"There is no denying that there is evil in this world but the light will always conquer the darkness." (Idowu Koyenikan) However ,you can fight it and defeat it. That is what makes up life having both good and evil. In fact, you have to try to defeat it and be successful. Throughout the book you see scenes when there were both light and dark mostly on chapter 15. It showed how when a light came everything was good again. To kill a Mockingbird is writing during a time where there were so much racism and bad people trying to end their lives they are seen as the dark. In this case Atticus was the light. He saw good in everyone even further than their skin color, the money they had, and what society try to make him believe. He would go the extra mile to help Tom Robinson or anyone in need. He was the light everyone hoped they had by their side in times of need.In the 1950s Harper Lee wrote To Kill A Mockingbird showing that when something or someone had good in them evil will always try to act up and win. …show more content…
First, he felt calm when his kids walk into the light. Next, The light brought safety, hope and happiness to Atticus. It says “ I thought he would have a fine surprise, but his face killed my joy, A flash of plain fear was going out of his eyes but returned when Dill and Jem wriggled into the light”.(Lee 172). The quote shows how Atticus feared for the kids when they went to the jail and all the men were there ready to attack. He did not want his kids to be there. He thought that the men were willing to hurt his kids simply so they can hurt Atticus and get him to stop with the case. When they walked into the light he felt a great relief . What the evidence is trying to prove is that Atticus did care about them and how the light was something Atticus depended on. The fact that he wanted them to be safe and not be in danger shows a
Atticus criticizes, “...-the evil assumption-that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negroes are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption that one associates with minds of their calibre.” Atticus denounces all those that associate evilness with being a Negro. Atticus is proving that a majority of the people in the courtroom associate Negroes with lies or cruel deeds, and they are under an evil assumption. Atticus evokes this feeling from the jury in order to demonstrate that anyone can lie, be immortal, or untrustworthy, not just Negroes. Atticus wants the jury to understand that we should not identify a Negro as being bad simply because of their shade of their skin. Atticus is challenging everyone, the jury in particular, to analyze individuals by their actions rather than by
In the novels Night and To Kill A Mockingbird there is a similar theme of the struggle between good and evil. This is shown through the persecution of innocent people because of their race. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Tom Robinson was killed after being convicted of a terrible crime that he did not commit. Bob Ewell accused Tom Robinson of raping his daughter to bring him to court, however Bob Ewell simply wanted another black man that he hated to die. The jury unanimously and easily decided for Tom to be put to death, not because they believed the Ewell’s, but because Tom was a man of colour which to them meant he was less than human and deserved to die. Atticus explained the jury to his children by stating, “ In our courts, when it's a white
...t and dark, art and pain, choice and regret, cruelty and sacrifice.” [Libba Bray] The character “foils” within Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird add a real meaning of development, and complexity in the story that grasps the readers attention. It can be seen that each pair of characters are present in a way that the readers are able to show the contrast between each pair and can acknowledge and recognize a “good” character from a “bad” one. This contrast is most evident in the way each character deals with a situation. It is essential that, as readers, we do not assume that certain characters are the same due to some of the likeness that they have because each person has their own personality that creates the true image of their individual that is being described. In this world, there will be both good and evil because that is what creates balance in the world.
Norman Schwarzkopf Jr, a famous war soldier once said, "The truth of the matter is you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it." Although society has the potential to help others in need they restrict themselves from doing the right thing. But when society is challenged with a problem only some step up against to the odds to make a difference. Throughout history, during times of devastation and separation there are people that show a ray of light that gives people hope during the darkest times.
Atticus is a great leader of his family, teaching his children morals and life lessons. He makes them better people by showing them how to deal with the trial and people making fun of them. Atticus teaches Scout how to respect other people. First, Scout learns to respect Atticus, then to respect "Boo" Radley, and finally to respect a whole race of people, negroes. He makes it a common practice to live his life as he would like his children to live theirs, and thus displays the attributes of an honest, respectable, and kind man. Throughout the trial process, Atticus shows Jem and Scout that true courage is standing up for what you believe in and that all human beings, despite their race, deserve respect. "You never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." This quote shows that Atticus wants his children to get along with people, and so other people will respect them for whom they are.
As Martin Luther King Jr. quotes in A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that” (qtd.in. Goodreads.com). Atticus’ words of wisdom for the duration of To Kill a Mockingbird are used as a guiding light for not only his children, but the nation as a whole during the Civil Rights Movement. Through the 1950’s and 60’s African-Americans all over the U.S. were fighting to end Jim Crow Laws. Their movement inspired many and was what also influenced by Harper Lee’s to write her first literary work. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Lee uses the character Atticus Finch as a moral compass to show that true courage comes from
Nathaniel Hawthorne's bold novel, The Scarlet Letter, effectively employs three major symbols: light, dark, and the scarlet letter. The novel relies heavily on light and dark symbolism to represent the eternal struggle of good versus evil.
