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How harper lee comments on racism to kill a mockingbird
Main themes of to kill a mockingbird
How harper lee comments on racism to kill a mockingbird
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Imagine a world where evil and unjust actions are based on the color of skin; a world where some don’t even realize that they are prejudicing. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, these themes are present. People and how they commit evil, hypocritical, and unjust acts. We see these themes and great issues through the point of view of a child; the vigorous, youthful, elementary-aged Scout. Through this character Harper Lee shows the innocence of children, and what they go through in our inequitable world. The first major theme in To Kill a Mockingbird is evil in society. The most evil act in this book is at the end; the attacking of Atticus’ children. In the end Bob fails, having accidentally killed himself. The book states that Bob is “found on the ground…with a kitchen knife stuck up under his ribs.” (280) Having attacked the children, he fulfilled is threat that one day he would get back Atticus; not only that, but Bob tried to hurt him through his children; innocent, not full grown, and no match for Bob Ewell. That is truly evil. The second major theme in To Kill a Mockingbird is hypocrisy in society. In such a society where both evil and injustice are almost always present, hypocrisy must tag along. One example of hypocrisy in To Kill a Mockingbird is after Tom Robinson’s trial; quite soon after the trial, Bob Ewell “approached him [Atticus], cursed him, spat on him, and threatened to kill him.”(230) This is quite hypocritical because although Ewell portrayed himself as a good man during the trial, he is willing to disrespect, frighten, and threaten to kill a man who thinks otherwise. This is not the only example. Scout eve... ... middle of paper ... ...iod, accepts that the system is so unjust and segregated that he can only accept how it is. This quote also explains that our justice system isn’t completely clear or fair. If the majority of people will something to happen legally, almost no matter how prejudiced, those people will make it happen. Think back the world where evil and unjust actions are based on the color of skin. To Kill a Mockingbird is all about that world. It is about a real world and a real-time period where this injustice would happen. All of these quotes together show how evil, hypocrisy, and injustice are prevalent in society; they show us how normal people can be prejudiced, how they can cheat out others for their own personal gain, or even just because they don’t like that person. On top of it all, these quotes are through an innocent child’s perspective.
Childhood is a continuous time of learning, and of seeing mistakes and using them to change your perspectives. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates how two children learn from people and their actions to respect everyone no matter what they might look like on the outside. To Kill A Mockingbird tells a story about two young kids named Scout and her older brother Jem Finch growing up in their small, racist town of Maycomb, Alabama. As the years go by they learn how their town and a lot of the people in it aren’t as perfect as they may have seemed before. When Jem and Scout’s father Atticus defends a black man in court, the town’s imperfections begin to show. A sour, little man named Bob Ewell even tries to kill Jem and Scout all because of the help Atticus gave to the black man named Tom Robinson. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee illustrates the central theme that it is wrong to judge someone by their appearance on the outside, or belittle someone because they are different.
“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (p.90) Miss. Maudie, one of the main protagonists in To Kill a Mockingbird, warns the young girl Scout that mockingbirds should not to be killed or hunted down because they represent those who are kind and innocent. So, on a broader spectrum, the term “to kill a mockingbird” symbolizes cruel and improper behavior towards people with good hearts and intentions. In the town of Maycomb, unethical behaviors, such as prejudice and gossip, are most commonly used against the “mockingbirds”. Three of those “mockingbirds” that are featured in this novel are Arthur “Boo” Radley, Tom Robinson, and Atticus Finch. Due to the depiction of the mockingbird symbol in the novel, the reader understands the consequences that immoral attitudes have towards those who are innocent and kindhearted.
Throughout the book To Kill A Mockingbird Lee discusses the effects of ignorance and the toll it takes on people such as Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, Scout herself, and many more. Through her examples of sexism, prejudice, and racism, from the populist of poverty stricken Southerners, she shows the readers the injustice of many. The victims of ignorance are the ‘mockingbirds’ of the story. A good example of this injustice is the trial of Tom Robinson, who is falsely accused of raping a white girl and is found guilty. The book is from the point of view Scout, a child, who has an advantage over most kids due to her having a lawyer as a dad, to see the other side of the story. Her father tells her in the story, “you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.” (Lee 200).
Has evil always been around, or did man create it? One could trace evil all the way back to Adam and Eve; however, evil came to them, but it was not in them. When did evil become part of a person? No one knows, but evil has been around for a long time and unfortunately is discovered by everyone. In many great classics in literature evil is at the heart or the theme of the novel, including Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. This classic book demonstrates the growing up of two children in the South and illustrates the theme of evil by showing how they discover, how they deal, and how they reconcile themselves to the evils they experience.
