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Life in the mid-1950s was not easy for everyone. Racism was still a big issue during that time period. In Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee, Jean Louise returns back to Maycomb from New York to visit her father. As the book goes on Jean Louise remembers what means to be a resident in Maycomb, understand the meaning of racism and the issues deep in her family. Jean Louise comes back to Maycomb after leaving for New York to visit her father. Jean Louise and her aunt Alexandra did not get along but came together when she came to visit. Aunt Alexandra disapproves of many thing that she does, including the decision to marry Henry. Jean Louise and her aunt stopped fighting after Jem’s funeral. Alexandra believed that “Jean Louise [should] come home for good”(Page 29) because her father needs her. As she takes walks throughout her hometown she remembers how it was to live here as a kid and how things have changed drastically since then. When Jean Louise went to church she was memorized by the quote “Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he …show more content…
seeth.”(pg.95) as she wanted to see how Herbert Jemson changed it as he was trying to lead them back the mother church. As Jean Louise stay gets longer she starts to understand the meaning of racism. Although Jean Louise had a minor understanding of racism from when she was young.
She started to understand the meaning of racism. Louise remembered how her father was the first white man to handle a person of color’s case. Jean Louise's father had gotten a lot of hate for it, and so did she. The Finch family was very close with Calpurnia’s family who was the family’s maid. Jean Louise had a close relationship with Calpurnia as she thought of her as her mother. One day Hank tells Atticus about Zeebo’s son’s case but continues to tell Atticus that he told them Atticus would not take the case. Atticus tells Hank that he shouldn’t have said he wouldn’t take the case “of course we’ll take the case”(pg.148) as he would do anything for Calpurnia’s family. Jean Louise was very pleased that her father agreed to take the case. Jean Louise starts uncovering the truth deep in her family as her stay comes to an
end. As her stay comes to an end, Jean Louise starts uncovering the truth about her family. One day she goes to see Calpurnia to tell her Atticus is taking her grandson's case. Calpurnia was like a mother to Louise, she loved her so. Louise tried to comfort her by telling her that “Atticus will do his best” (pg.159) and help Frank out. Calpurnia had stopped talking and Jean Louise was disappointed because she wanted Calpurnia to talk to her. Before leaving, Jean Louise asks Calpurnia “...did you hate us” (pg.160) and after a while, Calpurnia finally shook her head. Louise goes to visit her Uncle Jack and tells him about everything. She even asks him what was going on in her family because her aunt and her father were acting very distant at the meeting. Her uncle laughs and she gets mad as he isn't listening to her. Uncle Jack tells her that some of the things he tells her will not pleasant but Louise tells him she doesn't care. Jean Louise just wanted to know “what turned [her] father into nigger-hater” as that was the only thing on her mind.
The book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee gives insight to society's prejudice against age, gender and especially race and how it impacts communities and individuals in a destructive way. Lee establishes how women did not have the same rights as men when she writes, ""For one thing, Miss Maudie can't serve on a jury because she is a woman-" "You mean women in Alabama can't-?" I was indignant." The use of aposiopesis is effective in conveying how shocked Scout felt after hearing this discriminating rule. The hyphen also displays the way Scout precipitously interrupted Atticus in disbelief. This reveals how Scout knew if Miss Maudie could be on the jury, Tom might have been ruled fairly. It proves that gender prejudice made the difference
Harper Lee, the award winning one hit wonder author of To Kill A Mockingbird. At least that is what everyone thought until earlier this year a so-called “first draft” of her famous novel was found and published with the name Go Set A Watchman. I, like many other curious fans rushed out to purchase the first thoughts and ideas of Harper Lee, only to be let down with the quality and content of her original work. Her first idea when thinking about writing this sort of book was to go at it from Jean Louise’s perspective as an adult. It continues to elaborate on the topic of racism in the 1950’s but starts to stray form the main idea and focus more on the internal conflict in Jean Louise. In this journal I will be evaluating the novel Go Set A Watchman.
In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, racism is a major theme. Atticus Finch, the narrator’s father, defends a negro, Tom Robinson, in the court of law against a white man, Bob Ewell. Robinson had reportedly raped a young white girl, Mayella Ewell. But according to Robinson he had gone to help Mayella, as he often did, with work around the house. As he starts helping Mayella, she tries to get Tom to kiss her and will not let him out of the house. Bob Ewell sees this and chases Tom out of the house and accuses him of raping his daughter. Atticus goes against almost everyone in Maycomb County’s opinion in defending Tom Robinson. Throughout the course of the novel, racism effects many characters such as Tom and Helen Robinson, Scout and Jem Finch, and Mayella and Bob Ewell. All these characters had there lives
The novel informs us that the Brown v. Board decision was of great importance and significantly greatly impacted this book. The decision of overturning segregation and forcing racial integration in Maycomb, Alabama is what drove the entire story of Jean Louis coming back to Maycomb and essentially grouping up and forming her own opinions. Go Set A Watchman was set in the mid 1950s, an era crucial to United States history. The Civil Rights Movement in the US began in the mid 1950s and ended in the late 60s. Brown v. Board was a key factor during this movement because many African-Americans were fighting to end discrimination and segregation , and the Brown v. Board
Harper Lee’s novel Go Set a Watchman is a sequel of her previous To Kill a Mockingbird, in which the author portrays the story of a girl Scout, who is now twenty-six years old and visiting her home town for very short period of time, though Maycomb is her hometown but nothing remains the same. Moreover, the author uses her disappointment as a theme which she feels for her home which is now become an ice cream shop as well as she feels great disenchantment with her father as Mr. Atticus completely changes her personality even her childhood friend Henry, changed a lot. Thus, when she comes back from the New York which is her new residency, she only faces grief and unexpected personalities of her beloved ones. Hence, author Lee brilliantly uses
or accept any other opinion. In my essay I am going to write about the
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”-Martin Luther King Jr. This quote shows how racism is like darkness and hate and love and light are the only way to drive racism out. The story takes place at the time of the great depression. Scout lives in a very racist and judgement city in the south. A black male is accused of raping a white woman. Scouts dad Atticus gets appointed to be the defendant's lawyer. Racism is an antagonist in To Kill A Mockingbird because the white people of Maycomb discriminate the blacks and make them feel lesser. The theme racism can be harmful to everyone is shown by many characters throughout the book.
