Comparing Love In To Kill A Mockingbird And The Help

“Complexion don’t mean a thing, it all feels the same, you like it, I love it” - Told by Kendrick Lamar. Love is a strong feeling, both being portrayed in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and in Tate Taylor’s movie The Help. To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in Maycomb Alabama during the Jim Crow era. Although there is a lot of hate taken place in the book, it also shows plenty of love. Atticus, a white man, father of two, and a well respected lawyer sees everyone as equal. The Help takes place in Mississippi also during the Jim Crow era. Mississippi is home to Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, a white woman, single daughter, and a newspaper writer. Skeeter was born and raised to love and that's what Skeeter did, color blew over Eugenia’s head. Atticus

For example, when Atticus is asked to drop the Tom Robinson case (a case where a African American man is falsely accused of rape), even though Atticus knew it was a slim chance of winning, he said no and stood up for what he believed in, Atticus reminded his kids, ”remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (Lee 119). Because Atticus was so open minded and understood that people are the same but look different. This is why Atticus is a great lawyer. The push Atticus has for the rights and well being of others makes for an amazing lawyer and father. Atticus hopes for the best for everyone, colored or not. In addition to Atticus standing up for what he believes in, Skeeter also does in The Help. Skeeter is a writer born and raised in Mississippi by her mother and maid Constantine. Her love and affection towards Constantine and seeing how similar we are made her see how bad racial segregation is, Constantine told Skeeter, “You going to do something big, wait and see.” (The Help). This shows that with proper teaching and being raised by the right people will make humans like Skeeter, open their eyes to reality and strive for a change in the country. This shows that Atticus and Skeeter both want change in America from their experiences in life. Although Atticus and Skeeter are both freedom fighters, they both have different ways of expressing

For example, when Atticus speaks against racial segregation, he does not just say it, he expresses it in his work, his daughter Scout proudly says, “ The court appointed Atticus to defend Tom. Atticus aimed to defend him.”(Lee 218). This shows that even though people didn’t want Atticus to actually try to win the case for Tom Robinson, he did anyway because it was his duty to defend people, black or not. This also shows how skin complexion does not matter to Atticus and all he wants is the people to be innocent. Otherwise, Skeeter from The Help implements the support for racial equality in her work too. For instance, When Skeeter writes, instead of writing what Hilly asked she writes about the bad conditions African American maids have to deal with in a daily basis. Skeeter interviewed maids on their background and their experiences working to write her book, not only does she share others experiences with racial segregation, she also shares hers, Aibileen, a African American maid who was interviewed, talked to Skeeter saying “Whos story is left?” “Mine” (The Help). This shows that not only African Americans want change in the country, but her as well. Using Skeeter’s skill as a writer she wants to make a point in america that blacks and whites are more similar than different. This proves that Skeeter and Atticus want the same thing but they express it in their own profession.
Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird