To Kill A Mockingbird Identity Analysis

Have you ever wondered what your identity is? A quick scan through the dictionary will tell you that your identity is who you are, or the fact of you being what you are; however, this statement is broad and unclear, leaving you to make your own interpretation, or, more likely, misinterpret it altogether. Beyond such a general definition lies deeper meaning: your identity is made up of your choices in life, or how you interact with the world. A large part of my identity is based on kindness and respect. Throughout my years of schooling, I have strived to give every teacher the respect they deserve. When I was in seventh grade, I had math with Mr. Carter. An assignment was due in class that day, and I had forgotten to finish it; in middle school,

The story revolves around Tom Robinson, a black man, being falsely convicted of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. This takes place in the 1930’s, when racism was widespread. “There is circumstantial evidence to indicate that Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left...Tom Robinson now sits before you, having taken the oath with the only good hand he possesses: his right hand” (Lee 170-214). Tom Robinson was clearly innocent, but the jury still convicted him, simply because of his race. It was more important to them that he suffer and die because he was black than to choose the right and honorable decision. And because I am of the belief that your choices shape your identity, I would say that racism is a large part of their identity, if that is the basis of their decisions. Likewise, Scout is a much different person by the end of the story. The way she acted and the way she thought about the world were severely altered. “You never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in it...It’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it” (Lee 279)? At the beginning of the story, Scout didn’t understand the concept of walking in someone else’s shoes to understand them, but by the end she has learned this lesson and puts it to good use. Most especially, she learned why you should never kill a