Social Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird

1364 Words3 Pages

To Kill A Mockingbird is a dramatic story about human behavior- cruelty, love, compassion, and hatred. The sweet family of 3 lives in the Southern town of Maycomb County. Atticus, the father, Scout Finch, and Scout’s brother, Jem. The Finch family lives in the time period of the Great Depression. Atticus still has his job as a lawyer and that’s when he realizes one of the greater themes of the story- The Existence of Social Inequality. One of my top five favorite quotes in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, was, “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.” The reason I value this quote is because it is a very important concept for kids in today’s …show more content…

“We all know all men are not created equal in the sense some people would have us believe- some people are smarter than others, some people have more opportunity because they’re born with it, some men make more money than others, some ladies make better cakes than others- some people are born gifted beyond the normal scope of most men.” This quote is valuable to me because I know not everyone is equal. Everyone is created differently so each person can be unique in his or her own way. In school there are lots of different people that are smarter than you, but if there weren’t smarter people than you, than you wouldn’t push yourself to be a better person. Tom Robinson knew he was a Negro and that it was his word against two white women, but he was not giving up. He wanted the same opportunity the white women were born with and the only way he could get that opportunity was by not giving …show more content…

The theme that is similar is, revenge. In A Time To Kill, Tonya Hailey, a 10-year-old African American girl is raped by two white racist rednecks. Her dad, Carl Lee Hailey soon seeks revenge on the two men, Pete and Billy Ray. Carl kills Pete and Billy Ray with a rifle as the two guys are headed to their courtroom for what they did to Tonya. In To Kill A Mockingbird Tom Robinson, an African American was charged for rape by two white women. Tom Robinson wanted to seek revenge, but not violent revenge. He wanted to get revenge in the courtroom, and to prove that not all African Americans are violent and

Show More
Related

  • TKAM: Literary Analysis Paper

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel written by Harper Lee. The novel is set in the depths of the Great Depression. A lawyer named Atticus Finch is called to defend a black man named Tom Robinson. The story is told from one of Atticus’s children, the mature Scout’s point of view. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, the Finch Family faces many struggles and difficulties.

    Read More

  • The Role of Racism and Social Injustice in To Kill a Mockingbird

    860 Words  | 2 Pages

    The movie ‘To kill a Mocking Bird’ is based on a novel under the same title. The story in the novel is about Scout Finch, her brother Jeremy and their widowed father Atticus who is a prominent lawyer in a little town of Alabama called Maycomb. Maycomb is suffering during the great depression but because Atticus is a prominent lawyer the family is reasonably well off compared to others in the little town of Maycomb. Life was hard and there existed a distinct social hierarchy amongst the white community in Maycomb. Slavery was a norm and the relationship that existed between the black and white was only that which could be expected in such circumstances and nothing beyond.

    Read More

  • Inequality and Prejudice in Harper Lee's Novel To Kill A Mockingbird

    1140 Words  | 3 Pages

    How can the word “equality” be defined? Is there actually a definition which everyone can agree with? “The quality of being the same in quantity, measure, value, or status”; that is the explanation any dictionary may provide. The problem is, no one has the same way of applying this definition to the real life, and people have different perceptions of what equality really means. In Harper Lee’s novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, this idea of looking at equality from different points of view is one of the main themes and situations presented. Narrated by a young South American girl in the 1930’s, this book explores the several cases in which one can view the rest of the world as something beautiful, while others can opt to say it all looks dark and hateable. This innocent girl, Scout, faces many situations involving racism, classism, fear of the unknown and various types of prejudice which make a great impact on her life and teach the reader countless life-lessons.

    Read More

  • How Does Atticus Finch Show Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

    720 Words  | 2 Pages

    Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, is set in Maycomb (Modern day Monroeville), Alabama. The time period of the novel is the early 1930s. During this time period, the Jim Crow laws which promoted segregation were in effect. Atticus Finch, one of the main characters, is a white lawyer with two young children Scout and Jem who defends a black man named Tom Robinson. Prejudice is a common practice among the residents of Maycomb. Some of Maycomb’s residents display their prejudice towards Tom Robinson. This is not the case with Atticus Finch. Atticus reveals his character by displaying the qualities of courage, integrity and tolerance to the residents of Maycomb.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Social Justice Analysis

    583 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Harper Lee’s book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee presents the idea that wisdom is demonstrated by going against the majority’s thoughts, and having one’s own sense of right and wrong. Social justice requires wisdom to have respect for people of all backgrounds. Harper Lee created the character of Atticus to present this idea of social justice in her book. Atticus Finch represents social justice by the way he deals with racism, drug addiction, and violence.

    Read More

  • Justice In To Kill A Mockingbird

    720 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Pulitzer Prize winner, To Kill A Mockingbird, not only alerted the world of social inequality in the South, but also highlighted the significant impact of one man’s will to bring justice to all members of society. Scout, the young and naive narrator, details the events of her life in the American South during the Great Depression, while also providing the reader a look into the racial inequality and bias that plagued her world. Harper Lee uses her book to establish the idea that while living in a an unjust society there still exist individuals who have a desire to fight for justice.

