Do Bystanders have a responsibility to intervene in crimes? This is a question we tend to ask ourselves very often. In the texts To Kill a Mockingbird and “Stand Up”, one can see the dangers of intervening in crimes. Bystanders are innocent and shouldn't risk their own lives for someone they don't even know. Being a bystander doesn't make you guilty, because it's your choice weather to help and stick up for someone or not. In To Kill A Mockingbird there is a specific character named Miss Maudie who shows a clear side of an innocent bystander by supporting everything that was happening with the trial involving a black man by the name of Tom Robinson having a white man as his lawyer by the name of Atticus Finch. Which back in that time the blacks were treated poorly, but Miss Maudie didn't treat Tom as if he was different. She …show more content…
Miss Maudie says about the trail “ I simply want to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do unpleasant jobs for us, your fathers one of them” ( pg. 215). This quote is saying that not everyone is brave enough to step up for someone else, and also that only certain people like this have the courage to stop something that they know is wrong even if they wanted to. On the other hand Miss Maudie “ was sittin there on the porch last night, waiting I waited and waited to see you all come down the sidewalk and as I waited I thought Atticus Finch won't win, he can't win” (pg.216). This quote also shows that Miss Maudie is seeing what is going on but she doesn't want to step in despite of what could happen. Clearly Miss Maudie supports Tom in whatever
Miss Maudie is a woman in the neighborhood who allows Scout and Jem to play on her lawn, eat her Scuppernongs/ grapes, and explore her vast lot. and was often working in her garden. She was a widow. In the evenings,
... so is sacrificial to one’s rights, it puts them in an undesirable position where they may be harmed as well, and success at being an upstander is not guaranteed. Perpetrators tyrannize those who are unable to stand up for themselves; like how predators seek out the vulnerable preys. Hence, instead of having bystanders to stand up for the victim, the victim should stand up for him/herself. In addition, unlike what Lehrman believes, bystanders are not the most dangerous to the victim; the perpetrator is. Saying that bystanders are the most dangerous is is like saying that if one witnesses something, then he/she is a criminal. Consequently, saying that bystanders should stand up for victims against perpetrators is illogical and naive. Concisely, it is not another’s responsibility to ensure one’s safety and wellness; instead, it is one’s responsibility to do so.
This highlight's how prevalent and ordinary racist discrimination was. The way Scout felt it was wrong to be talking to Mr Raymond also indicates how he was omitted from the community. Racial prejudice divides the town and allows people to be excluded and discriminated against. When Miss Maudie says, "You are too young to understand it." she is discriminating against Scout's age. The use of this cliché illustrates how common it was for adults to not explain things to children because they assumed they would not understand. It also displays how age discrimination was something that happened regularly. Scout often has different views on topics and if she was included in more conversations people within the community could see things from a different vantage point. In this way To Kill A Mockingbird outlines how gender, age and racial prejudice impacts individuals and communities in a damaging
Frances O'Grady, the first woman to be General Secretary of the Trades Union of the UK once said "You just wish sometimes that people would treat you like a human being rather than seeing your gender first and who you are second." To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was about how evil human behavior can change people for the worse in many different cases for example Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. Both were hurt by the evil doings of others around them. Boo by his own father and Tom by the Ewells and their supporters. Scout and Jem's father Atticus was a young black man named Tom Robinson's lawyer in the trial after he was falsely accused by the Ewells who said the he raped 19 year old Mayella Ewell. Sadly he was charged with rape and sentenced
“She had never told on us, had never played cat-and-mouse with us, she was not at all interested in our private lives. She was our friend.” (Lee 59) This was how Scout described Miss Maudie, Scout was explaining her perspective of herself and that she wants to be treated like an adult and that the only one to do so was Miss Maudie. Consequently, this helps the readers understand Scout. Also, Miss Maudie helps to develop Jem’s character by giving him a big cake when he’s supposed to have a small one like Scout and Dill. This shows that she doesn’t consider him a kid anymore which reflects Jem’s journey to adulthood throughout the book. “I simply want to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father’s one of them.” (Lee 288) This quote was Miss Maudie’s way of explaining to Jem and Scout what their father’s job was, in other words, what his character’s job was. Miss Maudie’s quotes and actions were able to help the characterization of the main
To Kill a Mockingbird "I simply want to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father's one of them." – Miss Maudie The quote above states that Atticus Finch was a man who did unpleasant things, but this quote is false. Miss Maudie had every good intention when she told Jem and Scout this and her point was taken in the way she intended it to be taken by the children. Her point could have been better worded if the portion that reads "our unpleasant jobs" were replaced with "what is right." Atticus did unpleasant things only because he knew that they were the right thing to do. Miss Maudie told the children about their father in this way only to avoid saying that the rest of the town was wrong.
