Beyond buzzing courtrooms of segregated townspeople and skies raining ashes reeking of kerosene, Harper Lee’s Atticus Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird), and Ray Bradbury’s Guy Montag (Fahrenheit 451) are both sui generis characters in their own stories because of their shared similarities deeper than eyes, ears, and noses. From their burning passions for knowledge and literature to their patient, unbiased hearts, the two men shake their communities to new realizations. Their idiosyncrasies made the relentless lawyer and runaway fireman standout in a society where laws are governed by people blinded in the bliss of oblivion.
When it comes to the people of Maycomb County, its population lived with their heels dug deep in the dirt and their minds
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Atticus unbound himself from the unspoken fundamentals of the county, he defended a black man. Although his own race was against him, he unabatedly believed Tom Robinson’s testimonies. In a time where money and race were factors that adjudged one's life, a poor, white man was seen as more important than a rich, black man. Born into a world divided by the black and white spectrums, Atticus saw the people less in colour and wealth, but simply as human beings whose paths should only be decided by their love and generosity; “As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life...whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that man is trash.” (Lee 295). Atticus taught Scout that essential goodness is beyond skin colour, and money isn’t a guide to character. Atticus fought against his society for the benefit of others. A heavier censorship also loomed over Guy Montag’s society. With time, books were replaced as technology prevailed, speed limits grew faster, and firefighters became fire-starters. Unlike any other citizen in his community, Guy found a sudden interest in books, ironically he was raised to be against knowledge like every other person in his city. Montag began to wonder what made books so important, he pondered the question as it scratched at the back of his head; “There must be something in books, something we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.” (Bradbury 48). As the unhappiness grew, Montag began to realize the faults in his society, he didn’t agree with the laws and chose to fight against his previous beliefs; “it was a pleasure to burn.” (Bradbury 1). However, as Montag burrowed deeper into books, his principles
The town of Maycomb in the 1930's was split into two sections, the white section and the black section. This was a time of racial segregation, where blacks were not permitted to go to the same schools as the whites.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a phenomenal book that portrays life in the South during the 1930’s. This poverty stricken time, in which many struggled to get through, seemed to never grow dull by the means of the Finch family. Harper Lee’s award winning book was captured in a film containing the same title. Although the movie was in black and white and average in length, it lived up to the vivid story depicted within many pages. This worldwide hit reached many minds, but it is up to the people to decide which one is better: the book or the movie.
Atticus’ statement on prejudice and racism characterises his moral integrity and his empathetic nature. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus Finch is depicted as the complete opposite of what people would perceive to be a stereotypical southern man living in the Deep South during the 1930s. Contrary to the majority of his fellow townspeople of Maycomb, Atticus is a man of great virtue and moral strength. He in not bigoted or racist and is egalitarian in his approach to all people This sort of moral integrity is what he tries to instil in his two young children, Jem and Scout, despite the bigotry and inequality surrounding them. Atticus Finch stands as a moral beacon of the town, a label which causes much friction between himself and other members of the Maycomb community. A clearer idea of Atticus’ principles can be gained by comparing and contrasting them to three other characters in the Novel, Calpurnia, Bob Ewell and Aunt Alexandra.
Caldwell, Malcolm. “The Courthouse Ring: Atticus Finch and the Limits of Southern Liberalism.” Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird: New Essays. Meyer, Michael J. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press, 2010. 57-65. Print.
Atticus did what no other person would do in Maycomb, he defended a negro man in court. In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, Atticus is a lawyer that has to defend Tom Robinson because Tom was accused of raping a white lady. Others in Maycomb don’t agree with Atticus because he took a black man’s words over a white woman’s word. Atticus is a man of morals with integrity, so he did the right thing and took Tom Robinson’s side. It makes sense for Atticus to take a stand to defend Tom Robinson because he follows his morals and the golden rule.