The years of 1960 and 1961, when To Kill A Mockingbird was published, signaled a time of great change. The civil rights movement was in full swing and the country was undergoing social and economic reconstruction. Traditional thinking was being transformed into ideas and thoughts that had never been considered before, and old traditions were pitted against new ones. Looking into the Deep South, in a little town named Maycomb, tradition for most people meant prejudice, separation, and racism. Atticus Finch chooses to fight against this "old tradition" with traditions of his own. Because of his highly ethical character, Atticus is able to honorably defend Tom Robinson and promote a "new tradition" for himself and his children. Respect, dignity, and equality form the backbone of Atticus' belief system, a belief system containing qualities that are often overlooked in the traditional South. In the absence of outside support, Atticus fights his battle the only way he knows how -- with patience, perseverance, and honesty.
Atticus knew it would be a long shot to win and yet he entered it with a passion because knowing him, a man full of excellent morales, he knew that everyone involved with it would come away with something positive, even if that thing was simply a different outlook or perception on the black or life in general. Atticus 's great compassion for Tom and his community as well as his understanding for his side of the story would soon come with multiple consequences that himself and his kids would have to endure. For instance on (p.104) he explains to scout the trouble she may up endure but to keep a positive outlook, "When summer comes you 'll have to keep your head above far worse things...it 's not fair for you and gem, I know that, but sometimes we have to make the best of things, and the way we conduct ourselves when the chips are down-well, all I can say is, when you and Jem are grown, maybe you 'll look back on this with some compassion and some feeling that I didn 't let you down...." He instils that once Scout and Jem are mature enough to understand these things, that they will know he never let them down. This excerpt/example further exemplifies his understanding of Jem and Scouts sake and what they will go through as little kids but
In To Kill a Mocking Bird, By Harper Lee, Fictional Novel, Scout has had many experiences with several characters. She as one of the main characters throughout To Kill Mocking Bird, has always judged other characters or people based on their appearances and actions. Atticus, scouts father explains about this by telling Scout that most people are nice “when you finally see them” (Lee, 376). But how does this theme apply to past minor characters? Does scout later realize that her thought of who the person was before was false? .Based on past characters scout judged before and after. The author Harper Lee shows that in the book To Kill A Mocking Bird, misunderstandings and interpretations, demonstrates the fact that, once you put yourself into someone else’s shoes, you as a human being will later understand and reflect on what you knew about the person before and determine who the person really is, and what morals do they as a character demonstrate. Though this, the theme implies to minor characters in the book such as: Calpurnia, Mrs. Dubose and Dolphus Raymond. Firstly, based on To Kill a Mocking Bird, Scout, understands the fact that most people are nice at first when you see them because of Calpurnia. From the book…”Hush your mouth! Don’t matter who they are anybody steps foot in this house’s yo company” (Lee, 33). In chapter 3 based on this quotation, When Walter Cunningham arrives inside Scouts home, Scout judged Walter. This made Calpurnia as a minor character angry and so she tells scout based on the quote. This makes Scout as a major character feel a bit mad because, Scout never agrees with Calpurnia’s teachings. Though later we as the reader realize that Scout has a change of character in the book. For e...
In the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird", Harper Lee, wrote the words that Atticus said to his children, Jem and Scout Finch. Atticus said "...it is a sin to kill a mockingbird," mockingbirds are known as gentle creatures who do no wrong and makes music for everyone's delight. To kill a mockingbird would be similar to killing an individual who does not wrong anyone and tries to be as helpful as they can. Mockingbirds have the characteristics of nobility, innocence, and valor that are mirror the characters Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Arthur “Boo” Radley. Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley are portrayed as mockingbirds for their actions, and for the good they did for the individuals surrounding them and the negative treatment they endured for their actions.
Evil actions and wrongdoings don’t necessarily make an evil person. Take Walter Cunningham Sr. for example. He is present in the mob that came to linch Tom Robinson, he most likely would have done anything to get to Tom. He could easily be considered an evil man for wanting to kill Tom Robinson or being willing to hurt Atticus. However when Scout said that if Mr....
In previous eras, anti-Black sentiment was widely acknowledged and sometimes encouraged in the United States. Black litigants have endured a long history of racist attitudes and inequality in the criminal justice system To this day, it is impossible to determine if jurors present an unbiased trial for the defendants regardless of their racial background. Although the undercurrent of racism may continue to be present in modern juries, racial prejudice in the modern legal system is certainly less flagrant as many.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a story about injustice, racism and the co-existence of good
There are other kinds of mysterious passages in this book, told by Atticus, or just in general, but none seem to quite compare to this one. This sentence seems to be implying that just because we have setbacks in our life, they don't give us any good reason not to try and win the fight. Take someone who was abused as a kid, they might have been through hell and back for years, but that doesn't mean they have to forever be entrapped by the abuse. As hard as it may be, there is always a way to win the fight! Overall, this is such an empowering passage that deserves to be acknowledged for reasons beyond