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A critical study of "to kill a mockingbird" by harper lee
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Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) a traditional prose-fiction novel, and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis (2000), a graphic novel, explore the significant impact the external world has on an individual’s sense of self, using similar techniques despite their different textual forms. Lee and Satrapi show their main characters Scout and Marji growing up in respectively 1930’s racially-segregated Alabama and 1980’s post-revolutionary Iran, negotiating the progressive ideologies of their families and themselves and the discriminatory values of their external worlds. Lee and Satrapi highlight the external world’s impact on an individual’s sense of self through the use of first-person perspective, textual/graphical irony and symbolism.
Lee and
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In the case of To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout notices the ironic hypocrisy of her third grade teacher, Miss Caroline. Miss Caroline is condemning Hitler and his persecution of Jews, whilst supporting white superiority and racial segregation in America. Scout later asks her brother Jem, “how can you hate Hitler so bad and be so ugly about folks right at home?” Scout’s upbringing within an unprejudiced family allows her values to be more tolerant than those of Miss Caroline and the wider Maycomb society, enabling her to see clearly through Miss Caroline’s hypocrisy. Lee uses this technique to challenge Miss Caroline’s intolerant thinking, and more broadly the intolerance of Southern American society. Similar techniques are used by Satrapi in Persepolis to highlight the intolerance and oppression of the adult public society. An example of ironic hypocrisy is when Marji is told by her teacher to tear out the photos of the previous Iranian Shah from her school books. Marji replies, “But she was the one who told us that the Shah was chosen by God!” When Marji’s teacher hears her stating the previous Shah was chosen by God, she tells Marji she mustn’t say things like that, presenting a clear hypocrisy. Marji, similar to Scout, is more progressive than the religiously intolerant and oppressive Iranian society and is therefore able as a character to challenge her society by pointing out its hypocrisies. Both Satrapi and Lee use the values of their protagonists in comparison to their external worlds to present the impact on the individual due to the external world through graphical and textual
To Kill A Mockingbird and Persepolis both provide an intricate exploration into the significant impact of the external world upon an individual's sense of self. Lee's prose novel and Satrapi's graphic novel both, despite their disparate textual forms, offer an intricate portrayal of a dissimilar society and the impressions of its influential ideologies upon an individual. The two texts depict their main characters, Scout and Marji, growing up in their respective 1930's racially segregated Alabama and 1980's post revolutionary Iran, incorporating the discriminatory values of their communities into their own perception of the world. The authors demonstrate the interaction between the personal and public worlds through an investigation of the
one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it is a sin to
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.
Throughout the novel Harper Lee explores the racism, prejudice, and the innocence that occurs throughout the book. She shows these themes through her strong use of symbolism throughout the story. Even though To Kill a Mockingbird was written in the 1960’s, the powerful symbolism this book contributes to our society is tremendous. This attribute is racist (Smykowski). To Kill a Mockingbird reveals a story about Scout’s childhood growing up with her father and brother, in an accustomed southern town that believed heavily in ethnological morals (Shackelford).
Scout Finch, the youngest child of Atticus Finch, narrates the story. It is summer and her cousin Dill and brother Jem are her companions and playmates. They play all summer long until Dill has to go back home to Maridian and Scout and her brother start school. The Atticus’ maid, a black woman by the name of Calpurnia, is like a mother to the children. While playing, Scout and Jem discover small trinkets in a knothole in an old oak tree on the Radley property. Summer rolls around again and Dill comes back to visit. A sence of discrimination develops towards the Radley’s because of their race. Scout forms a friendship with her neighbor Miss Maudie, whose house is later burnt down. She tells Scout to respect Boo Radley and treat him like a person. Treasures keep appearing in the knothole until it is filled with cement to prevent decay. As winter comes it snows for the first time in a century. Boo gives scout a blanket and she finally understands her father’s and Miss Maudie’s point of view and treats him respectfully. Scout and Jem receive air guns for Christmas, and promise Atticus never to shoot a mockingbird, for they are peaceful and don’t deserve to die in that manner. Atticus then takes a case defending a black man accused of rape. He knows that such a case will bring trouble for his family but he takes it anyways. This is the sense of courage he tries to instill in his son Jem.
Growing up in a prejudiced environment can cause individuals to develop biased views in regard to both gender and class. This is true in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, where such prejudices are prevalent in the way of life of 1930s Maycomb, Alabama. The novel is centered around the trial of a black man who is accused of raping a white woman. The narrator, a young girl named Scout, is able to get a close up view of the trial because her father is defending Tom Robinson, the defendant. The aura of the town divided by the trial reveals certain people's’ prejudices to Scout, giving her a better perspective of her world. Throughout the story, Aunt Alexandra’s behaviors indirectly teach Scout that prejudice is a disease with deep and far reaching roots.