    Read More

  • Social Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

    1017 Words  | 3 Pages

    Through the creation of the microcosm of Maycomb in her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee is able to comment on the inherent existence of key inequalities prevalent in society in the 1930s and contemporary society today. Lee utilises her characters to make a social comment on the presence of social inequality between the black and white communities to render racial prejudice as a pivotal influence on the text. Harper lee also accentuates the ramifications of the lack of moral education that consequently highlights its importance in the text. Finally, Lee is able to present the dichotomy between good and evil that is imperative to maintain a social equilibrium. These notions are explored in the novel through her characters and various

    Read More

  • Classism In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1005 Words  | 3 Pages

    How often do stereotypes about families or races make their way into everyday conversation? In To Kill A Mockingbird racism and classism are one of the main issues in Maycomb County, the setting of the story. These issues lead me to believe that one theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is race and social class play a large part in human interaction. Some people who share this idea are Atticus, Mrs. Dubose, and Aunt Alexandra.

    Read More

  • How Does Atticus Finch Mature In To Kill A Mockingbird

    973 Words  | 2 Pages

    The American classic and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place in the nineteen-thirties narrated by Scout Finch, a young girl growing up during the Great Depression in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. She and her brother, Jem learn and mature throughout the novel. They gain knowledge, experience, and courage from characters such as their father, Atticus Finch, and their many neighbors. Scout and Jem have a childlike innocence, believing in the good of others which is quickly shattered by Mrs. Dubose, is the Finches neighbor, Atticus Finch, Scout and Jem’s father, and Boo Radley, a citizen of Maycomb who the children have always been curious about. Through the actions of Mrs. Dubose, Atticus Finch, and

    Read More

  • Examples Of Social Injustice In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1423 Words  | 3 Pages

    Social justice is a significant topic known all too well in today's society. Social justice is defined as promoting a just society by challenging injustice and valuing diversity. It exists when "all people share a common humanity and therefore have a right to equitable treatment, support for their human rights, and a fair allocation of community resources. People sometimes say that justice is when bad guys get punished, the good guys get rewarded and that everyone gets a fair go. However, what transpires when society itself is the 'bad guy'?

    Read More

  • How Does Harper Lee Impact Society

    1240 Words  | 3 Pages

    To Kill A Mockingbird was told through the eyes of Scout Finch, you learn about her father Atticus Finch, an attorney who hopelessly strives to prove the innocence of a black man unjustly accused of rape; and about Boo Radley, a mysterious neighbor who saves Scout and her brother Jem from being killed. The book also explores civil rights and racism in the segregated Southern United States. The book took place in the 1930’s in Maycomb, Alabama. The main characters were Scout Finch; Atticus Finch; Jem Finch; Tom Robinson; Bob Ewell; Boo Radley.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Social Injustice Analysis

    701 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bayard Rustin once said “We are all one – and if we don’t know it, we will learn it the hard way.” Thank you to Warwick Literacy Society it is a privilege and an honour to be presented with this award. My thanks must also go to Harper Lee for bringing us the classic novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”. It is the way Lee tackles the themes of social injustice and racism that gives this novel its ever-growing popularity. Harper Lee uses events and characters to positions the reader to become aware racism and social injustice in the world around them and challenges them to make a difference. Lee uses the unprejudiced voice of Scout to explore these themes.

    Read More

  • Conscience In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1074 Words  | 3 Pages

    One theme is loss of innocence, which occurs in Chapters 28 - 31. Jem and Scout are saved by Arthur Radley after a man attempted to murder them. Scout finally sees Arthur for the first time, and ends up sitting with him outside. She takes him home. When she goes back, she connects the book Atticus was reading to her to Arthur, realizing that Arthur was actually much more docile and amiable than rumors proclaimed. She originally believed that he was malevolent, and shook in terror whenever she came close to his house. Her fears are dispelled after she finally understood who he truly is. Another theme is race and racism. It is more obvious in comparison to the others, and many teachers across the country use To Kill a Mockingbird as an example of racial injustice. The theme is particularly prominent when Tom Robinson gets convicted for an alleged rape despite the evidence that Atticus presented pointing otherwise. The jury consists of white men, who based their decision on purely circumstantial evidence and their own prejudiced beliefs against African-Americans. It is also prominent when nearly everyone in the county criticizes Atticus, harshly insulting him for defending Robinson. They even do so in front of his children, which Scout and Jem react fairly violently to on occasion. The final theme, although there are much more, focuses on moral education. Atticus teaches Jem and

    Read More

  • Many Forms Of Discrimination In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1220 Words  | 3 Pages

    What is discrimination? Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, and sex. There are many forms of discrimination. Such forms are; sexism, racism, sexual orientation, religious and spiritual belief, age, class, body type, ethnicity, social class, religious belief, and wealth. I am going to discuss sexism, racism, social class, and wealth. Even though discrimination is immoral, but it still continues to exist. In 1930, it was appeared to be more prevalent than in today’s society. There many forms of discrimination present in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama.

    Read More

  • Social Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird Analysis

    1680 Words  | 4 Pages

    Plessy lost the controversial case wholly due to his race despite being 18 black. We can also see this type of racial injustice in To Kill a Mockingbird. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson (an African American man who is a field worker) is accused of raping Mayella Ewell (a white girl). Tom testifies to the court and is cross examined by Mr. Gilmer, the lawyer leading the prosecution. At one point in the trial, Tom states: “I felt sorry for her” (Lee 201).

    Read More

More about Social Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird

Open Document