Long ago, everyone lived in harmony. Then everything changed when people from Europe took slaves from Africa which ended up in America. Only Harry S Truman, angry from lynching events, could stop inequality in the 1930s. But when he was needed the most, his term hadn’t started yet. “I believe in brotherhood….of all men before the law….if any (one) class or race can be permanently set apart from, or pushed down below the rest in politics and civil rights, so may any other class or race……and we say farewell to the principles on which we count our safety…….The majority of our Negro people find but cold comfort in our shanties and tenements. Surely, as free men, they are entitled to something better than this” (Harry Truman and Civil Rights). To …show more content…
Scout and Jem suffered Bob Ewell’s hate towards Atticus. Luckily Boo Radley saves them from Bob’s threat. Bob Ewell was lying on the ground with a kitchen knife stuck up under his ribs (Lee, 270). Hatred is developed from injustice. Bob Ewell attacking them shows the moral injustice in the book. To Kill a Mockingbird portrays the treatment of parents to their kids shape their future. Boo’s father, locked Boo up inside the Radley house. Boo, even after his parents death, never set out of his house when there was no reason to. “Thank You for my children Arthur” (Lee, 370). Atticus thanked Boo for saving Jem and Scout’s life from Bob Ewell. However, Boo didn’t respond which portrays Boo’s suffering from his dad’s punishment. Even with the death of his father, Boo’s dad shaped him to be that kind of …show more content…
Racial inequality provided everyone their status in life. As a white person, you had rights and privileges. As a black person, you had nothing in life. “The wide discrepancy between the funding for white and black schools. The attempts to withdraw even that little money from black schools in order to fund white and the obvious even virulent racism of the school systems, brought the southern issues into the forefront as the Great Depression deepened” (J. Stakeman, and R. Stakeman). With kids being segregated, they are shown the inequality between the two races. This generates stereotypes that would be passed on to the next generation, producing a cycle that won’t end unless action is taken. Black people weren’t considered important in the 1930s. Lynching portrayed the unimportance of black people towards white people. In the 1930s, mobs frequently slaughtered black people without legal trial. “The first politician to take a visible stand against lynching was President Harry S. Truman, in 1946. Shocked by a lynching in Monroe Georgia, in which four people—one a WORLD WAR II veteran—were pulled off of a bus and shot dozens of times by a mob, Truman launched a campaign to guarantee CIVIL RIGHTS for blacks, including a push for federal anti-lynching laws “ (lynching). African Americans were easily targeted in lynch mobs due to their status in life which was not as superior as to white people. Inequality among the people
Bob Ewell decided to get back at Atticus for the Tom Robinson case by attacking his kids. Boo Radley saved Scout and Jem by stabbing Bob but Heck Tate is insistent on saying that Bob fell on his knife. Atticus agrees and then explains the situation to Scout. Scout explained to him, “‘ Yes sir, I understand,’ I reassured him. ‘Mr.Tate was right.’ Atticus disengaged himself and looked at me. ‘What do you mean?’ ‘Well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?’” (Lee 370) This excerpt depicts that Scout understands how turning in Boo for doing a good deed would be comparable to that of killing a mockingbird. Killing a mockingbird in these times was considered a sin due to the fact that they were completely harmless. This relates to the topic sentence because Scout compares Boo to a mockingbird, more specifically she compares the innocence of the two. She sees that a mockingbird does nothing except make music, similarly to Boo who does nothing except mind his own business and in the end save the Finch kids and the town from the burden of Mr.Ewell. Neither of the creatures cause any harm to anyone so they should not be punished for their simple ways. Another time Boo shows how he connects to Scout is when Scout walks Boo home after he saves her and Jem from Bob. She is standing on the Radley porch and reflects on the past years events through Boo’s eyes. Scout thinks, “ Autumn again, and Boo’s children needed him. Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.” (Lee 374) This quote shows how Scout begins to see things from other people’s point of view. She looks back at the past few years but this time from Boo’s perspective.This connects to my topic sentence because Scout finally sees the innocence of Boo. She sees that he is exactly like a mockingbird, this whole time they
In the novel, ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee some characters suffer in the hands of justice and fairness more than others. Many characters in the novel are discriminated against such as Calpurnia, Dolphus Raymond, Helen Robinson, Burris Ewell and more. However I will be focusing on the discrimination against Tom Robinson for his race, Walter Cunningham for his low socioeconomic status and Boo Radley for the rumors and supposed mental instability he holds. I chose those three because they are the most prominent and I will discuss how the discrimination against the characters therefore leads to their injustice or unfairness.