Keeping a mouth shut doesn't hold the world shut out, it opens up new doors to things that would never be expected. In To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, there is are two character that is are an eternal mystery for the readers. Boo Radley, though the reader nor Scout and Jem know anything about the character all they want is to learn about him. Boo becomes a mysterious figure that many see as creepy, ghostly, but also reasonably wise. The one-time Boo appears the readers learn he is a sagacious, powerful man. Little do Scout and Jem know is that their father is also a rational being as well. The two crucial character in the story helps support the
Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” takes place during the 1930’s in the fictional and quiet town of Maycomb, located in Maycomb County, Alabama. The town of Maycomb is described as a tired old town that moves very slowly and its residents have nothing to fear but fear itself. Being in set in the South during the 1930’s the story does tackle racism and inequality for African Americans as racism was becoming more and more prominent in the 1930’s. The fact that the story takes place in a backwater county in Alabama makes the the injustice even more prevalent. The story goes through the early years of the main characters Jem and Scout so the exact time is always changing, however, the more important and intense parts of the story takes place
“Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people’s gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. Thats why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (119). In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the first mention of a mockingbird appears when Jem and Scout are learning how to use their new air rifles. Atticus doesn’t want to teach them how to shoot the air rifles, but he gives them one rule to follow: do not kill mockingbirds. Later Scout, the main character, is told by Miss Maudie about how it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because they are innocent and they don't do anything to anyone. Throughout this story, there are several characters who are portrayed as mockingbird figures. Jem, Scout, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley all fit the symbol of a mockingbird because they all start off innocent but are later changed dramatically by the brokenness of the world.
Love and Life are the Best Teachers “The one thing that doesn’t abide by a majority rule is a person’s conscience.” Dalton Hare To Kill a Mockingbird The great literary classic, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, is about the ageing and maturing of two children in the old town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. Basing this novel off of her own childhood Lee was able to bring the reader deep into the book with her detailed descriptions and realistic plot.
By creating a static character known as Miss Gates. Miss Gates explains to the class the difference between America and Germany. “We are a democracy and Germany is a dictatorship...Over here we don’t believe in persecuting anybody. Persecution comes from people who are prejudice” (329). Harper Lee creates a parallelism between “persecuting anybody” and Tom Robinson. Miss Gates doesn’t believe in persecuting innocent lives. However, she supported Tom’s execution. Claiming that “it’s time somebody taught ‘em a lesson” (331). Scout is bothered by this irony. “Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad an’ then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home-” (331). Scout finally notices the negative preconception towards black people. Which she has indirectly followed since the beginning of the
There is an old saying that claims that it is better to risk saving a guilty person than to condemn an innocent one. While many choose to follow unjust traditions, others choose to pursue the path of justice. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, the mockingbird is a symbol of innocence that should never be killed; It is harmless and provides a song for the enjoyment of others. Furthermore, three characters from the novel are considered symbolic mockingbirds. Boo Radley, not convicted of any real charges, has fallen into a trap of rumors that have gone around the town. Tom Robinson is accused of raping a white woman with no substantial evidence proving him guilty. He is shot down while trying to escape prison. Lastly, Scout, the narrator of the book, is an innocent five-year-old girl. As the novel progresses, she starts to witness racial prejudice; which is something that no minor should come in contact with during her childhood. By exposing their innocent natures, we see how Boo, Tom Robinson and Scout are the mockingbirds in this novel.
In our culture a hero shows courage and integrity. A hero doesn 't need a cape or a special power. A hero is someone who makes an impact in someone 's life. Heroes are people like the front of the line D-Day soldiers or the first responders in the 9-11 attacks. As a famous hero once said "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." This hero’s name is Jackie Robinson. Being threatened, cursed at, and treated badly, Jackie Robinson didn’t fight back and continued to play the game of baseball. Mr.Robinson helped future generations live with peace. In Harper Lee 's book,To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus is a hero. Without using any superhuman powers, Atticus shows courage, responsibility, and integrity without fighting back.
The author George Elliot once said “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Appearance can be very misleading, and you shouldn't prejudge the worth or value of something by its outward appearance alone. This philosophical idea has been included in many works of literature, including the timeless classic To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee. The novel takes place in the town of Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. Many citizens of Maycomb tend to make judgements based on outward appearances alone. In the novel, Lee uses minor characters such as Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose, and Tom Robinson to convey the book’s theme of prejudice.
In the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird", Harper Lee, wrote the words that Atticus said to his children, Jem and Scout Finch. Atticus said "...it is a sin to kill a mockingbird," mockingbirds are known as gentle creatures who do no wrong and makes music for everyone's delight. To kill a mockingbird would be similar to killing an individual who does not wrong anyone and tries to be as helpful as they can. Mockingbirds have the characteristics of nobility, innocence, and valor that are mirror the characters Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Arthur “Boo” Radley. Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley are portrayed as mockingbirds for their actions, and for the good they did for the individuals surrounding them and the negative treatment they endured for their actions.