The verge of human limitation. How far does it really go? From the worst human persecutions, to public shaming. Some people have more tolerance for this than others. In the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” Atticus has an immense tolerance for this and keeps standing for what he believes in regardless of what others say and think. This shows the theme and teaches us as the reader to be perseverant. In the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, the obvious theme is that people should stand for what they believe in regardless of the consequences.
In the book “To Kill a Mockingbird”, readers see examples of Atticus's being put down in many parts of the book. In one part specifically, Atticus’s nephew at a family gathering call him a “nigger-lover.” this shows that even atticus extended family doesn't stand behind him. They go as far as calling him derogatory names.“ ‘Nigger-Lover’ yelled Francis” (119). This was said because the family doesn’t like that Atticus defends this man in court and they think it gives
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their family a bad reputation. To me this means that even though he family shames him for defending a black man Atticus keeps defending him because he believes that it is the right thing to do. He keeps going and stands up for what he believes in. This is true perseverance and diligence. In an another example there is compelling foreshadowing that atticus will not win even though all signs point to tom being innocent.
Regardless he still works as hard as he can to keep tom free. It shows how perseverance he really is. He believes that everyone deserves equal but because of his skin color Tom is being treated differently. “The one place where a man should get a square deal is the courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way to carry their resentments into the court” (189). Being and all white jury striked of all black people there was much prejudice towards Tom. He knows there is virtually no way he can win because of all the rasim. Again he keeps standing for what he believes is right. Atticus ignores what everyone else says and focuses on the case.> He keeps on going and working on the case the hardest he can. He knows that the townspeople think down of him because he helps a man of black skin but he defends him
anyways. Our third and last quote there is once again evidence that shows he is even known for standing up the right thing. “ ‘Did it ever strike you that Judge taylor naming Atticus to the case to defend the boy was no accident’ “ (289). Said by one of the town’s ladies even they know that he is a fair kind hearted man who has compassion for all. It seems that everyone from the judge of the town and the ladies all likewise think of Atticus the same. He is very courteous and perseverant. The people of maycomb alabama know of his kindness and some stand with him and his beliefs but many oppose his views. This is most likely what harper lee wants us to take away from the story. We are again and again shown the theme through a plethora of ways. In the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” by harper lee the character atticus will go to any lengths to stand for what he believes in. The book has a compelling theme of perseverance is very dominant. It teaches us as the reader to stand for what we believe in even if it’s hard to do so. Have you ever wondered what the human limit is. It’s different for every person, Atticus is tolerant to this and remains perseverant.
Atticus has a certain pressure to work on this case. He is punished and despised by the racist whites that think he is doing the wrong thing because Tom Robinson is a black man. At one point in the story a mob of whites come to the jail seeking Tom Robinson. Atticus knows they are going to make trouble for Tom so he stands up to them. He says, "' You can turn around and go home now Walter. Heck Tate's around here somewhere. '" This says he is an unselfish and courageous person. He also feels pressure from the blacks. They will accept him if he defends Tom but they wont if he does not. Lastly and the thing that makes him do it the most is his own conscience. I think he would not forget the time of the trial and have guilt for the rest of his life if he didn't try for Tom Robinson. Atticus telling the reasons why he is doing the case, "'the main one is, if I didn't, I couldn't hold my head up in town, I couldn't represent this country in legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem what not to do.
The Finches are a well-known family in Maycomb, as well as very respected. However, they are still hounded by the people of Maycomb, including their own family because of their values, as well as their race. Many times, throughout the novel, Atticus is called a “nigger-lover”. Scout encounters this when her cousin, Francis, says, “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” (110). In this quote, Francis is insulting Atticus in front of Scout because of his choice to defend
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.
Scout Finch is a strong-headed figure who stands up for what she thinks is right, especially when defending her father. Even though she might not understand the exact implications of a slight to her father, she is quick to rush to defend him. Although her anger is sometimes misplaced, Scout’s frustration initiates from a boundless love for Atticus, and a wish to protect his reputation. In one instance, after Atticus is called a “nigger lover”, Scout pounces and pummels the instigator of the taunt. She later told her Uncle Jack, “I ain’t very sure what it means, but the way Francis said it…
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
The reader can then infer that in To Kill a Mockingbird, society believes that white people are a symbol of the superior race, and colored people are a symbol of the inferior race. Neither of which is true because no one person is one-hundred percent honorable or evil. Unfortunately, stereotypes and beliefs of the time lead the people of Maycomb County to be unable to view everyone as equal and instead only focus on race. Tom’s situation is an overall representation showing that when people treat others differently based on color that someone will have to face the consequences of this thought process. In the book, Tom fails to receive a fair trial just because he is black, yet many years earlier in the 19th century, Sir William Garrow coined the term “innocent until proven guilty.” The phrase itself never specifies only being true for white people or any certain group of people, for that matter. Due to personal bias, the people of the time are able to twist that phrase and unfortunately warp it into something closer to “guilty until proven innocent.” The reader can infer based on his actions of distancing himself that Atticus feels misunderstood and even alone. He is fighting a battle
Tom is accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell, and is faced with the charge of spending his life in prison. As a state in the south during the 1930s, racism was a commonplace in Alabama. However, Atticus’s thoughts are different from many of the people around him. Contrary to many of the other folks, he believes that blacks (and all people) should be treated in an equal way. Although he knows what the town will think of him if he accepts the case, after barely any hesitation, Atticus agrees to defend Tom. This was mainly done on his own terms, but also taking into considering the impact it will have on his children. He explains to Scout reasons why he is defending Tom, “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” (Lee 86). He works as hard as he can to defend Tom in the best way possible, even though he knows it may very well be of no use, as the outcome of this case was basically predetermined at the
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, many different themes come into view. One major theme that played a big role in the character’s lives is racial prejudice. Racism is an unending problem throughout the book. The song “Message from a Black Man” by The Temptations has many similarities to the theme of racial discrimination. Therefore, both the novel and the song prove that racism was a great obstacle for some people at a point.
