Critical analysis
What idea does the novel suggest about limitations and its impact on people’s life?
We as humans are born restricted in every way possible, but we are a curious being so we try to overcome this limit. But the drive to overcome those limits are not present in many of us. Many of those individuals who have it restrained from overcoming their limits. They feel that limits define us as a person because when we overcome a limit we change as a person. Due to this, many people do not want to change because they feel like they will lose their personal identity. They feel that if they lose who they are, everything they have done and achieved up till now may be lost. In the end, they fear that change is a will change everyone and ruin their life. For this reason, they prevent change by limiting everyone, including themselves from changing . “To kill a mockingbird”, a novel set in the town of
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Just as her name suggests, she is a scout, who explores the town of Maycomb, where the majority of the people are discriminatory, sexist, and racist. Because she is a child, we see the reality of the situation in this town, even after more than 60 years have passed since the equality act. She shows us through her untainted and navie perspective how the majority of the people are against the idea of change. The white people in Maycomb are accustomed to treating black people like animals; naturally, the black and other casts resent the white because they think that they are superior to others. This is because their family has been doing it till now without questioning their way of life,as if they were following an invisible rulebook saying that anyone who does not obey their rules will be punished. For instance, Calpurnia, a maid in Scout's home; took Scout and Jem to a black church, but since Scout and Jem were both white, they were in trouble. The notion that white kids in a black church caused a big
This highlight's how prevalent and ordinary racist discrimination was. The way Scout felt it was wrong to be talking to Mr Raymond also indicates how he was omitted from the community. Racial prejudice divides the town and allows people to be excluded and discriminated against. When Miss Maudie says, "You are too young to understand it." she is discriminating against Scout's age. The use of this cliché illustrates how common it was for adults to not explain things to children because they assumed they would not understand. It also displays how age discrimination was something that happened regularly. Scout often has different views on topics and if she was included in more conversations people within the community could see things from a different vantage point. In this way To Kill A Mockingbird outlines how gender, age and racial prejudice impacts individuals and communities in a damaging
In Southern towns like Maycomb, like other places in the world, racist laws were created by the white majority to control people of color. Hence, they created the “Jim Crow Laws” which were laws that restrained colored people from any rights of power. Therefore they were created to make white people have rights and luxury than colored people. Also, the laws were created to keep colored people separate from white people, which you can see later in the story, laws such as intermarriage, housing, education, parks, prisons, and more. Even though these laws were outlawed later on, white American’s found new ways to keep colored people in their place in society by creating the “New Jim Crow Laws”. In the “New Jim Crow” there were more African Americans in prison, probation or parole than was enslaved in 1850’s. And, after being locked up, they lose their rights, access to education, housing, employment, and public benefits. Thus, white people basically stripped any rights the colored people had so they can’t be seen as equals. In the Australia policy of 1901-1974, colored people rights were also violated, for example, Molly, Daisy, and Gracie form “Rabbit Proof Fence” lose their liberty when they are taken away, held prisoner at Moore River, and are threatened if they try to escape. In addition, if caught, they will be whipped and locked up and degrading abuses like cutting off their hair. Scout’s stories are
Although most discrimination appears as white people against African American people, there is one case where the discrimination appears as African American people against white people. On a Sunday when Jem and Scout’s father, Atticus, is not home, Calpurnia, their cook, takes the two children to her church. Once there they were confronted by a woman named Lula. She is racist against white people, and shows it by saying, “‘I wants to know why you bringin’ white chillun to n***er church’” (Lee 158).
First of all, contrasting the book, the movie never shows or hints to the scene where Jem and Scout go to Calpurnia’s church with her. It can be seen that the respect directed at the Finches by the blacks grows throughout the story as Atticus is defending Tom Robinson, a black man. However, it is also made known that not every black person has respect for the Finches. The importance of the church scene shows both of these statements to be true as many people in Calpurnia’s church don’t mind having Jem and Scout, white children, around; they even welcome them. The other side of the coin is shown when Calpurnia has to defend the children when she gets into a bout with Lula while having Jem and Scout at the church. It also seems as though some characters have been left out of introduction such as Reverend Sykes, who is the preacher at Calpurnia’s church. The director of the movie rejected this scene since there is an alternative instance of black people d...
Some people hide from change thinking that it will never find them, but change is happening all around, whether it is the seasons or how people think and act things change. Sometimes though, as quickly as the world changes, there are people and things that may not change with everything else. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, there are people who refuse to acknowledge the world changing around them and try to reverse the changes that have already occurred. Two of these people afraid of changes are Bob Ewell and Walter Cunningham. Two people who become accepting of change are Miss Maudie and Aunt Alexandra. Fear of change is one of the root problems in society.
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird three characters, Scout, Jem, and Atticus Finch, experience the many hardships and difficulties of human inequality in their community, Maycomb County. Scout, the narrator, gives insight to readers about the many different characters of Maycomb, yet two are alike in many ways. Mayella Ewell is a 19-year-old girl who is considered white trash and lacks education, love, and friends. Dolphus Raymond is a wealthy white man who is married to an African-American and has mixed children. Although these characters may seem different, they share many of the same advantages and disadvantages of human inequality.
