Family, Friendship, Loyalty, and Other Essentials For Life
Libraries are accessible to almost everyone in the country. For a couple of dollars we are given access to thousands of books and works of literature. They hold all different types, but the treasure trove is in the well loved books, the books that we can open up and see the borrowing card filled with names from the 1950’s. These books are precious, for their meanings and messages have yet to change. Students still read these books in school as well and it is incredibly important that they continue to for these are the books that every generation can relate to, that every generation can discuss. A child born in 2010 can sit down with their grandparents who were born in 1940 and discuss
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Though it was published over 50 years ago it still has many relevant themes to our society today. Racism and segregation, which the reader sees in the little southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, is still extremely prominent in our world today. We see this in the massive divide that has yet to be filled and in the abominable actions of white supremacist organizations. The theme of family is also very prevalent in To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus is an incredible father to Scout and Jem, and family is something that is still held exceptionally high in our society. We often take this blessing for granted and the Finch family’s loss of their mother/wife demonstrates just how much they value each other for they have know loss. To Kill A Mockingbird is an incredibly influential novel that has touched tens of millions of people and teaches us to value our loved ones and opens our eyes to horrible actions and beliefs such as …show more content…
In my life, I have only found true loyalty in a couple of people and the friendship I share with my best friend is very similar to that between Hannah and Queen Elizabeth. The trust we share is incredibly strong and although little fights occasionally rock our friendship, it remains on course all the same. I was very drawn to this book because of the exchanges between Hannah and her friends and the ups and downs she experiences with Daniel, which I can also relate to. Loyalty is a very powerful thing, and it is common for us to notice it’s presence or lack of presence in our daily lives, therefore making The Queen’s Fool a very relatable novel for
Childhood is a continuous time of learning, and of seeing mistakes and using them to change your perspectives. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates how two children learn from people and their actions to respect everyone no matter what they might look like on the outside. To Kill A Mockingbird tells a story about two young kids named Scout and her older brother Jem Finch growing up in their small, racist town of Maycomb, Alabama. As the years go by they learn how their town and a lot of the people in it aren’t as perfect as they may have seemed before. When Jem and Scout’s father Atticus defends a black man in court, the town’s imperfections begin to show. A sour, little man named Bob Ewell even tries to kill Jem and Scout all because of the help Atticus gave to the black man named Tom Robinson. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee illustrates the central theme that it is wrong to judge someone by their appearance on the outside, or belittle someone because they are different.
Community, Empathy, and Sacrifice are three important themes that run through to book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. These are all important elements in the story; but the main theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is coming of age, a moment of transition from childhood to adulthood. The community of Maycomb is a small, low class town where the people are trapped in their own heads and don’t consider expanding out of their mindset. People’s lack of empathy affects how one person feels towards another person. When a character does feel empathy, they become more likely to sacrifice things that represent them. Through out the story these three things help contrast Jem and Scout from the
The book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is about a black man named Tom Robinson who is being charged with the rape of a white girl named Mayella Ewell. While the lawyers are giving their closing statements, Atticus Finch, the lawyer for Tom Robinson, makes his closing statement using ethos and logos persuasive methods to show that Bob Ewell and Mayella Ewell were lying. The logo is the principle of reason and judgment. Ethos is appealing to somebody's emotions. These persuasion methods were effective because Atticus uses this technique a lot one example of this is when he uses logos and asks Bob Ewell to put his signature on a piece so that he could see what Bob Ewell's dominant hand was because according to heck Tate her right side
Symbolism. Why is it important in a novel? Why do authors incorporate symbols into their writing? Symbolism aids the reader in understanding what the author wants to portray. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird, she writes about the racism in a small town in Alabama named Maycomb set in the 1930’s and about two children growing up and learning that their town is not as perfect as they thought. The theme topic appearance versus reality helps to get a better understanding of the symbols used in the novel and that you should not judge something by their appearance, you should judge by the reality of what it is. “As Atticus once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem’s skin and walk around in it.” (Scout page 77) In her novel, there are many symbols throughout the narrative that relate to the theme topic appearance versus reality. Harper Lee writes symbols into her novel, such as the snowman, Mrs. Dubose’s Camellia flower and Dolphus Raymond’s Coca-Cola bottle to help reinforce the theme topic of appearance versus reality throughout the novel.
Atticus Finch was a true hero, in my eyes. He had all the essentials to being a hero, such as; respect, equality, and quiet dignity. Sure, Mr. Finch didn’t quite reach his goal of winning the Tom Robinson case, but it was the fact that he attempted it, knowing he would lose. A hero is not someone who achieves something, but is a person that attempts to. The journey to your goal might even be more important than the actual achievement, because on your way to the top, struggles appear and you overcome them by learning new lessons to live by in life. In conclusion, Atticus Finch truly is America’s greatest hero.
Despite cultures and conflicts, the fundamental bonds remain: We all belong to a common family. The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee is a timeless classic about coming of age in a small southern town in the 1930’s. The book follows Jem and Scout, two siblings, who must face the harsh realities of life. Hypocrisy and racism together make the two most important themes.
