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To kill a mockingbird essay , What character changes throughout the novel? In what ways do they change
To kill a mockingbird character development jem
To kill a mockingbird character development jem
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Social Hierachy : To Kill A Mockingbird Maycomb County was a typical southern area during the Great Depression, which had a critical effect on the events that took place. The impact of these actions can be seen throughout the whole society. Most of the society was extremely prejudice towards African-Americans, which was seen as normal. The extremely prejudice town was the reason why, Tom Robinson was wrongly accused, and sentenced to death for a crime that he never committed. The society that made up Maycomb County definitely had its own social classes. Like every society they had both a middle and upper class people. The first and so-called upper class consisted of post-depression wealthy mostly white collared Caucasians. Some of the characters in the story fall into this category, those being Atticus Finch who is a highly respected lawyer in Maycomb County. Families play a very important role in To Kill a Mockingbird. Finch a father of two is a widower who has strong family beliefs. At the beginning of the story Scout expresses how important it is to have a good family connection. …show more content…
The Finch family is highly respectable as they have deep roots going back over a century.
The Finches are hard working Americans, and well educated. Atticus is a very good lawyer who is willing to do anything to protect his children. Like his ancestors he wants them to all be well-educated human beings. He does not want his children to end up like the rest of society. Finch does not like the social division around him and is never one to judge people. He is a very charismatic person with a good heart. Atticus is trying to set a good example for both the community and his children; he wants everyone to be open-minded. Unlike everyone else, Finch takes up the Tom Robison case because he knows that everyone is entitled to a fair trial, which he would not have received if defended by another lawyer. Tom Robinson would not have been given the same rights as a white
man. Unfortunately, poor African Americans like Tom were not able to afford the luxuries as the rich white men. Economic status played a key role in Maycomb’s society. Even Harper Lee explains in the beginning of the book utilizing Simon Finch. Simon finch went to Alabama to establish a whole new life. When he died he passed on his wealth to all of his children; Uncle Jack Finch, Atticus, and even Aunt Alexandra. Social status is viewed as being very important in their society. Others like the African Americans were not as fortunate. “I’ve got it all figured out, now. There’s four kinds of folks in the world. There’s ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, there’s the kind like the Cunningham’s out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes.” (Lee, 226). It’s evident to me that racism is prominent in their society which lead to the trial, that convicted Tom Robinson. You can see how the social hierarchy was blinded by their own prejudice beliefs, which affected their ability to hear the facts in the case, immediately pointing their blame at Tom Robinson just because of his skin color. The social hierarchy in Maycomb County has a tremendous effect on the community and its citizens. No matter how evident it was that Tom Robinson was an innocent man, he was wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit. Even if given a fair trial it was shown to everyone that a black man would never win a case against a white man. They were apart of the lowest class commonly referred to as “Caste” because it was impossible for a African American to escape this social class.
Atticus Finch is a very essential character in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. He is not only the father on Jem and Scout, but he is also defending Tom Robinson. Along with all of the obstacles and challenges that Atticus faces he is still an exceptional role model for the children. He also overcomes the diversity of Negroes and whites that is displayed during his time by standing up and fighting for Tom Robinson and his triumph in court against Bob Ewell. Lee presents Atticus Finch as understanding of Tom Robinson, caring with the children, and calm throughout the Tom Robinson trial.
Atticus Finch is the most significant character, in To Kill a Mockingbird, who challenges racial prejudice as he does not follow the norms, in Maycomb, of being racially prejudice towards others. At first, Atticus Finch is reluctant to take on Tom Robinson’s case; however in the end, he willingly accepts. Unlike the majority of Maycomb residents, Atticus is not racist and makes no distinction upon race, he sees Negroes, just like Tom Robinson, as the same equality as any other person in the Maycomb community. For this reason, he believes they should be trea...
Atticus Finch is a lawyer and father of two children whose names are Jem and Scout. In the novel, Atticus chooses to defend a black man named Tom Robinson who is accused of raping a white woman, even though most of Maycomb is against Tom Robinson due to its racist time setting. He understood that racism was inhumane and innocent people must be defended no matter what race they are. Atticus holds his ground and tries his best to defend Tom Robinson in court, despite the community being against him. Atticus even reminds his children to steadfast during this time of challenge regardless of what other people tell them.