Would you be the same person you are today if you had lost innocence and realized harsh realities at the age of nine? In this book, a young child takes a big step forward to understanding the denotation of life and words of wisdom. Her perspective on adult events might as well shock you, despite to the depth and knowledge of her thoughts. The award winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is remarkable for those who want a heart-warming classic story that would go along with a cup of bittersweet, dark roasted coffee. Thus this novel is bitter and unfair, but also teaches significant life lessons. It is held in Alabama in the 1930’s; when The Great Depression took place and racism was considered obvious. This unforgettable story is
On the surface, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird seems to be nothing more than a book about a small town with small-town problems, but it is about a lot more than just that. In To kill a Mockingbird, the mockingbird symbolizes something that is sacred, and harming this something would be committing a wrong. Throughout the book, the reader learns the painful perspective of several characters, including Scout (the child protagonist,) Tom Robinson (a black man falsely accused or rape), and finally, Boo Radley, (a pale, tall person who is the town’s hermit). Each one of these people is one of the story’s symbolic mockingbirds. The reason they are the mockingbirds is because each one of them has experienced suffering in his or her life and
In this world, everyone has an equal right; however, many people are getting falsely accused of acts they did not commit even though they are innocent. Mockingbirds, one of the most innocent birds, sing their heart out for people to enjoy, however, they getting killed every day. In this novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, there are many racial prejudices going on. Finches stand near the top of the social hierarchy, with Cunningham and Ewells underneath. Black community in Maycomb is even below the Ewells, even if they were a hard worker; they were not treated equally. The “mockingbirds” represents the idea of innocence, so killing a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. Throughout the book, many characters are considered a mockingbird. Three examples are Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, and Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Those three characters are innocent; they are kind and were never harmful to others. However, they were destroyed through contact of evil. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the mockingbirds symbolizes the idea of innocence, and Tom, Boo, and Mr. Raymond are considered one of it.
The great author Ernest Hemingway once said that, “All things truly wicked start from innocence.” In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, several characters are portrayed as “mockingbirds” or innocent people. Some characters have an innocence that is not readily perceived. In the novel, Atticus Finch is a protagonist and the father of the narrator. He is the pride of Maycomb County and a talented, ethical lawyer. Bob Ewell on the other hand, is a drunkard and a blatant racist. He is of the Ewell clan and the scourge of Maycomb County. Despite the two characters being polar opposites, both are “mockingbirds”. Atticus supported a black man in rape case of Mayella Ewell- Bob Ewell’s daughter. however, both men’s behaviors are controlled by external, invisible forces.
...of innocence in good people. The primary symbol in To Kill a Mockingbird is obviously the mockingbird, which is supposed to symbolize an innocent being who gets hurt because of the cruelty and injustice of humankind. By this definition, Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are clearly mockingbirds. Miss Maudie and Atticus both have strong views on how wrong it is to kill a mockingbird. Miss Maudie states, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . they don’t do but one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” It’s wrong to kill a mockingbird because, in short, they are naturally good creatures and they should not be punished because of that. Tom Robinson is a mockingbird because the court ruled him as guilty for a crime he did not commit, all because he wanted to help a poor girl who needed help.
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest” Ellie Wiesel. Readers may find the amount of injustice in Harper lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird a little shocking. This could be why it’s such a popular book. People like the suspense of knowing someone’s right, but still being found guilty for something they did not do. There are many times throughout the book when people are powerless to prevent injustice but they still protest it. This shows that even when people unjustly punish there should always be someone to protest it. The theme of injustice is a common one in harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, whether it be through racism, misinformation, or Arrogance.
In conclusion in the story To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout, Jem, and Atticus all represent moral injustice because they defend Tom Robinson even though he is african american. Most of the rest of the town is represented as moral injustice because they judge Tom Robinson just because he is an african american. These ideas are evident all throughout the book and I believe it proves my
In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the theme of “good versus evil” is very prevalent throughout the novel. The main example of this theme would be of course be between Tom Robinson and the Ewells. Tom Robinson representing the good and the Ewell family being the evil. At first in the novel the it looks like the Ewells are going to win because Tom Robinson is shot and killed by prison guards. The key factor to why the good eventually triumphs evil in the novel is because Bob Ewell is filled with retribution. This desire on getting revenge leads him to get back at the people who wronged him. The family that he is most angry at are the Finches. This would lead to his downfall because he tries to kill Scout and Jem, but Boo Radley takes
The themes of racism and innocence are explicit in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. There are many examples of discrimination in the story where one’s innocence is lost. Arthur Radley is isolated in his own home because of the spread of false rumors. Racism causes Tom Robinson, a black man to lose his life, even though he is innocent. Those who support blacks are judged, like Atticus, Jem and Scout. How does discrimination affect those who are innocent? In the novel, a mockingbird represents innocence; it represents Atticus, Tom Robinson, and Arthur Radley. These characters are always criticised because of some kind of discrimination, whether it be rumors, their skin colour or their character, even though they are innocent. Through the characters of Atticus, Tom Robinson, and Arthur Radley, Harper Lee demonstrates that discrimination destroys those who are innocent, which leads to character judgement, loss of life and isolation.
Despite cultures and conflicts, the fundamental bonds remain: We all belong to a common family. The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee is a timeless classic about coming of age in a small southern town in the 1930’s. The book follows Jem and Scout, two siblings, who must face the harsh realities of life. Hypocrisy and racism together make the two most important themes.
Harper Lee’s accounts of her experiences growing up have remained popular since their publication in 1960. These stories, which are neatly wrapped up and put into a novel titled To Kill A Mockingbird, have brought to light the truth of southern racism. Many believe we have a choice between “us and them.” Throughout the novel, readers question the idea whether people are essentially good or essentially evil. Is the choice between children of light and children of darkness a simple one? Lee answered this fundamental question, by showing that good and evil can coexist in the world and uses Atticus Finch and his children to expose the positive and negative human natures of the other characters.