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The Inability to Understand and How it Creates Conflict
"Your perspective on life comes from the cage you were held captive in" (Shannon L. Alder). The perspectives people have in the small town of Maycomb differ greatly from one another. Whenever people have opposing viewpoints, it will result in conflict. Maycomb typically has a shallow perspective and people living there can either choose to agree, or rebel against it. The most important theme found in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, is that human conflict comes from the inability to understand one another, the theme is shown through the characters Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and Atticus Finch.
Boo Radley is a misunderstood character. Boo Radley is the ‘scary old man’ of the town who
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only comes out of his house at night to look inside people's windows...or is he? "People said that he existed, but Jem and I had never seen him, people said he went out at night when the moon was down and looked in people's windows. Any stealthy small crimes committed in Maycomb were his doing, people always looked at the Radley place, unwilling to discard their initial suspicions" (Lee, 10). Mr. Arthur Radley is introduced to the reader by Scout Finch. Since Scout is a child, around the age of six, she is accustomed to believe in the town's gossip, rather than having her own opinion. She and Jem are of an impressionable age, and they are far too young at this stage to comprehend the real reasons as to why Boo Radley does not come out of his home. As the book progresses, the children become more curious, and less understanding, leading to more conflict. "He [Jem] flung open the gate, danced Dill and me through, and shooed us between two rows of swishing collards. Halfway through the collards I tripped; as the roar of a shotgun shattered the neighborhood" (Lee, 71). Due to the children becoming increasingly more curious, it causes conflicts, such as getting shot it. This all leads back to the key idea of humans not always understanding each other. The children didn't understand Boo, and in their attempt to understand, they created a conflict for themselves. About halfway through the novel, the children realize they may not be much different from Boo after all. "'Why do you reckon Boo Radley's never run off?" "Maybe he doesn't have anywhere to run off to..."' (Lee, 192). It becomes apparent in this section of the book that the children are beginning to understand why Boo Radley stays to himself, and this ultimately cancels out any previous conflicts the individuals may have had with each other. At the end of the book Scout reflects on the lack of understanding she's had her Boo and why it lead to conflict. "We never put back in the tree what we took out of it: we had given him [Boo] nothing, and it made me sad" (Lee, 373). Scout is reflecting on the mistakes she and Jem had made, reflecting on the judgments and assumptions they made about Boo over the years. She now realizes that she understands Boo, and their conflict was essentially over when they began to understand. Boo is a perfect example of how learning to understand someone can change the circumstances of the situation. At the beginning of the book, the kids are not capable to understand but by the end, they could. The next character to show the theme human conflict comes from the inability to understand one another is Tom Robinson.
Tom Robinson is a black man living in the segregated county of Maycomb. His life is as normal as can be until he is accused of raping a white woman, causing a divide between the people in the town. "Scout, you are old enough to understand some things yet, but there's been some high talk around town to the effect that I shouldn't be defending this man" (Lee, 100). Atticus is trying to explain to Scout that even though the things you do can cause a divide or conflict, one can always strive to do the right thing. With Tom Robinson, even though Scout has never met him, can still take her father's word that he is a good man. As the trial inches closer and closer, Scout begins to immerse herself in the conflict that surrounds the case. "This time I split my knuckle to the bone on his front teeth. My left impaired, I sailed in with my right" (Lee, 113). Instead of avoiding conflict, like her father asked her to, Scout adds to it by getting violent with someone who's viewpoint on the Tom Robinson trial varies from her own. This situation could have easily been solved by Scout trying to understand this particular person's opinion through words, rather than punches. When the trial begins, the children are shocked to find how many people support the Ewells over Tom Robinson. "...you know the court appointed him [Atticus] to defend this n*****." "Yeah, but Atticus aims to defend him. That's what I don't like about it" (Lee, 218). Atticus did not have a choice in whether or not he wanted to defend Tom, which is news to Scout. This point alone causes conflict for Atticus, Because the townspeople do not understand why Atticus is actually going to try to win. As the trial comes to close it becomes apparent how much people came around to understand the truth about Tom Robinson. "The kitchen table was loaded with enough food to bury the family… "They-they
'preciate what you did Mr. Finch" (Lee, 286). Although the food had come from the family and friends of Tom Robinson, they were not the only people to appreciate Atticus' effort to prove Tom innocent. People understood why Atticus was doing his best for Tom. Tom was an innocent man, and despite Atticus' best efforts, they could not get everyone to see past their prejudices to find the truth. But those who could, were grateful. although Tom Robinson was a character with very few lines, he still managed to grab the attention of the whole town and begin a controversy to last for decades. Tom is a character that shows the theme human conflict comes from the inability to understand one another because his trial proved that the people of Maycomb county really do not understand each other's values or viewpoints. The final character to show the theme human conflict comes from the inability to understand one another is Atticus Finch. Atticus Finch is the father of Jem and Scout Finch. Atticus is also the lawyer who defended Tom Robinson in his trial. Atticus is a character that typically is able to understand the views of others, although he may not agree. Multiple times through the book, he used the phrase, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee, 39).
