time period would have been like while she was growing up. Also, Martin Luther King Jr. also mentions how his childhood was difficult and the issues that were going on. Additionally, Martin Luther King Jr. and Atticus express their feelings toward injustice, and how they want to make a change to end racism. These two speeches are significant to our lives because we are still struggling with the issue of racism. Despite Atticus’s speech being fictional, the underling theme of ending racism is related to MLK’s ideas presented in his speech. Atticus’s speech, in To Kill A Mockingbird, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “ I have a Dream” correspondingly acknowledge the issue of racism and the idea that “all men are created
“[T]here is one way in this country in which all men are created equal- there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller; the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college president. That institution, gentlemen, is a court” (Lee 233). These are the words uttered by Atticus Finch, an important character in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus is a lawyer, and at this point in the novel, he is trying to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who was accused of raping a white woman. This reflects upon how society was in the 1930’s, when the color of your skin affected your chances of winning a trial. In fact, it is speculated that To Kill a Mockingbird is loosely based off of the trials of the Scottsboro Boys, a famous case from this time period. Most of the main characters associated with both trials share similar traits, experiences, and backgrounds.
Lee illustrates Atticus Finch as a very understanding character, especially during the Tom Robinson trial. During the revolting times of the 1930s, it was outlandish for a white man to stand up for a Negro man. For example, when the towns’ people are talking about Atticus, they say, “You know the court appointed him to defend this nigger.” “Yeah, Atticus aims to defend him, that’s what is don’t like about it” (218). When Atticus is delegated to defend Tom Robinson, he not only defends him because he was ordered to. Atticus intentionally helped Tom and wanted Tom to win. Even though the towns’ people did not like Atticus aiming to defend Tom, he understood that it was his duty to help him. Another example is in chapter 22 when Bob Ewell spits on Atticus’s face. Atticus didn’t react intrusive because he knew that it would affect people’s outlook on the trial and on Tom. Atticus stood above the standard and helped a black man, which earned him respect from the Negro people in town. Atticus was very wholehearted when deciding to help Tom Robinson in the trial.
Atticus Finch is the most significant character, in To Kill a Mockingbird, who challenges racial prejudice as he does not follow the norms, in Maycomb, of being racially prejudice towards others. At first, Atticus Finch is reluctant to take on Tom Robinson’s case; however in the end, he willingly accepts. Unlike the majority of Maycomb residents, Atticus is not racist and makes no distinction upon race, he sees Negroes, just like Tom Robinson, as the same equality as any other person in the Maycomb community. For this reason, he believes they should be trea...
Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, Harper Lee's, To Kill a Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior, to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, and the struggle between blacks and whites. Atticus Finch, a lawyer and single parent in a small southern town in the 1930's, is appointed by the local judge to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accused of raping a white woman. Friends and neighbors object when Atticus puts up a strong and spirited defense on behalf of the accused black man. Atticus renounces violence but stands up for what he believes in. He decides to defend Tom Robinson because if he did not, he would not only lose the respect of his children and the townspeople, but himself as well.
Atticus Finch is a character of stability in an unstable society. He is a balanced figure who is able to cope with the unreasonable and highly emotional town in which he lives. He can manage the prejudiced white masses and still deal justly with the underprivileged Negro population of Maycomb. He is one of the few people who understand the individual worth of a person regardless of the color of his/her skin. This enables him to defend Tom Robinson based solely on the concept of justice and equality. In his closing argument, Atticus explains that, “there is one place all men are created equal. That place is in a court room” (Lee 205). This justifies the fact that Atticus believes in equality in a society, the equality not only of race, but also of sex, class, and religion as well. His view of equality and justice is a symbol of his own psychological stability throughout the novel. Accordingly, in the final analysis of the story, Atticus represents the “justice” in the community of Maycomb. His stability throughout the book is one of the many characteristics that depict Atticus Finch as the novel’s core.
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.