Although many laws were passed that recognized African Americans as equals, the liberties they had been promised were not being upheld. Hoffman, Blum, and Gjerde state that “Union League members in a North Carolina county, upon learning of three or four black men who ‘didn’t mean to vote,’ threatened to ‘whip them’ and ‘made them go.’ In another country, ‘some few colored men who declined voting’ were, in the words of a white conservative, ‘bitterly persecute[ed]” (22). Black codes were also made to control African Americans. Norton et al. states that “the new black codes compelled former slaves to carry passes, observe a curfew, live in housing provided by a landowner, and give up hope of entering many desirable occupations” (476). The discrimination and violence towards African Americans during this era and the laws passed that were not being enforced were very disgraceful. However, Reconstruction was a huge stepping stone for the way our nation is shaped today. It wasn’t pretty but it was the step our nation needed to take. We now live in a country where no matter the race, everyone is considered equal. Reconstruction was a success. Without it, who knows where our nation would be today. African American may have never gained the freedoms they have today without the
For 75 years following reconstruction the United States made little advancement towards racial equality. Many parts of the nation enacted Jim Crowe laws making separation of the races not just a matter of practice but a matter of law. The laws were implemented with the explicit purpose of keeping black American’s from being able to enjoy the rights and freedoms their white counterparts took for granted. Despite the efforts of so many nameless forgotten heroes, the fate of African Americans seemed to be in the hands of a racist society bent on keeping them down; however that all began to change following World War II. Thousands of African American men returned from Europe with a renewed purpose and determined to break the proverbial chains segregation had keep them in since the end of the American Civil War. With a piece of Civil Rights legislation in 1957, the federal government took its first step towards breaking the bonds that had held too many citizens down for far too long. The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was a watered down version of the law initially proposed but what has been perceived as a small step towards correcting the mistakes of the past was actually a giant leap forward for a nation still stuck in the muck of racial division. What some historians have dismissed as an insignificant and weak act was perhaps the most important law passed during the nation’s civil rights movement, because it was the first and that cannot be underestimated.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows the reality of the world in the 1930s through the point of view of a little girl named Scout. She starts as a carefree tomboy, but learns to be more ladylike as the story continues. Her life really starts to change during a trial where her father is defending a black man. Also, she learns that killing a mockingbird is a sin.Overall, she grows up throughout the book, and starts to realize all the issues of Maycomb.
Atticus does realize, however, that Jem and Scout will undergo cruel comments, but he believes Scout and Jem will be able to conquer them. When Bob Ewell spat Atticus, as well as threatened Atticus, it is made clear that his intent is to seek vengeance. “It was Miss Stephanie’s pleasure to tell us: this morning Mr. Bob Ewell stopped Atticus on the post office corner, spat in his face, and told him he’d get him if it took the rest of his life” (Lee 290). This quote communicates that Mr. Ewell will stop at nothing to get revenge on Atticus for making him seem as he is a fool, which ultimately results in him dieing and wounding Atticus’s children in a way that exposes extensive clarity. Jem’s arm is now broken and Scout was injured. However, in the end, Boo Radley saves both Jem and Scout and everything serves justice when Bob Ewell seems to kill himself when falling on his knife. This signifies that Bob Ewell would no longer pester anyone about anything and will no longer be abusive of his children and continue his irresponsibility. In addition, some may counter that Atticus knows he is putting Jem and Scout in a difficult position where nearly everyone in Maycomb is criticizing them and their family. “‘Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for’” (Lee 135). Mrs. Dubose goes as far as saying that Atticus is worthless, by her definition, and is simply yet another case of the point exhibiting Maycomb’s racism and discourtesy towards Atticus, Jem, and Scout. Despite this, as a result, good is the outcome. Jem and Scout learn to overcome harsh occurrences through the use of courage, another one of Atticus’s means of getting his children to do what is honorable, and get his children to get the better of those brutal moments that drag others
The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, takes place during the Great Depression in Southern Alabama. Throughout the story Scout (narrator and main character) and her older brother Jem try to understand what social inequality means and what causes it. Since their father Atticus Finch was a lawyer, with high moral standards, they were higher up in the social class. Atticus taught his children that everyone should be treated the same and with respect, no matter where they came from. People should not judge people based on their abilities or appearance because it does not define who they are.