Miss Maudie has lnown Atticus Finch, now she has helped to raise Jem and Scout. Miss Maudie has always been there for scout, “I spent most of the remaining twilights that summer sitting with Miss Maudie Atkinson in her front porch.”(Lee 55) Miss Maudie took time out of her day to spend time with Scout when Jem abandoned her in his games with Dill. Miss Maudie acts like a mother would checking on the child and finding something for them to do. Miss Maudie also acts like a parent when she is asked a question. “Why, one sprig of nut grass can ruin a whole yard. Look here. When it
One of the major events in Harper Lee’s award-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird is Tom Robinson’s trial. It is based on the Scottsboro Case that took place in 1931 in Alabama, in which several black men were accused of raping two white women. Both the Scottsboro Boys and Tom Robinson are unfairly judged, however, because of prejudice against colored people. The racial discrimination makes whites’ testimony more believable even when it contradicts itself. The same happens in To Kill a Mockingbird. As we delve deeper into the case and get increasingly closer to the truth, it is quite suprising to see that Mayella Ewell is the true villain rather than a victim. She shall and must bear full responsibility for her actions because she makes the decision to tempt Tom Robinson, gives false testimony in court that directly leads to Tom’s death, and has been well aware of the consequences of her behaviors.
Clearly, Miss Maudie Atkinson proves very influential in Scout’s life. Scout learns many lessons and morals from her, which ultimately help her become a better person. The lessons and morals Scout acquires provide her with many of the tools necessary for success in life and for improving her character. Among many things, Scout learns from Miss Maudie that she should not judge people or believe rumors, act humbly about any skills she possesses, and always maintain a good and positive attitude. However, not only Scout can learn from Miss Maudie. All individuals can take a lesson from Miss Maudie and become a better person in the process.
Although people can fear an outcome of telling the truth or standing up for what they believe is right, being a bystander in a poor situation doesn’t exempt someone from innocence. Whether it involves a murder or telling the truth, if someone knows it is wrong and does nothing to take part in what’s going on they are no better than the ones involved in the conflict. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, both stories involve bystanders. A bystander is not innocent when they do nothing about the problem going on around them.
In Harper Lee’s fictional novel To Kill A Mockingbird, an African American field hand is falsely accused of raping a white women. Set in the 1930’s in the small town of Monroeville Alabama, Addicus Finch an even handed white attorney tries to shed a light on the injustice of this innocent black man’s conviction. Atticus feels that the justice system should be color blind, and he defends Tom as an innocent man, not a man of color.
...if she has instances where scout is hurt or needing help she is always their to support her. Miss Maudie does not ridicule and Judge Scout like Alexandra does instead she creates a supportive environment for scout to thrive and become a modern women.
During the court, Tom Robinson explained everything what happened that night, but that was not the abuse and rape of Ms. Mayella. However, Tom had an embarrassing situation, which Atticus had to explain to Scout later “he would not have dared strike a white woman under any circumstances and expect to live long, so he took the first opportunity to run—a sure sign of guilt.” (Lee 221) Everything Tom tried to do just helped Mayella, but he was wrongly accused of rape. After Tom’s death, Mr. Underwood compares the death with “……..
Mayella, the woman defending against Robinson, comes from a low income and low educated family, making them a poor family. Yet Mayella’s word is still favored against Tom because she still holds a higher social status than Tom just because she is white. In fact, in the novel, Atticus has an important quote regarding the court system that is still true today, “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins.” (Lee, H. (1960). To kill a mockingbird. Philadelphia: Lippincott. pg. 251-252).
A issue that is highly debated is should bystanders intervene when there is trouble, bystanders need to be involved so they can stop the situation, and they should, bystanders can stop the situation by using their voices, when bystanders don’t stop the trouble, it can give the attacker encouragement to continue what they are doing, and finally, if the bystander can’t help, it’s an extra call away from contacting someone who can help. Yes, bystanders should have the right to intervene when there is trouble. First of all, why bystanders should be able to help and can help is that, when bystanders use their voices it can aware the attacker that people are watching and he/she may get in trouble. When bystanders use their voices they can potentially stop the trouble. “But perhaps an even more