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Complex themes of racism in to kill a mockingbird
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Complex themes of racism in to kill a mockingbird
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In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout Finch starts off as an innocent young girl who never thought twice about what she was going to say. However, this changes as Scout goes through many different events which lead her to maturation. Scout has an older brother named Jeremy Finch, who goes by Jem, and a father which she calls Atticus. Her mother died when she was at a young age so she never had any influence to act like a young lady therefore acts like a little boy, always excited for new adventures. Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout Finch learns many valuable lessons such as courage, justice, and social expectations which lead to her loss of innocence and growth of maturity; Lee demonstrates that throughout …show more content…
Courage could also be kept quietly inside and quietly be shown. Atticus demonstrated this when he sits in front of the jail protecting Tom Robinson, a black man, when a mob of men come asking about Tom. “Atticus got up from his chair, but he was moving slowly, like an old man”(152). When Jem, Scout, and Dill showed up, outside of the jail late at night where Atticus was, Atticus was scared because he didn’t want the kids seeing what was going on. However, during this moment, instead of taking the chance to show how brave he was to the kids, Atticus didn’t do anything that made him look brave. He didn’t fight the men but instead he was quietly showing his bravery through his action of standing up for a black male against a crowd of men who didn’t think that blacks should be treated equally. Scout learns that standing up for what you believe in is also courage. When Atticus stood up for Tom Robinson, Scout realizes that Atticus has a lot of courage and that he doesn’t care what other people will do to him. Instead of showing his bravery quietly during this event, he bravely stood up for Tom’s rights during the court. He did everything he could to help prove Tom innocent. Scout becomes more mature after learning of the importance of courage because she understands that courage is a skill that she is going to need later on in
Courage is a deed that can be portrayed in many ways. In the Historical Fiction novel To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, there are many acts of racism and problematic cases where acts of courage are demonstrated in different and unique ways that can only be deciphered if one reads in between the lines of the words. There are three characters in particular who show courage in diverse ways. First, there is Arthur Radley who anonymously shows courage by performing tasks that cause him to face the outside world where he’s been isolated from for so long. Secondly, there is Scout Finch who demonstrates courage through her adolescent age. Lastly, there is Atticus Finch who displays courage through his selfless and kind actions. Therefore, in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses diverse characters to represent different acts of courage.
In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout Finch tries to please her father, but living with no mother it’s hard to know how to act. It’s natural to follow Jem, her brother, when that is her only friend through out the years. Imagine hearing gossip about your father from friends, neighbors, and even your own cousin. Scout had to push through all of the gossip and believe in her father. Throughout the novel Scout shows how social she can be. To Kill a Mockingbird is a great novel that keeps you reading. Scout has a positive effect on events such as at the jail, she was the reason that the mob left. She also always curious so she is more mature than most kids her age. Through the journey of the trial she shows how hot-tempered, tomboyish, and mature she can be.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” is a novel by Harper Lee, that teaches many themes, one of which being very important is courage. Many people think that courage is a man with a gun in his hand, but Lee’s definition is much different. She thinks that courage is when you know that you’re beaten before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. The first quote I have to further explain this is early in the story when Atticus tells Jem and Scout about the court case he is handling. “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win” (Lee 101). Atticus knows he won’t win the court case, but he still tries his best and doesn’t falter whatsoever. Many people scrutinize him for defending a negro, but he ignores them like he should, and shows maturity and courage.
Jem and Scout encounter courage many times on their journey to adulthood. Courage is often defined as a quality that people have that allows them to face danger with bravery. Jem understands courage a little earlier than Scout. In chapter 11, Mrs. Dubose says some hateful words about Atticus, which leads Jem to smashing her flowers. As a punishment Jem had to read to her every day after school for two hours. A conversation between Atticus and Jem shows how he felt about...
"Courage isn't an absence of fear. It's doing what you are afraid to do. It's having the power to let go of the familiar and forge ahead into new territory." ~John Maxwell. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout (Jean Louise Finch), Jem (Jeremy Atticus Finch), and Atticus Finch display acts of valor that contribute, and in some cases encourage their rectitude. Harper Lee demonstrates that acting courageously can lead to an improved, sustained, or newly developed personal integrity.
To Kill A Mockingbird The Maturing of Jem Finch Society is not as innocent to a child as it may appear to be. In fact, when one really understands the society in which he lives he is no longer a child. This is much the same case as found in To Kill A Mockingbird, by Leigh Harper. Although Jem, being a child at the beginning of the novel, is immature and unaware of the society in which he lives, he matures mentally to the point where he sees the evil in society and gains a knowledge of death. Like most children, at the beginning of To Kill A Mockingbird Jem and Scout are both young, play together, and have childhood monsters or fears like other children.