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
Lee uses Scout and Jem’s tumultuous childhood experiences to... has had many trials through her life, and on was in fact a trail of Tom Robinson, a black man accused in raping Mayella Ewell, one of the daughters of Bob Ewell, the town’s idler. Atticus, the children’s father, was defending Tom Robinson, and the case seemed to be in favor of him, all the way to the point of Jem stating, “He’s not leaning, Reverend, but don’t fret, we’ve won it..Don’t see how any jury could convict on what we heard-”(Lee 176). Jem is very confident in his father’s argument, and believes that the case will lean to Tom,
Think you know Boo Radley? Not many people do. Boo Radley is a shy, mysterious character from Harper Lee’s: To Kill a Mockingbird. Throughout the book, Boo is thought of as a monster within the book’s setting of Maycomb County. He’s also known to be mentally ill and violent due to many stories about his past. However, I believe he’s just misunderstood. Boo Radley is actually a caring and courageous human being. Examples that benefit this idea include: Boo Radley giving gifts to Scout and Jem and saving Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell. Furthermore, throughout To Kill a Mockingbird; Boo Radley is shown to be misunderstood, caring, and courageous.
Atticus shows great compassion and tolerance when he stands up for the Negroes. He stands up and represents Tom Robinson because he believes that everyone should be treated equally in the court of law. He knows that because Tom was a Negro there would be a slim chance of winning. That fact never discouraged him though because he says that the main reason he is representing Tom is because, ' if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature'; (75). He recited a speech, which clearly states that Tom Robinson is not guilty. In that speech he says, 'our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal'; (205). He believed that prejudice and stereotyping is wrong and he tries to teach these morals to Scout and Jem.
Atticus Finch shows, in many ways, the true definition of a hero, but no situation was more important than the Tom Robinson trial. In Maycomb, the thought of taking a negro’s word instead of a white man’s was ridiculous to the citizens, especially over a matter as serious as a black man raping a white woman. Regardless of this information, Atticus still takes on Tom Robinson’s case and tries to make as big of a difference as possible. When Scout asks him if he thinks that he will win the case, Atticus subtly replies “No, honey” (76). Atticus goes on to explain, “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try and win” (76). Basically, Atticus believes that just because it is unlikely that he will win, it does not mean that he should just give up without trying. Throughout all the discrimination, Atticus remains tough and tries to achieve his goal, no matter how hard it is. This was an example of moral courage. Even Scout knows how hard her father is trying by comparing Atticus’ efforts to “watching Atticus walk down the street, raise a rifle to his shoulder and pull the trigger, but...
Scout learns that by yielding to prejudice, we often hurt and cause strife unto others. For example, Scout is harassed and becomes the target of insults when her father decides to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman. This is a plajurized essay. The hate felt towards black people by the majority of the Maycomb citizens causes them to bother and harass those who attempt to befriend the black people. Forgive me for stealing this essay. Scout realizes that the only reason she must undergo this torment is that her father is defending a black man, which has become taboo because of the corruption that racism has caused in many people. In addition, Scout watches Tom Robinson undergo unfair treatment and false accusations. Please dont tell my parents I stole this essay. Although Atticus provides the jury and the people of Maycomb with overwhelming evidence benefiting Tom, and ultimately proving him innocent, this is not enough to overcome the powers of hate and racism. Scout watches as the jury deliberates and convicts Tom Robinson of murder because he is a black man. This is a stolen essay. Although Scout witnesses a myriad of injustices occurring against black people, she also sees an exiguity of kind and compassionate movements towards black people.
