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Themes for the book to kill a mockingbird
Theme of mockingbird in to kill a mockingbird
Themes for the book to kill a mockingbird
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Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a beautiful and well-written novel teaching the reader the difference between right and wrong through various characters. Harper Less shows how characters developed, twisted plot change but society’s harsh judgement was the by far the greatest theme. Maycomb County judges citizens by racism, society’s norms and class division. There was great use of theme, setting and characterization in the novel. Harper Lee uses detailed narrative conventions to shape Maycomb’s society’s judgemental nature in To Kill a Mockingbird.
In To Kill a Mockingbird the novel takes place in the 1930’s in the tired, old town of Maycomb County, South Alabama. Maycomb judges citizens upon skin colour and racism,
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showing blacks are not equal and a lower species compared to white people. Racism has shaped Maycomb’s society’s judgemental nature in To Kill a Mockingbird. An example of racism in the novel is the White church and how White people do not let black skinned people to enter because they are black; even though they both pray to the same god. “You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here- they got their church we got our’n” (pg. 158) Since White people do not let Black people set foot in White Church, Black people do not let White people in either, this creates racial feud. They do not let each other enter each other’s church simply because of racism, even if they believe in the exact same god. Another example of racism that was displayed in To Kill a Mockingbird is Tom Robinson’s case. In Maycomb county, White people are innocent while Blacks have to be punished even if they did not commit the crime. Tom Robinson, a black man was accused of raping and taking advantage of a white woman when he did not do it. “Guilty…” (Pg.282) Tom Robinson was innocent based upon evidence Atticus provided as his lawyer, yet the judge failed to see that as he believes black people are guilty. With these points, racism shapes Maycomb’s society’s judgemental nature in To Kill a Mockingbird. To Kill a Mockingbird’s Maycomb County was a different town than others, filled with people who judge each other for many reasons.
Maycomb has many norms, some of which are considered abnormal in the 21st century. Society’s norms help shape Maycomb’s society’s judgemental nature. An example of society’s norms is the term “Death of a Black man”. Tom Robinson’s death was not very important because death is not “big news” in Maycomb County. It is common for a black man to die. “To Maycomb, Tom’s death was typical. Typical of a *N* to hit and run” (Pg.322). When Tom Robinson died of 17 bullets, his death did not seem to be important to anyone except other black people because a black man’s death was typical in Maycomb County. Another example of society’s norms is reading. Scout is not allowed to read with her father, Atticus because it is not right to her teacher. “Now you tell your father not to teach you anymore. It’s best to begin reading with a fresh mind. You tell him I’ll take over from here and try to undo the damage.” (Pg.23) Scout’s teacher Miss Caroline forbids Scout to read with Atticus by hitting Scout’s hands with a ruler as she wants to try a new technique. Miss Caroline thinks Atticus “damaged” Scout’s reading skills and she wants to fix it. In the end society’s norms help shape Maycomb’s society’s judgemental …show more content…
nature. In the 1930’s class division was everything.
People were separated and judged by wealth from being looked as high as a rich king to being looked down as a poor slave. Anyone in Maycomb could be nice but class division separated everyone. Class division shapes Maycomb’s society’s judgemental nature. An example of class division are the Cunningham’s. Everyone always looks down on the Cunningham’s because they are poor. “He ain’t company Cal, he’s a Cunningham”. (Pg.33) Cunningham’s are considered bad and un-worthy of attention because they are poor. They are just nothing but Cunningham’s. Everyone in Maycomb knows that and looks down upon them. When Jem invited Walter Cunningham, Walter was very nice and sweet to everyone, saying please and thank you but he is still looked down upon just because he is poor. Another example of class division is the rich upper-class men. Scout’s teacher is Miss Caroline who is an upper-class men and wealthy. Miss Caroline’s students’ thinks Miss Caroline is snotty, mean and clueless about Maycomb’s poorer population because she was not from Maycomb and she is too formal for Maycomb’s ways, thinking that not paying back money or not affording lunch is weird. “Ain’t no snot-nosed sl** of a school teacher ever born c’n make me do nothing.” (Pg.37) Miss Caroline does not understand Maycomb’s ways of not being formal as she grew up in- the more formal- Northern Alabama. Miss Caroline’s students thinks she is clueless about lower-class man.