Atticus Finch does not let anyone else's opinion affect what his beliefs are. In chapter eleven of "To Kill a Mockingbird," Atticus explains to Scout what a "nigger-lover" is. He tells Scout, "It's hard to explain-ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody's favoring Negroes over and above themselves. It slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want to use a common, ugly term to label somebody" (Lee 113). Obviously, Atticus doesn't believe the term is funny or clever. The southern town of Maycomb, Alabama had adopted this term as a racial slur. All throughout the trial of Tom Robinson, racist white people judged Atticus for defending a black man. This racism has now been transferred into schools across the country.
Prejudice is a real life problem in the world. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee describes the prejudices found in a small American town in the 1930's. Race, social class, and gender are examples of prejudice.
"Any ordinary favour we do for someone or any compassionate reaching out may seem to be going nowhere at first, but may be planting a seed we can 't see right now. Sometimes we need to just do the best we can and then trust in an unfolding we can 't design or ordain." - Sharon Salzberg. To Kill A Mockingbird embodies those very words in every aspect and exemplifies them through its three main characters: Atticus, Scout, Jem. Yet, with racism and discrimination seemingly making its way back into the twenty first century with increased shootings of African American males and Donald trump making an effort to export all Muslims out of America etc..., the
One of the most tolerant characters in this book is Atticus Finch, the father of the narrator Scout and her older brother Jem. Atticus is a respected man in the community of Maycomb and also works in law as a lawyer which is comparable to Brennan who was a judge and wrote the court opinion “Texas v. Johnson.” Another character in the book, Mrs. Dubose, has a nasty nature and insults both Atticus and his children when they walk by but he still sees her as an amazing person and even went as far as to call her “the bravest person [he] ever knew” (Lee 128) because behind the insults was a person struggling with addiction and working to fight it. Atticus knew this and he treated her with respect and was tolerant to her merciless opinions of him which makes his character one of the most tolerant of the community and that is why he is so respected by most of the people there. A few pages prior to calling Mrs. Dubose the “bravest person” one page 120 he was talking to Scout about others opinions and how they believe themselves to be right and Atticus to be wrong. In reply he says “they're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions... but before [he] can live with other folks [he’s] got to live with [himself]. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience” (Lee) expressing his tolerance for others and respecting their ideas and opinions of him and his ideas in the most intellectual and peaceful way possible. Atticus also shows that he believes that looking back on one’s life, they must see if their decisions reveal a person that they are proud to
The book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel. It is set in the 1930s, a time when racism was very prominent. Harper Lee emphasizes the themes of prejudice and tolerance in her novel through the use of her characters and their interactions within the Maycomb community. The narrator of the story, Scout, comes across many people and situations with prejudice and tolerance, as her father defends a black man.
When taking the case he overcomes the people 's ignorance, is able to avoid negativity, and is still able to see the good in people rather than following society 's opinion .When Atticus and Scout were talking “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”(Atticus. 30). Atticus knew better than having to follow society unfounded ideas he chooses to value his ideas first then clouding his ideas. Atticus was wise to not go against Tom Robinson but to defend him because he was able to demonstrate the power he had toward society and give hope to the colored people . Atticus wisdom to Defend Tom Robinson was correct by the way he was able to put his values and believes then judge a person for the color and unfounded ideas. As when Scout and Atticus were talking about favoring negroes and thinking bad about them."Nigger-lover is just one of those terms which doesn 't mean anything-like snot-nose. It 's hard to explain--ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody 's favoring Negroes over and above themselves." (113). As Atticus is able to give hope to the negroes teach there kids to learn a true lesson in life he is able to shoulder all the negativity. Atticus develops a way to to keep his head up high than letting the
This quote relates to tolerance/compassion. This relates to tolerance/ compassion because of what scout said. Scout said she would of felt bad for Miss. Caroline but since Miss. Caroline was rude she didn't feel bad. I think Scout thinks very maturely and can hold a grudge. In her writing she has a mature essence. I also think this was because of the time because they seemed very mature for how old they are. I think Scout will come around to Miss. Caroline. How does a six year old express her feeling this