Throughout the novel lee uses the fictional character of Scout Finch to teach her readers many valuable lessons. By the end of To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout has grown up, both physically and emotionally. She continues to learn valuable truths about her community, and seems to understand a lot about what’s going on in the world. Scout really lives up to her name throughout the book, and continues to search for what's
Courage is not something that we are born with, it is a skill that takes time to learn and only a few are lucky enough to have it. To Kill a Mockingbird is not only about life in a world full of hate, it is about standing up for anyone’s beliefs being brave enough to do it. In this story, Harper Lee says “Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do” (Lee 112). In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates courage through Atticus Finch, Mrs. Dubose, and Arthur Radley.
Courage is having the strength to do something that is frightening to most people. It can be something large scale like the responders on 9/11 risking their lives for hundreds of people. Courage can also be something of smaller scale but just as significant like standing up for a black man in a town of racial prejudice. In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, many of the characters she has initiated show courageous qualities. One of those characters is Atticus Finch, father of Jem and Scout who demonstrates courage many times throughout the novel. Standing up for his beliefs, restraining from the negligent tauntings of his neighbors and defending a man whose innocence will not be proved, all show Atticus is the most courageous character
In ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’ written by Harper Lee, there is a precise sense of maturity that is shown by Jem and Finch Scout as the novel progresses. Jem and Scout Finch start to mature considerably throughout the novel once they realize what horrid things adults are capable of, get their moral strengths tested and become familiar with distinguishing right from wrong. Shaping them into the young adults they are. Growing up can mean taking on many tasks and responsibilities, being able to distinguish right from wrong, just like Scout had done on her first day of grade one when she was asked to read in front of the class but came across as showing off. “I knew I had annoyed Miss Caroline, so I let well enough alone and stared out the window until recess when Jem cut me from the covey of first-graders in the schoolyard.
Scout believes at the beginning of the book that courage is all to do with physical feats like fist fighting. Scout and Jem though Atticus was courageous when he shot the mad dog, but Atticus just shrugged it off telling his children that that is not ? real courage?. The children soon see that moral courage is more valuable after Miss Dubose said "Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for!" Chapter 11, Page 113 after they walked past her house.
It was not until Atticus had told Scout not to fight on his behalf, that Scout found the courage inside her to walk away. Her actions here show her respect for Atticus, and her dignity. She realizes now that fighting is not always the best way for her to solve her problems. Even after all the kids were calling her a coward, she had enough dignity to follow her father’s wishes and not fight.
Harper Lee achieved the most important dream of a writer; her book is timeless. The theme of To Kill a Mockingbird, courage, is one that no one can deny is a central idea not only in the novel but also in life. People believe that courage is something that everyone is born with, but I disagree. Atticus once told Scout, “"They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions," said Atticus, "but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.” Only courageous people can teach others to stand up for what they truly believe in.
...innocence. In some sense, because of her age, Scout’s perceiving of happenings in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird are more accurate, ethically speaking. Scout is reluctant to being very feminine because she wants to grow up on her own terms. She sees being feminine as a trap, and she doesn't understand that being masculine has just as many rules. When looking deep into Scout’s character traits, she has lots of morals lessons that she teaches in a roundabout way. She shows that you should not be afraid to stand up for what you believe in no matter your age, gender, or the family that you were raised in. Also, she teaches a lesson continually throughout the story that you can never be able to please everyone and sometimes you have to try very hard to stay true to yourself. The character of Scout has many lessons embedded into her actions if looked deep enough into.
Courage is the trait which allows someone to have the strength to do something that most would be hesitant to do. A person who displays courage has the ability to do things out of their comfort zone. Courage requires wisdom. Great leaders have courage to stand up for others. Walter Cunningham, a boy in Scout’s class, was pressured by his teacher to take money from her which is not something he wanted to do. Scout was able to find courage to stand up to her teacher without second guessing if it was the right decision or not. “That’s okay, ma’am, you’ll get to know all the country folks after a while. The Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back- no church baskets and no scrip stamps” (20). Scout’s bravery and courageousness is demonstrated in this quote because it shows how Scout is able to do something that others would be afraid to do. Scout exhibits courage through her nonconformity and her ability to stand up for what she believes in. By standing up for Walter and challenging her teacher, Scout embodies courageousness and displays leadership. Although Scout gets in trouble for defending Walter, her courage ultimately enables her to become an independent woman with strong beliefs. Scout’s ability to express herself and her beliefs and stand up for her morals demonstrates her courage which leads her to