Therefore Class Division shapes Maycomb’s society’s judgemental nature. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is an inspiring novel which everyone should read at least once in their lifetime. In the end of the novel, the harsh judgement Maycomb applies on their fellow citizens will be shown. The citizens of Maycomb County are judge from skin-matching racism, different society’s norms and class division with lower and upper-class men. Harper Less uses Theme, settings and characterization to make Maycomb’s judgement harsher and bitterer. She uses detailed narrative conventions to shape Maycomb’s society’s judgemental nature in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird.
Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is based during the era of racism and prejudice. This era is commonly referred to as The Great Depression and is during the mid-late 30’s. The novel is set in a small town and county called Maycomb, Alabama. The novel follows the story of the Finch’s and their struggle before, during, and after a rape trial that is set against an African American by a white woman and her father.
To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in a rural southern town in the 1930s, when racism was commonly accepted. Blacks were
To Kill A Mockingbird displays an environment where one must be inhumane to another in order to become socially compatible. Maycomb has established a hierarchy where social compartmentalisation is the way of life. Men with a profession and a career are superior, while the farmers are near the bottom of the social strata and are considered inferior. No matter which remarkable qualities Negroes possess, they are always s...
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.
To Kill A Mockingbird is a heroic tale of leadership and courage during racial times. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Atticus, To, Jem and Scout are unfortunately exposed to a really racist and prejudiced society and town. Which ends up causing them to lose a case and really confuse Jem and Scout when they are young. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird, it uses characterization to help show a theme of loss of innocence when people are exposed to surprising and unfair situations.
One of the values of Maycomb is racism. However, there are a few that does not believe in this value, including Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Mr. Dolphus Raymond is a white man married to a black woman and has mixed children. He does not believe in society’s ideology regarding racism and knows that some citizens of Maycomb antagonize him. However, he does not care, as he prefers the colored people over white. He knows how unfair society is, from the way he gets treated. Moreover, Jem realizes the falsities of society, due to the injustice he sensed. After Tom’s verdict, Jem’s first clear sense of injustice provided a new perception on the world. When he was young, he believed that the people of Maycomb are the best folks, but the outcome of the trial changed this thought. Furthermore, Scout’s realization of the falsehood in society is with the hypocrisy of Miss Gates. She was taught by Miss Gates how Americans do not believe in persecution. However, Scout saw Miss Gates talk about the African Americans in an adverse way. Learning about the falsehood in society is part of
In the 1930’s many African American men were wrongly accused of rape and murder. The issue of racism is brought up in the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” when Scout overhears her teacher saying that it's a great thing that this is happening to Tom Robinson because the black men are getting too comfortable thinking that they’re mighty. Racism didn’t only affect Tom Robinson, but it also affected those who supported him. The lives of Scout and her family are changed when Scouts father who is a lawyer, steps in and defends Tom Robinson. Atticus’ lawsuit affects Scout and his children in several ways. As kids who were raised to respect everyone, and not judge people by their race they seem to be the outcast in school because of this. The children in Scouts, school are not accustomed to people respecting African-Americans and as a result they taunt and harass Atticus’ children. As a result of the violence towards Scout, Scout responds to violence with violence. However, Atticus is not happy with the way Scout is handling her problems. Racism is a reoccurring theme throughout the course of the story and affects all of the main characters in several ways. Maycomb as a whole is affected because of racism and many become outcasts such as in Mrs.Dolphus Raymond's
Harper Lee’s only book, To Kill a Mockingbird, is the stereotypical tale of childhood and innocence, yet it successfully incorporates mature themes, like the racism in the South at the time, to create a masterpiece of a work that has enraptured people’s minds and hearts for generations. According to esteemed novelist Wally Lamb, “It was the first time in my life that a book had sort of captured me. That was exciting; I didn’t realize that literature could do that” (111). Scout’s witty narration and brash actions make her the kind of heroine you can’t help but root for, and the events that take place in Maycomb County are small-scale versions of the dilemmas that face our world today. Mockingbird is a fantastically written novel that belongs on the shelves for classic literature that everyone should take the time to read and appreciate for their execution of style and the importance of their content.