An important reason why To Kill a Mockingbird is relevant today is the ever growing resurgence of racism throughout the country. Events such as the ones in Jena, Louisiana seem to become more common each day. Recently, a black professor at Columbia University had a noose placed on her door. The novel, which was an attempt to spread knowledge of the racism in the south, was trying to stop the very things that happen everyday now. As racism becomes more and more prevalent, this novel will be a good tool to help teach the next generation about racism, and about how it is wrong.
Honesty is a rare trait that few people are able to perfect, but a trait more people should have to make the world a better place. Mrs. Dubois is harshly opinionated and honest leading to Scout learning more about herself, Atticus stays ardent in his morals and beliefs concluding in a new look on black folk in Maycomb, and Tom Robinson is honest with himself enabling him to die with dignity. Honesty is a prominent topic shown through many characters of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
The novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is a simplistic view of life in the Deep South of America in the 1930s. An innocent but humorous stance in the story is through the eyes of Scout and Jem Finch. Scout is a young adolescent who is growing up with the controversy that surrounds her fathers lawsuit. Her father, Atticus Finch is a lawyer who is defending a black man, Tom Robinson, with the charge of raping a white girl. The lives of the characters are changed by racism and this is the force that develops during the course of the narrative.
Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird portrayed an era of extreme prejudice and ignorance. Throughout the novel, these specific characteristics were noticed in the behavior of Maycomb’s residents, especially during the trial of Tom Robinson – a highly publicized court case involving a black man convicted of raping a white girl from a despicable family. Although it became obvious throughout the trial that Robinson was innocent, and the girl’s father was the real culprit, Tom Robinson was convicted mainly due to social prejudice toward his race. The unjust result of this trial deeply disturbed the main characters of the novel: Scout and Jem, the children of the defense attorney of the trial, Atticus Finch. Since the story took place in the 1930s, racism was still widely accepted in society, and most of the residents in Maycomb openly professed their derogatory views on people of a different race or social standard. Growing up in a family that believed in egalitarianism, Scout and Jem faced backlash from the community since their father was fighting for a black man in the Tom Robinson trial. Amid these two highly conflicting environments, Scout and Jem had many unanswered questions and no support in the community during these tough times. Additionally, the Maycomb community was plagued with injustice due to discrimination and racism. However, there was one character in the novel who remained open-minded and unprejudiced even in the face of tradition and communal ignorance. A close neighbor of the Finch’s, who shared the same moral views as Atticus, Miss Maudie served as a mother figure to young Scout and Jem, who were going through a tough time in the community. Although Miss Maudie may not have had enough power to change the prejudice...
To Kill A Mocking Bird-courage Within the novel "to kill a mocking bird" the character Atticus finch defines courage as, "Courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. " Atticus takes the first step by being courageous to take the Tom Robinson case, defying the towns liking of prejudice, even his own sister thinks that he is disgracing the family by taking the case he explains with concern " The only thing we've got is a black man's word against the Ewells'. The evidence boils down to you-did-I-didn't. The jury couldn't possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson's word against the Ewells'.
The popularity of To Kill a Mockingbird has many different explanations from a diverse mixture of opinions. As stated earlier, this book is read for the first time by many high school students and sometimes younger. It uncovers concepts and realities that many young people are not used to or have never really understood. The main theme for a young person is that you should not judge a person without first seeing the world through their eyes. This is a start for developing the young person into seeing more than themselves.
Traditions are passed down from each generation to the next, and in maycomb many people believe their racism is important to their everyday lives. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the reader experiences the trial of an innocent black man accused of rape through the eyes of the young daughter of the trial’s defense lawyer. The story showcases the way a small county deals with one of the morbid effects of their societies racism, and those that will go against all odds to make a difference. Atticus Finch, as well as other characters in the book will bear the weight of going against a system so flawed for the sake of creating change. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the most prevalent and important theme is change versus tradition.
In 1960, a novel was written to outline injustices and racism against those who were innocent, though unfairly judged because of social expectations and prejudiced beliefs. This novel not only presented these issues, but is also considered a revolutionary piece of literature, still being read by many people today, more than 50 years later. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, has caused some controversy about the intents of the book and the way certain people or groups are presented. Whether To Kill a Mockingbird as a narrative outshines the issue it presents is a debatable argument. However, I believe that the narrative of the novel supports the concerns exhibited for numerous reasons. In what follows, some of these are presented: the historical
One theme in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird could be loyalty sometimes triumphs over personal beliefs. Atticus earns a lot of loyalty and respect from those he knows. This oftentimes influences people to defend Atticus even when Atticus’s beliefs are different from their own. For example, Mr. Underwood was ready to defend Atticus against the mob that surrounded him at the jailhouse. However, as stated here, “‘You know, it’s a funny thing about Braxton,’ said Atticus. ‘He despises Negroes, won’t have one near him’” (Lee 209). While Mr. Underwood may be racist against black people, he was still willing to shoot anyone who would try to harm Atticus. Even though Atticus was defending a black man, the loyalty Mr. Underwood