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Lessons to learn from killing a mockingbird
Important ethical dilemmas that occur throughout killing a mockingbird
Historical context in to kill a mockingbird
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The Message of Moral Responsibility in To Kill a Mockingbird
Not only is To Kill a Mockingbird a fun novel to read, it is purposeful. Harper Lee wrote the novel to demonstrate the way in which the world and its people should live together in harmony through a basic moral attitude of treating others with respect and kindness. The novel received the Pulitzer Prize in 1960, which places it among the best adult novels ever written; although it achieved this high recognition, today’s primary readers are adolescents. However, at the turning of the twenty-first century, one might wrongfully assume Harper Lee intended To Kill a Mockingbird a novel for adolescents and ignore its lessons for adults. According to “’Fine Fancy Gentlemen’ and ‘Yappy Folks’: Contending Voices in To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Theodore Hovet and Grace-Ann Hovet, Lee’s work is important because she does not supply the normal assumptions most in America harbor regarding the origins of racism. To the contrary, they argue that “Rather than ascribing racial prejudice primarily to ‘poor white trash’ (qtd. in Newitz and Wray), Lee demonstrates how issues of gender and class intensify prejudice, silence the voices that might challenge the existing order, and greatly complicate many Americans’ conception of the causes of racism and segregation” (67). Reading To Kill a Mockingbird provides its audience with a basic moral code by which to live and encounter individuals who appear different or make choices unlike those made by the mainstream populace. Therefore, this novel becomes part of our moral culture; regardless of age, people learn from the moral codes taught by defense attorney Atticus Finch, his children, and his community.
Using the backdrop of racial tension and an episode of southern living, Lee develops To Kill a Mockingbird to point out basic morals by which people should live. By Lee’s combining a fictionalization of the historic Scottsboro Trial and the novel’s use of the community to morally educate two children, her characters demonstrate moral responsibility. In the first part of the novel, Lee establishes conflict as Atticus Finch, the father, and the surrounding community, through various situations and conversations, enlighten Jem and Scout Finch with lessons of moral ethic. The moral responsibility of others is to express kindness and respect to others in a world where people of different races, socioeconomic statuses, and cultures exist. In setting the tone Lee establishes the mood through mentions of the Great Depression to remind her reader of the hardships the nation endured.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, published in 1960, is a novel which explores the theme of challenging racial prejudice. Within this novel, Lee has portrayed unintentional racial prejudice through the characters Atticus Finch, Link Deas and Scout Finch. With these characters, and their roles in exploring the theme of racial prejudice, Harper Lee has set unintentional boundaries for readers, as result, racial prejudicial thinking from contemporary perspective, in comparison to historical views, is challenged to a small extent.
The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set in Alabama in the 1930s, and concerns itself primarily with the interrelated themes of prejudice and empathy. These themes are explored as the story follows Scout Finch as she learns lessons in empathy, ultimately rejecting prejudice. While all characters in Lee’s novel learn from their experiences, not all are able to grow in the same manner as Scout. The idea of a positive role model, typified by the character of Atticus Finch, and the ramifications of its absence, is a concept that Lee places much emphasis on. The isolated setting is also pivotal in the development of characters. Lee uses the contrast between characters that learn lessons in empathy and compassion, and characters that cling to the ideals of a small town, to explore factors that nurture or diminish prejudice.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel written by Harper lee in 1960. The novel tells the story of Atticus Finch, a white lawyer, and Tom Robinson, a black servant, accused of raping a white female. Finch defends Robinson in court arguing lack of evidence as his main point. However, the judge and jury still believe the woman’s testimony and orders Robinson to be killed. The novel has been praised for its outstanding literature since its publication. However, it remains a banned book by the American Library Association for its use of racial slurs and profanity. Due to it being banned, many high schools have reconsidered the notion of teaching it to their students. Two prominent authors wrote articles pertaining to this piece of literature: Angela Shaw-Thornburg wrote an article on her re-reading of the novel and her opinions on it; while Malcom Gladwell wrote an article comparing Atticus Finch to a state governor liberalist, James Folsom, and the restraints of liberalism in the south. In addition, Rebecca Best contributes her thought on how the novel should be taught by introducing the idea of “the other.” Regardless of the modern day political arguments surrounding this piece of literature, this novel contains a large insight into the time period of the 1960s which is an influential topic that should be taught to young high school students.
To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee sheds light upon the controversy of racism and justice in his classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. The notion of equality in accordance with the law and the pursuit of justice are hindered by racial discrimination. The essence of human nature is pondered. Are we inclined to be good or in the wrath of evil? The novel reflects on the contrasting nature of appearance versus reality.
Growing up in Maycomb, Southern Alabama in the 1930s was not an easy thing. Amid a town of prejudice and racism, stood a lone house where equality and respect for all gleamed like a shining star amid an empty space. The house of Atticus Finch was that shining star. Jean Louise Finch, also known as “Scout”, is given the opportunity of being raised in this house by her father, Atticus. I stole this essay from the net. As she grows, Atticus passes down his values of equality and righteousness to Scout and her brother Jeremy Atticus Finch, also known as “Jem”. In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, by Harper Lee, we see Scout learns many lessons about dealing with prejudice by observing the behavior of other characters in the story.