As Martin Luther King Jr. quotes in A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that” (qtd.in. Goodreads.com). Atticus’ words of wisdom for the duration of To Kill a Mockingbird are used as a guiding light for not only his children, but the nation as a whole during the Civil Rights Movement. Through the 1950’s and 60’s African-Americans all over the U.S. were fighting to end Jim Crow Laws. Their movement inspired many and was what also influenced by Harper Lee’s to write her first literary work. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Lee uses the character Atticus Finch as a moral compass to show that true courage comes from
Throughout history, there are many influential pieces of literature. They shape the way that human society as a whole view various matters, such as politics, religion, and justice. Still, one book stands apart in the volumes of history, and continues to impact generations of readers to this day. It is an endless source of discussion for scholars, and provides both historical and moral value to students of all ages. This famed work is none other than Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird; a timeless story detailing the childhood of tomboy Scout Finch and her adventures in Maycomb county. While the book is fictitious, this does not take away from the very real effects it has on readers. How does Harper Lee accomplish such
“You never really understood a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around it.” Atticus Finch is a man of extreme integrity. He, as both a lawyer and a human being, stands up for his democratic beliefs and encourages his children to stand up for their own, though they may stand alone. Harper Lee showed how far respect went in To Kill a Mockingbird when Atticus defended Tom Robinson in his rape trial. He did not think twice about being ridiculed by th...
There are usually differences in two different versions of something. This can often be seen when a book is made into a movie. There are many similarities and differences in the book and movie versions of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
The story To Kill A Mockingbird has a wide variety of characters and situations that make it an all-time favorite. The ever-growing popularity of this story has caused a movie version, based on the book, to be showcased. There are noticeable differences between the two that could change the entire feel of the story. The omitted scenes from the book, that are never shown in the movie, include: Jem and Scout going to church with Calpurnia, the school scene in which the Ewells, Cunninghams, and Scout’s teacher and classmates are introduced and talked about, and how Aunt Alexandra, the great influencer of the children in the book, never appears in the movie along with other Finch family members.
As most everyone knows, there are differences between a book and it’s movie adaptation. This is applicable to the book and it’s movie counterpart To Kill a Mockingbird, as well. But aside from the differences, there are also similarities between these two.
How are the characters of Atticus and Jack alike and how are they different? Choose at least two traits to compare them.
For instance, when Scout and Jem are walking home from school, Mrs. Dubose will tell them “your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for” (Lee 105). On page 322, the book says “Tom’s death was considered typical of a black person, at least in Maycomb. The town thought it was typical of a nigger to cut and run” (Lee 322). In the book, Atticus Finch individually defends a black man because he realizes it’s the right thing to do. However, in the grand scheme of things, Atticus actually putting in an effort to defend a black man didn’t make a very large dent in the town’s overall attitude towards black people because he is, no matter what others thought of him, just one man. Practically every student recieving a public education in the United States today read that book. They realize where racism started and grow compassionate for Tom because of the social injustice he faced throughout the book. It’s important for kids to keep reading these kinds of books, so we don’t go backwards in our efforts to stop
Johnson, Claudia. "The Secret Courts of Men's Hearts: Code and Law in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird." Studies in American Fiction (1991):129-139.
The most significant factor that furnishes the overall motif of victors and victims is characterization of diverse social rankings, establishing opposing outcomes of a victor and victim. Exemplifying a victor, Atticus Finch is a broad-minded man who looks for the good in people and maintains equality among all of them. This quality is evident in his eagerness to support the negro Tom Robinson when he says to Scout, “This case, Tom Robinson's case, is something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience - Scout, I couldn't go to church and worship God if I didn't try to help that man” (Harper Lee 57). His unbiased nature and the will to fight for justice is magnified through this statement, intimidating the reader and giving the impression of a true hero. The Ewells can be used as an example of a victim, victims of social prejudice. “All the little man on the witness stand had that made him any better than his nearest neighbors was, that if scrubbed with lye soap in very hot water, his skin was white” (Lee 91). The author chose to show the Ewells’ social status to be always disregarded wi...