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To kill a mockingbird and its relevance to present times
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Major characters in to kill a mockingbird
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“To Kill a Mockingbird” is a heroic tale of leadership and courage to those who face society’s inequalities. Harper Lee uses the theme of injustice throughout the novel of “To Kill a Mockingbird” to voice her concerns about the wrongdoings taken place in America at the time of civil unrest and suggest ways they can be corrected in her book, “To Kill a Mockingbird”.” Lee holds up a mirror to society and teaches her readers valuable lessons concerning prejudice, injustice, and moral courage. Lee explains this process through the voice of character Atticus, “You will never understand a person until you consider things from his point of view […] until you climb into his skin and walk around it.” (pg.374).
First, Lee uses the character of Boo
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Radley to demonstrate how past experiences can bring about injustice. Ever since Boo Radley was involved in several setbacks, rumor created stories concerning Boo Radley being a killer. Lee provides us with the dangers of how gossiping can run amok creating only further isolation. Lee uses the voice of Scout to describe the way citizens of Maycomb might imagine Boo Radley: “Every night-sound I heard from my cot on the back porch was magnified three fold; every scratch of feet on gravel was Boo Radley taking revenge, every passing Negro laughing in the night was Boo Radley loose and after us; insects splashing agains the screen were Boo Radley’s insane fingers picking the wires to pieces.” (pg, 74) Lee demonstrates that Boo must remainisolated from the other Maycomb’s citizens if the Radley’s want to maintain their social status within the community. Lee compares Boos inability to leave the confines of his home resembling prison. Additionally the truth gets stretched until finally Boo’s presence inside the Radley house is compared to a ghost that haunts the house and watches little children at night through the bedroom window. It took Boos final act of moral courage at the end of the novel to reverse these injustices through revealing who Boo Radley true nature. That is, Boo as a kind, caring and compassionate hero. Lee wants us to learn a lesson. Don’t use our last act as the only way of judging our character. Secondly, Lee uses the character Tom Robinson and the black community to demonstrate injustice can occur through prejudicial beliefs toward another race.
Lee demonstrates being white in Maycomb brings about privileges. “There’s something in our world that makes men lose their heads-they couldn’t be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it is a white man’s word against a black man’s the white man always wins. They’re ugly, but those are the facts of life” (pg. 295). Lee demonstrates it is only your God-given right to a fair trial if and only if you are white. Being born black certainly does not get you a fair trial in Maycomb. Lee states this through the voice of Atticus explaining this to Jem “The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in the court room, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into the jury box” (pg. 295). Essentially, Tom Robinson is being tried for rape only as a formality. The whites in Maycomb fear a black man may actually get away with raping a white girl, Tom Robinson becomes a victim of Maycomb’s belief system despite whether he is innocent or not. Lee cautions us this is the reason why so many black individuals had suffered at the hands of the white men. “As you grow older you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t forget it-whenever a white man does that to a black man , no matter who he is, how rich he is , or how fine a …show more content…
family he comes from , that white man is trash” (pg. 295). She demonstrates justice will never be equal for the black folks of Maycomb. Tom Robinson’s last fight for freedom displayed how deep prejudice ran in Maycomb. Lee used the guards in the story to murder Tom. The message here is. don’t be black and be accused of raping a white woman in Maycomb. You will not get a fair trial. Next, Lee uses poverty as a means of demonstrating injustices which occur in society.
Even though the Ewell family was white, they could not escape injustice which occurred in Maycomb. Lack of finances resulted in the children not being raised properly and their appearance being filthy at all time. Neglect only brings illiteracy and stirring up trouble. Lee demonstrates this in Mr. Ewells words, “I seen that black n’’ yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella!” (pg 231). To make matters worse, Lee makes Tom Radley, the father, a drunk and Mayella, the daughter, suffer under the wrath of her father’s abuse as well as neglect of the other children. Lee sets up Mayella as a helpless victim who cannot combat her father because the Ewells are not accepted into the community of Maycomb. Lee wants us to understand children suffer injustices at the hands of
adults. In conclusion, with regard to how Lee created the characters in her novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Lee sets up the setting where each uniquely suffers from injustice in Maycomb. Although there are different means each character suffers from injustice, it is the worst stigmatized in the black community of Maycomb. Even the Ewells are granted more privileges in court despite Tom Robinson having Atticus Finch as a better lawyer. Blacks in Maycomb are considered inferior to the Ewells. Tom Robinson is a great example of how justice does not change another jurors mind in Maycomb.However, being white does. Boo Radley is an example of how false accusations are created by the community of Maycomb. Finally, Ewells are an example of how repression can occur due to one’s social class. It is through the creation of these differentiated characters by Harper Lee in her novel “To Kill a Mockingbird “ she choose to hold a mirror to society and teach her readers valuable lessons concerning prejudice, injustice, and moral courage. Lee creates characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird” which serves as a remainder: our parents raise us, our community shapes us, and without either of them we are nobody, with them we are either blessed or doomed.
...uth to fully understand that it is typical to act superior to those with colored skin. All Dill sees is a man being rude to another, just because of his skin color. While Atticus clearly shows everyone in the court that it was almost impossible for Tom Robinson to have beat Mayella, he still loses the case just because he was a black man against a white woman. Lee includes, “Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” (Lee 323) This enforces how it didn’t matter what Tom was really doing or why Mayella was screaming, but just by the way Tom looked they were able to essentially pin the rape and the beatings on Tom. Of course this was not true and he did not receive the justice he deserved, but that didn’t matter to Maycomb. All that mattered was the color of his skin and what the teenage white girl named Mayella Ewell said about him.