To Kill a Mockingbird exhibits many characters and their roles in the city of Maycomb. Among the many characters, are Jem Finch, brother of Jean Louise Finch daughter of Atticus, and Arthur Radley a relative of Nathan Radley. All of the characters in the book demonstrate one-dimensional and three-dimensional tendencies but Jem and Arthur are those that provide the greatest insight to the latter.
During the book Scout and Jem are at an age were people around them greatly affect their thoughts, views and ideas about the world. Although Atticus tried to raise them to treat Negroes as equals, people around them affected their views on them. A good example is when Dill questioned the seemingly rude way which Mr. Gilmer treated Tom Robinson. Scout replied by saying, "…after all he's just a Negro." (Lee 201). She believes it to be acceptable. This is not something her father put in her head but people in her town. The same also happens in the black community. When Atticus asks Calpurnia to watch his children for him while he is out, Calpurnia accepts and takes the children with her to church, a church for black people. When she arrives with the children, they are greeted kindly except by a few people. These people use the same reason as in the last example as to why they should not be there, because they are white.
It all took place in the quiet Alabama town of Maycomb, which was also during the Great Depression. Scout Finch lives with her brother, Jem, and their widowed father, Atticus. Atticus is an honest lawyer, so they are doing quite well compared to everyone else during those tough times. Jem and Scout befriended a boy named Dill one summer who came to live in the neighborhood close to them. Later on, Dill become curious about a weird yet spooky house in their street called the Radley place. Mr. Nathan Radley is the owner of the house, whose brother, Arthur (nicknamed Boo), has lived there for years without adventuring outside. That fall, Scout goes to school for the first time and ended up loathing it. In the knothole of a tree on the Radley property, Scout and her brother find gifts. That summer, Dill is back and the three of them try to figure out Boo Radleys story. But their father puts a stop to it, trying to explain to them to try to see life from another person’s perspective before judging or thinking anything bad about them. The three sneak onto t...
One of the values of Maycomb is racism. However, there are a few that does not believe in this value, including Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Mr. Dolphus Raymond is a white man married to a black woman and has mixed children. He does not believe in society’s ideology regarding racism and knows that some citizens of Maycomb antagonize him. However, he does not care, as he prefers the colored people over white. He knows how unfair society is, from the way he gets treated. Moreover, Jem realizes the falsities of society, due to the injustice he sensed. After Tom’s verdict, Jem’s first clear sense of injustice provided a new perception on the world. When he was young, he believed that the people of Maycomb are the best folks, but the outcome of the trial changed this thought. Furthermore, Scout’s realization of the falsehood in society is with the hypocrisy of Miss Gates. She was taught by Miss Gates how Americans do not believe in persecution. However, Scout saw Miss Gates talk about the African Americans in an adverse way. Learning about the falsehood in society is part of
Scout learns that by yielding to prejudice, we often hurt and cause strife unto others. For example, Scout is harassed and becomes the target of insults when her father decides to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman. This is a plajurized essay. The hate felt towards black people by the majority of the Maycomb citizens causes them to bother and harass those who attempt to befriend the black people. Forgive me for stealing this essay. Scout realizes that the only reason she must undergo this torment is that her father is defending a black man, which has become taboo because of the corruption that racism has caused in many people. In addition, Scout watches Tom Robinson undergo unfair treatment and false accusations. Please dont tell my parents I stole this essay. Although Atticus provides the jury and the people of Maycomb with overwhelming evidence benefiting Tom, and ultimately proving him innocent, this is not enough to overcome the powers of hate and racism. Scout watches as the jury deliberates and convicts Tom Robinson of murder because he is a black man. This is a stolen essay. Although Scout witnesses a myriad of injustices occurring against black people, she also sees an exiguity of kind and compassionate movements towards black people.
Harper Lee’s timeless classic To Kill A Mockingbird follows protagonist Scout Finch as she recollects several years of her childhood in the south during the 1930s. Set in the racially charged depression era town of Maycomb, Alabama, Scout tells of the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman, in which Scout’s father Atticus is the defence attorney. As the story opens, Scout mirrors the racist views of her community. However as time progresses, Scout is exposed to a plethora of characters from whom she gains wisdom. By the end of the story, Scouts views have evolved, and she has gained a widen view of the world and the injustices within it. One of the most prominent teachers in Scout’s life is Calpurnia, a black woman
Mayella Ewell is a nineteen year old woman who lives in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s. In a desperate attempt to gain power, she accuses a black man named Tom Robinson of raping her. She is a poor white woman who is abused by her father and is shunned by the rest of Maycomb because of her class. Her class and gender is her shortcoming when it comes to power. She is at a disadvantage even though she is white and being white during this time period was a large bonus towards social standing.
Imagine a world where evil and unjust actions are based on the color of skin; a world where some don’t even realize that they are prejudicing. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, these themes are present. People and how they commit evil, hypocritical, and unjust acts. We see these themes and great issues through the point of view of a child; the vigorous, youthful, elementary-aged Scout. Through this character Harper Lee shows the innocence of children, and what they go through in our inequitable world.
pg. 251-252). Besides discrimination and white privilege, gender discrimination also plays a role in this novel/film. Jem and Scout have grown up without a mother, and have a black house servant, Calpurnia, stand as a mother figure even though she and Scout do not get along. Throughout the movie, Scout is portrayed as not wanting to wear dresses and not acting “ladylike” as Calpurnia says.