Black and white, right and wrong; do decisions that simple and clear even exist? Does a decision ever mean gaining everything without giving anything up? Many characters in To Kill A Mockingbird are forced to make difficult, heart wrenching decisions that have no clear right answer. Harper Lee presents many of these important decisions in To Kill A Mockingbird as ethical dilemmas, or situations that require a choice between two difficult alternatives. Both of these alternatives have unpleasant aspects and question morals and ethics. A person is put in an awkward position, with their mind saying contradicting things. These dilemmas are presented in many different ways. The decisions in the beginning of the book are simple and can be solved quite easily, yet they are symbolic of later decisions. Other dilemmas place adult-like decisions in the lap of a child. One dilemma concerned a man burdened with the strict traditions of the South. Then there are the two biggest dilemmas, Atticus' decision to take the case and Heck Tate's choice between truth and the emotional well being of a man. Lee's ingenious storyline is established by these crucial and mentally arduous choices faced by the characters.
Harper Lee’s only book, To Kill a Mockingbird, is the stereotypical tale of childhood and innocence, yet it successfully incorporates mature themes, like the racism in the South at the time, to create a masterpiece of a work that has enraptured people’s minds and hearts for generations. According to esteemed novelist Wally Lamb, “It was the first time in my life that a book had sort of captured me. That was exciting; I didn’t realize that literature could do that” (111). Scout’s witty narration and brash actions make her the kind of heroine you can’t help but root for, and the events that take place in Maycomb County are small-scale versions of the dilemmas that face our world today. Mockingbird is a fantastically written novel that belongs on the shelves of classic literature that everyone should take the time to read and appreciate for its execution of style and the importance of its content.
During our lives, we develop morals and values through life experiences. They can be influenced by our society and the people we surround ourselves with. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee demonstrates courage, social inequality and prejudice through the characters and events in the book. We experience life lessons through the protagonist Scout Finch as she develops her own values. This is displayed through a variety of life lessons and values throughout the novel.
Grisham and Barlow (2005) define hoarding as the excessive collection of items and the inability to discard them. As per DSM-5 (2013), hoarding falls under obsessive-compulsive and related disorders due to the recurrent and persistent urges, as well as its repetitive behaviors or mental acts. The act of hoarding can affect anyone, regardless of age, sex or economic status. However, according to development and course, there is a strong association in having a family member who is a compulsive hoarder and becoming a hoarder oneself. This problem usually emerges in early adolescence and tends to worsen with age (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Individuals have been known to develop hoarding after experiencing a stressful life event they had difficulty coping with, such as the death of a loved one or divorce. Additionally, individuals affected by hoarding behaviors usually have complications with information processing, problems forming emotional attachments, behavioral avoidance, and flawed beliefs about the nature of possessions (Muroff, Bratiotis & Steketee, 2010). Furthermore, people who hoard are typically socially withdrawn and isolated while, ironically, others turn to the comfort of hoarding out of loneliness.
The excessive collection of items and an inability to discard them, is known as hoarding. When hoarding of food occurs, there is a serious risk of the living conditions becoming overwhelmed with contaminated foods. Children often engage in habits regarding food, but the habits will generally fade over time; however, when the child stockpiles or hoards food, it becomes more than a quirky habit.
While hoarding ranges from mild to severe, only the worst cases make it into the news. After viewing pictures of such homes, one wonders why no one intervened to throw a few things out. Where is the logic in keeping so many things that they start to overpower you and trap you inside your home? Hoarders however, lack the ability to simply throw away a possession. The motivation behind retaining such an encumbrance of items lies in the fear of wasting and losing important information. Hoarders attach emotional meanings to each item, giving it personal and special characteristics.
Hoarders are normally very socially impaired. They are usually embarrassed about the disarray in their homes, so they rarely have friends over. They also rarely go out unless they’re going to gather more things because they feel they have to be home to look after their possessions. Hoarders also often experience a rise in family problems due to the multiple issues hoarding creates. “…high degree of family dysfunction, particularly relating to conflict, distress, and marital discord (Steketee, 1997)” (Wilbram, Kellette, and Beail, 2008, p.59). A psychological issue that stems from hoarding is separation anxiety. Hoarders find it hard to be separated from their possessions regardless of how valuable or inexpensive they may be. When accepting help,” Counselors must systematically and intentionally integrate these sources of information…”(Kress, Stargell, Zoldan, and Paylo, 2016,
Sometimes, the clutter build up is a result of something else, some bigger issue. Why do people hoard things? What motivates them to continually collect things?
Parental school involvement includes many activities. Hill and Taylor (2004) state that parental school involvement reflects activities, such as volunteering in the classroom, communicating with the teacher, participating in academic-related activities in schools, communicating the positive value of education, and participating in the parent-teacher relationship are all included in parental school involvement, and each is positively related to children’s academic success. Moreover, Hill and Taylor (2004) demonstrate several factors influencing parental school involvement, including demographic characteristics, such as socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and cultural background, and other parental characteristics are systematically associated with parental school involvement. They conclude that parents from higher socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely than those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds to be involved in schooling and manage children’s
Parent involvement affects all aspects of a child’s education. Parents must be involved as teachers, learners, supporters, and advocates of their child’s learning (Hopkings). Studies show that kids who know that their parents are involved and interested tend to take more responsibility for their own learning and behavior. Schoolwork and grades improve. Work habits improve. Less work is handed in late. Fewer referrals for behavior problems are made. Attendance increases, and fewer kids show up late for class (Hopkings). With all this information documented it shows the true importance of parent involvement in education. The more involved the parents are, the better off each child will be. So when you become a parent, get involved in your child’s education!