In the novel, ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee some characters suffer in the hands of justice and fairness more than others. Many characters in the novel are discriminated against such as Calpurnia, Dolphus Raymond, Helen Robinson, Burris Ewell and more. However I will be focusing on the discrimination against Tom Robinson for his race, Walter Cunningham for his low socioeconomic status and Boo Radley for the rumors and supposed mental instability he holds. I chose those three because they are the most prominent and I will discuss how the discrimination against the characters therefore leads to their injustice or unfairness.
The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set in Alabama in the 1930s, and concerns itself primarily with the interrelated themes of prejudice and empathy. These themes are explored as the story follows Scout Finch as she learns lessons in empathy, ultimately rejecting prejudice. While all characters in Lee’s novel learn from their experiences, not all are able to grow in the same manner as Scout. The idea of a positive role model, typified by the character of Atticus Finch, and the ramifications of its absence, is a concept that Lee places much emphasis on. The isolated setting is also pivotal in the development of characters. Lee uses the contrast between characters that learn lessons in empathy and compassion, and characters that cling to the ideals of a small town, to explore factors that nurture or diminish prejudice.
One of the storylines in the novel is the Robinson-Ewell trial. Tom Robinson is an innocent African-American, accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a lower-class white girl. At the trial hearing, everyone is able to tell his or her side of the story before Tom is allowed to speak. All stories, however, offer two different versions of Tom and Mayella’s relationship. Moreover, Mayella and Bob Ewell tell the jury what they expect to hear, about Tom being a monster. They explain that there was no reason for his actions against Mayella. According to them, along with the rest of Maycomb, it's just expected that a black man would rape any white woman if he had the opportunity. The Tom spoken of by the Ewells shows the stereotypes that justify whites to be superior to blacks. However, Tom tells the jury about his innocence. He pr...
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.
Injustices There have been many famous pieces of literature, but one that stands out is the 1960's classic To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee. Lee, who only wrote one book in her life time, wrote of prejudice, injustice, and racism in the 1930's. To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the Deep South in the 1930's. To Kill a Mockingbird is a story in which a black mad is accused of doing something he didn't do. During the whole story some of the two of the main characters, Jem Finch and Jean Lousie Finch, grow up in there mind
The novel To Kill a Mockingbird is a timeless American classic that has been appreciated and loved by readers for decades. Harper Lee explores the story of a lawyer and his family in the deep parts of the South who is given the task of defending a black man accused with the rape of an adolescent white girl. Atticus Finch, the father of the protagonist and narrator Scout Finch, represents an elite group of minds that see beyond the invisible lines of race and wish to treat everyone with respect and equality. Atticus faces a series of external and internal struggles that brings meaning to the novel and reveals the overarching themes of the novel. Through several conflicts varying from a child’s misunderstanding to society’s blatant racism, Harper Lee’s Atticus Finch is passionate about upholding his morals and values and instilling in his children the knowledge and wisdom that he utilizes to guide himself throughout life.
Hypocrisy is as much a part of Maycomb’s society as church and community spirit. For example, Mrs. Merriweather talks about saving the poor Mruans from Africa, but she thinks black people in her community are a disgrace (p.234). The hypocrisy of this teaching is shown as soon as she mentions the word ‘persecution’. This is due to the fact that she herself is persecuting the black people of Maycomb by not raising an eyebrow at the killing of innocent black men. Furthermore, it is obvious Bob Ewell is abusive to his daughter, Mayella, and that he is the one who violated her, not Tom Robinson (p.178). Since there is such hypocrisy in Maycomb, there are excuses made for whites. The jury probably thinks that if they pronounce Tom innocent the citizens will mock them as they do to Atticus. Harper Lee uses hypocrisy to show how the people of Maycomb are so engulfed in a variety of elements that they unknowingly complete acts of unjustified discrimination.
How would you like it if someone walked up to you and berated you based on the color of your skin? A characteristic like that isn’t even something you can control, so an insult of that nature can leave one furious and oppressed. Discrimination is inevitable in any culture, throughout history, in modern times, and even in ancient times. For example, the oppression and murder of 6 million Jewish people during the Holocaust, the African Slave Trade which occurred for multiple centuries, and more recently, the “ethnic cleansing” of Rohingya people in Myanmar, brought on by the government of the Asian nation, all of which are tragedies doomed to happen when history repeats itself and people do not learn
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...
Many students believe that Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a commentary on social issues in 1930’s America. However, over time new themes for discussion have grown from the novel. The courage and leadership of characters in To Kill a Mockingbird have become common subjects discussed by today’s students. In this way, Lee’s novel has evolved to meet the changing ideology of humanity. At the time of the novel, standing up against common customs and beliefs was unacceptable, a violation of societal rules. Several characters in To Kill a Mockingbird express outrage at the collective belief system of their community and show resilience in the face of persecution, much as many current leaders face when espousing unconventional views or actions.
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.
“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.
“You never really understood a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around it.” Atticus Finch is a man of extreme integrity. He, as both a lawyer and a human being, stands up for his democratic beliefs and encourages his children to stand up for their own, though they may stand alone. Harper Lee showed how far respect went in To Kill a Mockingbird when Atticus defended Tom Robinson in his rape trial. He did not think twice about being ridiculed by th...
Tom was a Negro; he had black skin and that was enough for the citizens of Maycomb to look at him with contempt. He was falsely alleged for raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman, for this matter. In truth, his only offense was that he dutifully continued to help and talk to Mayella in order for her to feel less lonelier in the desolate place she lived, for completely free of charge. Mr. Gilmer questioned Tom’s deeds during the court, asking for the reason he did all those chores for free. Robinson’s response was,”‘Yes, suh.