There is no doubt that Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a famous novel known for its themes, most of them containing wise life lessons, racial inequality being an obvious and important one. Firstly, racism illustrates the lack of justice and people’s views on prejudice in Tom Robinson’s case. Secondly, the novel touches base on diction notably the racial slurs used. Finally, with racism being a theme of the novel, it affects the characters’ personalities. Harper Lee uses life lessons, diction and characters throughout the novel because it develops the main theme of racism in To Kill a Mockingbird.
His words reflect those of Atticus Finch when he says: “...in our courts all men are created equal” (274). Atticus’ message is relevant because it models what Martin Luther King Jr. wanted for this nation. King wanted to live in a world where people would not have to fear they would be persecuted based on their race. Atticus explains that that is exactly how the world should work. The two of them taught Americans that judgement should be reserved until character is accounted for.
In chapter 16, Harper Lee describes the views that the men in the Idler’s Club have on Atticus defending a black man and their views on black people in general. These men do not like that Atticus is actually defending Tom Robinson because he is black. He uses ethos when saying, “Thomas Jefferson once said that all men are created equal.” Thomas Jefferson is one of the most famous people in America because of his belief that all men are created equal.
In Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech, King makes use of an innumerable amount of rhetorical devices that augment the overall understanding and flow of the speech. King makes the audience feel an immense amount of emotion due to the outstanding use of pathos in his speech. King also generates a vast use of rhetorical devices including allusion, anaphora, and antithesis. The way that King conducted his speech adds to the comprehension and gives the effect that he wants to rise above the injustices of racism and segregation that so many people are subjected to on a daily basis.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird depicts the story of an egalitarian man living in a racially prejudiced society. In the town of Maycomb, Alabama, most people are racist towards African Americans, leaving only a few people believing that racism is unethical. Atticus Finch, a respected man, fights for the equality of a colored man in a trial. In addition, he also looks upon his children as if they were his peers. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee portrays Atticus Finch as egalitarian to establish that when one is faced with unjust circumstances, then one should overcome hindrances and do what is honorable in order to reveal oneself as respectable in society.
Even though extraordinary changes have been made in the past to achieve racial equality, America is still racist, especially in schools. In the novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” written by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is criticized for defending a black man accused of raping a white woman. During the 1930s, the time this novel took place, America was a very segregated country. At the time when Harper Lee wrote "To Kill a Mockingbird," America was fighting a civil rights movement. The events of racism in “To Kill a Mockingbird” reflect the time period.
Despite the unwavering dedication of Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird”, the absence of evidence, and a moving courtroom speech, Tom Robinson is convicted of a crime that he did not commit. What would have been the outcome if Tom Robinson's trial was held in the 21st century? A jury today, presented with the same evidence, would find Tom Robinson not guilty. Atticus did a good job and proved that Tom could not have beaten Mayella because his left arm was injured. The only eye witness was Mayella, whose own statements were conflicting; she claimed that Tom both did and did not assault her. Her testimony also differed from that of her father. There was never any specific testimony concerning the rape, only assault. The prosecutor would never have been allowed to repeatedly refer to Tom as "boy" during this trial with the lack of tolerance held for racism in today’s society. The most obvious form of discrimination in To Kill a Mockingbird is racism; however, there are other types of prejudice and discrimination that typify relationships among the novel’s characters.
Atticus Finch was just a man whose ethics were greater than the contemporary normals. In Atticus' time, it was prevalent for whites to convict blacks without them receiving a fair trial. Atticus had higher morals th...
In a desperate attempt to save his client, Tom Robinson, from death, Atticus Finch boldly declares, “To begin with, this case should never have come to trial. This case is as simple as black and white” (Lee 271). The gross amounts of lurid racial inequality in the early 20th century South is unfathomable to the everyday modern person. African-Americans received absolutely no equality anywhere, especially not in American court rooms. After reading accounts of the trials of nine young men accused of raping two white women, novelist Harper Lee took up her pen and wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, a blistering exposition of tragic inequalities suffered by African Americans told from the point of view of a young girl. Though there are a few trivial differences between the events of the Scottsboro trials and the trial of Tom Robinson portrayed in To Kill a Mockingbird, such as the accusers’ attitudes towards attention, the two cases share a superabundance of similarities. Among these are the preservation of idealist views regarding southern womanhood and excessive brutality utilized by police.