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
In the courtroom that night it is revealed that the alleged crimes of Tom Robinson, a decent Negro man, most likely did not happen. As Atticus says in his closing argument, "The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence to the effect that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place. It has relied instead upon the testimony of two witnesses whose evidence has not only been called into serious question on cross-examination, but has been flatly contradicted by the defendant. The defendant is not guilty, but somebody in this courtroom is” (Lee 271). Showing the clear innocence of Tom Robinson due to lack of evidence, Scout thinks that the white jury will do the right thing only to find out that they still, unfairly, accuse him of being guilty. Scout and her brother, Jem, get very upset when they hear the verdict, however, it allows them both to learn the lesson that the county is unfair towards anyone who is not white. The county demonstrates this evil racism due to the social divisions in Maycomb between the whites and the blacks and because the whites see the blacks as unworthy of rights and freedoms. It was not just the trial itself that displayed evil in the world, but the comments and arguments surrounding the case did
Reassuring that Tom Robinson’s case is dealt seriously, Atticus exchanges his identity as the noble man he is for the reputation of a villain that the town flames and calls names such as “nigger lover”. Sacrificing Atticus’s identity does not give him much room to speak during the case, in fact, without his title as an intelligent, helpful, and wealthy citizen, the people of Maycomb could potentially harm Atticus, which forces him to take a slightly more cautious approach with the people of Maycomb. Concerned with the matter of how her father finds that his actions are right when the majority of the town finds it is wrong. Atticus then responds strongly to Scout, saying that he could not live with himself or tell her and Jem to do the right thing if he did not take the case seriously himself. Atticus’s identity sacrificed for the intention of saving his kids from “Maycomb's usual disease” which is racism.
Atticus is a good father for teaching his children to respect everyone. Scout asks Atticus if he is a “nigger lover” and he simply replies, "I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody... I'm hard put, sometimes—baby, it's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you." This shows that atticus is not like the other people in Maycomb he considers every man to be equal to one another. Judge Taylor comes to Atticus to defend Tom Robinson because he knows he’s the only man in Maycomb that is fit to do to the job, and do it fairly. While thinking about taking the offer Atticus firsts thinks about his kids and how it will affect their lives. Atticus says “…do you think I could face my children otherwise? You know what’s going to happen as well as I do, Jack, and I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness, and most of all, without catching Maycomb’s usual disease. Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anythin...
A small city nestled in the state of Alabama, Maycomb has got its faults, just like any other place in the world, but one of its main faults or (pg.88) “Maycomb's usual disease,” as Atticus calls it in the book is prejudice. Jem and Scout learn a lot about prejudice when a black man named Tom Robinson is accused of raping a white woman named Mayella Ewell and their father, Atticus, is called on to be his lawyer. They realize the hate that people have buried deep within their heart when they see a black man accused of doing something only because of his color. On pg.241, Scout starts understanding this and thinks, “Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” As the case continues, up until the death of Tom Robinson, Jem and Scout learn more and more about prejudice and how the hate that people have towards others causes them to take wrong actions. They also see how unfair it is that a white man can get treated better and think of himself better than a black man only because he was born white. This prejudice and the trial cause Jem and Scout to get in argum...
Tom Robinson’s trial, and in fact his entire life, was badly affected by racism. It is truly a testament to the corruption of society when a person who has earned a bad reputation is held in higher esteem than a person who was born with it, as is the case with Bob Ewell and Tom Robinson. Even though Tom was obviously honest in his testament, the jury sided with Bob Ewell because he was white. They made this decision despite the fact that the Ewell family was widely known to be a worthless part of society. Jem, not being racially prejudiced, could not understand this mentality. As Atticus pointed out, “If you (Jem) had been on the jury, son, and eleven other boys like you, Tom would be a free man.”
First, the trial of Tom Robinson is an eye-opening experience for Jem and Scout; there they discover hatred, child abuse, and lying. Seeing pure hate is new and strange for Jem and Scout. They know that prejudice does exist, but listening to and watching Bob Ewell during the trial is astounding to them because Bob Ewell abhors all blacks, especially Tom Robinson. Bob’s daughter, Mayella, makes an advance on Tom, which is absolutely unspeakable and shameful at that time. In addition, Bob Ewell’s hate grows (especially for Atticus) because after the trial his reputation and respect is ruined, even though he does not have a high degree of integrity to begin with. Also, through the
" He wants the people of Maycomb to hear the truth about Tom Robinson, "That boy may go to the chair, but he's not going till the truth's told. " Chapter 15, Page 146. He was against the whole white community including his own sister practically said that he was a disgrace to his family Atticus tells scout when she asks him why he is taking the case he says "For a number of reasons. The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again.
In “To Kill A Mockingbird” the trial scene clearly conveys that the Town of Maycomb is prejudice and racist towards Tom Robinson. The trial grabbed the attention of the Town of Maycomb and the outcome changed the opinion of the community. Atticus Finch was the only lawyer that would take on the case and defend Tom Robinson. The case that was presented had charged Tom with brutal assault and rape of an “innocent” white girl. As we learn more about the background of Tom Robinson in the case, we find out he was a poor working class African American who was just trying to do his job and later was falsely convicted.