Atticus Finch is a character of stability in an unstable society. He is a balanced figure who is able to cope with the unreasonable and highly emotional town in which he lives. He can manage the prejudiced white masses and still deal justly with the underprivileged Negro population of Maycomb. He is one of the few people who understand the individual worth of a person regardless of the color of his/her skin. This enables him to defend Tom Robinson based solely on the concept of justice and equality. In his closing argument, Atticus explains that, “there is one place all men are created equal. That place is in a court room” (Lee 205). This justifies the fact that Atticus believes in equality in a society, the equality not only of race, but also of sex, class, and religion as well. His view of equality and justice is a symbol of his own psychological stability throughout the novel. Accordingly, in the final analysis of the story, Atticus represents the “justice” in the community of Maycomb. His stability throughout the book is one of the many characteristics that depict Atticus Finch as the novel’s core.
In the beginning epigraph of To Kill a Mocking Bird, Harper Lee quotes a statement made by Charles Lamb: "Lawyers, I suppose, were children once." As told through the eyes of the rambunctious elementary school child, Scout Finch, we see not only how she and her brother's lives are affected by their community, also how they develop and mature under the watch of their father, lawyer Atticus Finch. As a wise role model to his town of Maycomb as well as his children, Atticus Finch becomes a prominently admirable character. As a father, lawyer, friend, and foe, Atticus Finch proves himself to be an honest, selfless, and courageous human being. Throughout many of the books main events, it is always clear that Atticus Finch holds true to his morals and beliefs despite all obstacles.
Atticus Finch is a well-rounded and respected resident of Maycomb County, Alabama. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus takes on the duty of being an attorney and a single father of two adventurous children. He believes in equality among races, although a lot of Maycomb County’s white community thinks they are high and mighty compared to the black folk. In a time of injustice, Atticus represents an innocent black man accused of rape making him respected among the black community. At home, Atticus taught his children important life lessons about equality and putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. This character represents the importance of morality and reasonability. Throughout the novel, Atticus has very good morals and
Atticus Finch is a lawyer in the town of Maycomb In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, he is a father of two children, Jem and Scout Finch. He is a man of wise character and considerate soul. He knows his morals and tries to help his children grow up to be successful and happy. Throughout the novel, Atticus acts justly, loves tenderly, and walks humbly by the way he perceives the people in his life, how he succeeds in his job and treats his family.
A distinct conscience is formed by the values and desires of one’s unique identity. However, common beliefs of societal standards can influence conscientious desires. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee introduces a young girl named Scout, who learns about the difference between social conformity and human conscience. Through this, she notices the conflict it brings: choosing to conform or stand with your desire. Through Maycomb’s discriminatory principles, Atticus’ actions against common beliefs, and Scout’s comprehension of Boo, Lee reveals how society’s standards and conformity hinders personal desires for righteousness.
Atticus Finch as a parent teaches Scout and Jem moral values and tries his hardest to pass on to his children his way of thinking. Atticus worries that his children sees to much racism and injustice, and tries to show his children that all people are equal no matter the color of their skin. He teaches them to go against the norm in Maycomb which is prejudice and unjust in their actions.
He says “I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this country in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not do something again” (Lee 75). He states that he must represent the law no matter what downfall it has for his reputation. Atticus is older than most of the fathers in Maycomb, but follows different moral. He defends anyone regardless of their race or color. This shows how The Finches are well respected and applauded for being well-proper.
Southerners are known to be proud of their traditional beliefs. To Kill A Mockingbird allows its readers to question and consider those beliefs. Maycomb represents a typical old southern town. Not many people move into Maycomb and not many people who live there journey beyond its boundaries. As a result, the opinions held by many of the citizens of Maycomb are left to grow and foster in the same families for many generations. The circumstances in Maycomb are less than ideal for generating change and more prone to sustaining traditionally accepted codes. Two codes embedded within southern social beliefs are class and race.
Atticus Finch was just a man whose ethics were greater than the contemporary normals. In Atticus' time, it was prevalent for whites to convict blacks without them receiving a fair trial. Atticus had higher morals th... ... middle of paper ... ...
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird expresses the ideology that the social standard of a particular individual, classifies their status in the world. Individuals placed in social classes are labeled to create a sense of social identity. The socio-economic class an individual is born into should not be the determining factor of how the individual is regarded and treated, however, their character and personality should be a primary factor in determining how they are thought of in society.
In the novel of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is one of the best attorneys in the town, he treats everyone equally and treats them respectfully and the town thinks highly of him.
Segregation is the exclusion of a certain racial, religious, or other categorized group from actively participating in aspects of society. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, was set during a time period where segregation was customary in society; it affected the way people portrayed certain ideas and how people regarded one another. In the southern United States at this time there was a clash amongst races that separated people. Whites in particular served a less complicated lifestyle than blacks, as blacks were considered to be of lesser importance. The struggles endured by those dealing with segregation were overlooked by the discriminative inhabitants of Maycomb who were brought up in a society where their unjust actions were accepted. Engrained in their minds was an inequality that divided races, which lead to the inability to combine races into an integrated society.