Racial prejudice is widespread in the county of Maycomb, and a prime example is the Tom Robinson case. Tom, a black man, was accused of raping Mayella, a white woman. Atticus puts forward all evidence from his witnesses that clearly proves Tom was innocent, Jem even says, ?and we?re gonna win Scout. I don?t see how we can?t? (pg 206), but Tom still received a ?Guilty? verdict. Atticus tried removing the prejudiced thoughts of the jurors by saying, ??the assumption - the evil assumption - that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings??. (pg 208). Atticus? saying insinuated the point that all of God?s children were created equal. To the jury, the only important thing was that Tom was black and the accuser was white, he never stood a chance under those conditions. These racial tensions between blacks and whites had made their way into the courtroom, a place where everyone should receive a fair trial no matter what race or colour, but an unjust verdict was reached. The prejudice that was felt towards Tom made him lose all hope of freedom, and as a result, he died upon an escape attempt. Tom was victim of racial prejudice and loss of hope.
According to Fred Erisman, Maycomb is a very traditional Southern town for two reasons; it has a caste system that works to suppress African Americans and it has a “ubiquitous system of class distinctions among the whites.” (Erisman 2). This caste system can be clearly seen in some characters throughout the novel, like Mrs. Dubose. Mrs. Dubose is very old fashioned, racist, and stuck in her ways. She is also very strongly opinionated, which can be inferred by the way she yells at the Finch children and Atticus Finch as well. In fact, Mrs. Dubose is introduced by yelling to Scout and Jem, saying things like, “‘Don’t say hey to me you ugly girl!’” and “‘what are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress and camisole!’” ( Lee 132 - 135). She also makes unspeakable comments about Atticus and his current client, Tom Robinson. On the contrary, some characters throughout the novel choose to not let Maycomb influence their thoughts and opinions. These characters, like Atticus and Miss Maudie, are viewed as more progressive. For example, while Atticus may not have wanted the Tom Robinson case, he still wanted to try his best and knew he could not carry on if he did not give this case his all (Lee 117). Characters like Atticus also tend
To Kill A Mockingbird is set in a small town in Maycomb County. Alabama, in the 1930s, which was a dark period in time for America. it had been hit by the Depression. Up until 1929, America had been. doing very well, becoming a much richer country.
To begin, Lee shows how prejudice creates conflicts within social classes through Maycomb’s stratified society, and Scout’s Aunt Alexandra. Maycomb has a very obvious social hierarchy where the Finch and Dubose families are very high up, while the Ewells and the Cunninghams are much poorer than others, and are considered much less dignified. Furthermore, Aunt Alexandra is a perfect example of someone who is prejudiced towards people underneath her in the social hierarchy. Aunt Alexandra repeatedly chastises Scout for not dressing like other little girls, and that she needs to uphold the family’s reputation. She believes that since Scout was born a Finch, she is automatically better than others. Sadly, this is far from the only time that she acts like this. When Scout wants to invite Walter Cunningham Jr. over for a play date, Aunt Alexandra responds negatively. She says: “Because-he-is-trash, that’s why you can’t play with him. I’ll not have you around him, picking up his habits and learning Lord-knows-what,” (Lee 301). This quote deeply amplifies how prejudiced Aunt Alexandra is, especially when considering the fact that
The novel To kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is about judgement and reveals that people make decisions based on society’s invented guidelines.
To Kill A Mockingbird, a novel by Harper Lee, takes place in the 1930s during the Great Depression (a time of prejudice and discrimination), which opens up as an account of injustice to the most polite, yet unjustly blamed citizens of the town of Maycomb. The kind hearted, African-American Tom Robinson is unfairly put on trial for the alleged rape of young Mayella Ewell. Despite racial injustices, Boo Radley is mistreated by the community based on the town legends and stories the citizens of Maycomb have created about him, forcing him to live inside his house. Atticus Finch (a strong figure in Maycomb) is made fun of by its people for being a decent human being and sticking to his morals in defending an innocent coloured man. It also features
Not only does race divide the town of Maycomb, it also dictates the ways in which characters conduct themselves in relationships. Race in this small Deep South town is a dividing line between public conductivity and how people conduct themselves in relationships. For example, how people such as Calpurnia who changes the way she talks when she is with company such as the finches then when she is at church. There are also hidden ways of conduct of Maycomb with power, language, and social status; this is acted by the residents of Maycomb. Harper Lee does end up challenging the status quo by exampling a pure and sustainable view on society, this is shown as Jem and Scout change their view on certain people such as Arthur Radley through based on his actions rather than accepting what their town tells them. Harper Lee describes hidden laws control how people act in their environment these are evident in the power roles, language, social status, and the status quo.