Sum up, the social relationship between these people here, this old town Maycomb is complicated and pretty tense. This novel has taught us so much, thanks to Harper Lee – one of the greatest writers of all time. It has opened our eyes wider about racism at that time and compared it to nowadays it has become so much better. People are equally, no matter what skin color you are, what religion you have, or where you’re from, what you’re appearance looks like, we are all equal, and we are all the same – human. So instead of treating badly to one another we should all united and make the world a better place.
If Maycomb had the ability to speak this is what she would utter. Maycomb is in the heart of Alabama and is the setting of To Kill A Mockingbird. She has been around for years and years; She is talked about as boring and old, yet the youth keeps her young. She was told once that she had “nothing to fear but fear itself”-indeed this was correct. The old town is kept vigorous as courage is demonstrated from adults sticking to their values no matter what, Few adults see new moral values. Atticus and Miss maudie are open to these new moral values that are not yet seen by the rest of the town except by the young kids like Jem
During this time period, everyone looked down on blacks and women, which makes Maycomb one of the same as the discriminators. In particular, the people in Maycomb looked down on Tom Robinson, and many others looked down on Scout. Around the Finch household, Aunt Alexandria always tries to do away with Calpurnia, the black housekeeper and cook as Alexandria says, “We don’t need her (Calpurnia) now.” (182). Injustices in Maycomb include the case of Tom Robinson, the way Aunt Alexandra treats Calpurnia, and the way people treat Scout.
Racism presents itself in many ways in the town of Maycomb. Some are blatant and open, but others are more insidious. One obvious way that racism presents itself is in the result of Tom Robinson’s trial. Another apparent example is the bullying Jem and Scout had to endure as a result of Atticus’s appointment as Tom Robinson’s defense attorney. A less easily discernible case is the persecution of Mr. Dolphus Raymond, who chose to live his life in close relation with the colored community.
As previously mentioned, the point of view in this narrative is from Scout. Her upbringing has been respectful to the African-Americans in her society and she shows this with her relationship with her maid, Calpurnia. Other children her age have adopted their parents' racially prejudice views, causing her of many problems. Atticus's lawsuit seems to isolate his children and Scout is taunted with remarks in the playground. Her only retort is violence and Atticus, as an virtuous father, does not condone this behaviour either: "My fists were clenched I was ready to make fly. Cecil Jacobs had announced the day before that Scout Finch's daddy defended niggers."
Louise has turned into a little girl that must depend on man to take care of her. Louise pleads with Brently to go to the gardens of Paris. She begs like a child begging for something that is impossible to give. Brently must lock her up in their home to protect her from her curiosity and need to see the world. The filmmakers do not give her the commonsense to realize the dangers she would face in seeing Paris and all the other places she would like to visit. Louise remains the little girl in the flashbacks and Brently has replaced her dead father as the soul keeper of her world. Brently must protect her from the world and herself. She is made to be completely dependent on him from her everyday needs to being her only window into the outside world. There are no female positions of authority in her life. Aunt Joe is left in the background and Marjorie must ultimately answer to Brently. Louise is left to see men as the only authority in her life. She herself as a woman must feel powerless to the will of men. Brently even chooses the destinations of their daily visits to far off and exotic places. These excursions are Louise's only escape. Brently is made to be her captor and savior at the same time. Her fate is completely dependent in his yet she is given no control of either.
Recalling her experiences as a six-year-old from an adult perspective, Jean Louise Finch, nicknamed “Scout,” describes the circumstances involving her widowed father, Atticus, and his legal defense of Tom Robinson, a local black man falsely accused of raping a white woman.
... at her home since her husband is helpless as she has herself and her kids to take care of. He thinks that it is not Toms fault he has been accused of something he did not do. He wants to help her knowing that Tom is accused of a serious crime, and no one wants to hire his wife to work so she will not be able to earn. The Reverend's actions in collecting money for Helen shows how the black community is willing to help the Robinson family. They are also very appreciative of how Atticus Finch, a white man, is ready and willing to defend Tom in court, who is a black man, regardless of the criticism that he will get from the blinkered racists who make up the greater part of white society in Maycomb. Finally this is how Calpurnia, Reverend Skyes and the black community members show act of justice, whether it is at church or at home, is displayed and proven in the novel.