In today’s advanced society individuals have greater protection against discrimination by race, religion, social status and sexual orientation. To Kill a Mockingbird is based on the 1930’s when prejudice and injustice were in the Southern States of America (Alabama). Firstly, Negro and White societies are distinct and segregated, in that: Negroes and White lived in different neighbourhoods, Negroes worship in their own church and Negro and White children attend separate schools. Scout also reveals that Maycomb’s citizens do not allow women to serve on juries and expect them to look well-mannered (well dressed).In addition, social status is also very important in Maycomb. Ewells lived near the garbage dump. Aunt Alexandra didn’t allow Scout to invite Walter for dinner because he was a Cunningham. In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Scout and Jem discovers that, Maycomb is a community where individuals are discriminated according to their gender, social status and race.
Everyone just wants a fair chance and to be treated equally, but in "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee that isn't always the case. "To Kill a Mockingbird" is about a little girl named Scout, Growing up in the town of Maycomb in Maycomb county and the many ups and downs of being the town lawyers daughter. She's growing up and living in a town where people are treated differently based upon their status in the town and not based on who they are as people.
Imagine, you are with friends. You are a rich, white, 16 year old boy in Texas. You smoke weed, get high and drunk. You get into the car with friends even though you already cant drive but you still have your own car. Then while driving in texas you kill three people. When you get to court, the punishment is you get to go got to a huge on parole with Xbox, PSP and flat screens, and much more. Now imagine the same scenario, with the same judge around the same time, but you are black.. You go to jail for ten 10 years only because you are not rich or white Unfair right? Well in the Ethan Couch case, this inequality happened and it happens often,even in fiction stories like in the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. In this book, a black
During 1880 to 1960, most of the southern states enforced Jim Crow laws, which separated blacks and whites because, socially, they were considered unequal based on skin colour and education. These laws, as well as other factors including the KKK and the Great Depression, caused bias and discrimination in the court with trials such as Plessy v. Ferguson - all favouring the whites. In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, it is implied that injustice is a prevalent issue that can affect anyone and symbolizes the victims as the mockingbird, portraying innocence. Tom Robinson is falsely accused of rape, and condemned because he felt sorry for a white and it was their word against his. Arthur Radley, renamed Boo by neighbourhood rumors, is
Were you put out of a job just of your gender or because you were not confident or strong enough like everyone else? In the 1920’s and 1930’s they had specific gender roles for men and women. Women had to cook, clean, and stay home with the kids while the men work all day. The children had to experience this at a young age to be ready for adulthood. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird have many social inequalities that occur and in our society today.
In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the author, Harper Lee, uses the theme of racism to express the social inequality in the town of Maycomb, Alabama. I think this is best shown in the trial against Tom Robinson when the jury chooses to blame an innocent man based on the color of his skin.
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird unfairness is the main theme that is reflected towards many characters. Many characters are treated unfairly based on race or their attitude towards the society they live in. The town of Maycomb becomes very unfair when Atticus defends Tom Robinson, an African- American who has been accused of rape. unfortunately,
Racism has plagued America since it was made independent. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Atticus finch must defend Tom Robinson from a false accusation of rape from Mayella Ewell, but the town finds him guilty because he is black. America will never reach true racial and social equality, because there will always be prejudice, there has been racial problems since America was made, and racism has so much power in our world.