To Kill A Mockingbird Education Essay

458 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Harper Lee What is the symbolism of the mockingbird

School is often regarded as the foundation for one’s learning. However, there have often been fundamental issues in educational structures throughout history. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the author Harper Lee conveys the belief that school systems restrict students from reaching their full potential through condescending diction that discourages students from striving for education and first person narration that shows the students’ strong dislike of school. Lee uses condescending diction to highlight the education system’s hindrance towards the student’s desire to learn. After Scout displays her literacy in front of the whole class, Miss Caroline looks at Scout with “faint distaste”, and says that she will try to “undo the damage”. The condescending diction in these quotes illustrates how Miss Caroline belittles and discourages Scout’s strive for education. Specifically, the word “damage” …show more content…

As a result of the events at school that first day, Scout says that she doesn’t “feel very well” and that she doesn’t want to “go to school anymore”. Expressing negativity towards school, Scout complains to Jem that, “If I didn’t have to stay, I’d leave. Jem, that damn lady says Atticus’s been teaching me to read and for him to stop it”. The narration clearly exhibits Scout’s aversion towards the school system, even just after one day. This dislike plays a large factor in the students’ ability to learn. Furthermore, Harper Lee is able to directly specify her own negative attitude towards the school through Scout’s first person voice. Scout was the perfect character to utilize because she was a young, naïve girl who hadn’t yet been influenced by society’s way of thinking and could express her opinions freely. Through the first person narration, Lee can directly demonstrate her impressions on the school

Show More
Related

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Lessons Analysis

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird" shows and teaches many lessons throughout the passage. Some characters that learn lessons in this passage are Scout, Jem, and Dill. Scout and Jems father Atticus, is taking a case that affects their lives in so many ways. They all learn new things throughout the story and it impacts their lives greatly. There are lots of things including the trial mostly that change the perspective of the world they live in. The kids are living in the Great Depression and it shows just how bad things really where. Scout, Jem, and Dill have experiences that force them to mature and gain new insight.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On To Kill A Mockingbird

    1561 Words  | 4 Pages

    Effective Conventions Made : Research shows that children are more susceptible to commit crimes, develop depression and ___ psychological disorders from the effects of bad parenting. In fact, many people grow up treating others just like how their parents treated them with reference to their parents’ values, behaviours and attitudes. Harper Lee, an American author expressed her childhood experiences in Alabama through writing the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. This book makes a reference to how society views in the Great Depression (1930s) changed to be noticeably racist impacting the life of a widowed father and lawyer named Atticus and his children Jem and Scout. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee conveys that Atticus Finch is a great

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On To Kill A Mockingbird

    726 Words  | 2 Pages

    Out of all the books I have read, To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite. When someone told me that this book has been banned in many schools, I am perplexed because it does not seem like a “harmful” book. The author of this book, Harper Lee, elaborated on real-world conflicts, and proved an important point in the storyline: despite Atticus’s efforts and capable defense, Tom Robinson is found guilty. This forces Scout and Jem upon a sad yet true understanding, which is that the morals that Atticus has taught them may not be reconciled with the evils of human nature; there is a coexistence, no matter what. The event of Tom being found guilty refers to the main lesson of the book’s title. The author explains the sinfulness in killing a mockingbird,

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mocking Bird : Children Are What They Learn (grade 10 Essay

    717 Words  | 2 Pages

    Children are often influenced by adults in their life. Children often receive advice and encouragement from their parents or adult figures. In Haper Lee's novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch helps, his daughter, Scout deal with situations, causing her to become a mature, open-minded individual. Scout learns about courage when Atticus sends her and Jem to read to Mrs. Dubose everyday. Scout learns to fight with her heads instead of her fists when Atticus is defending Tom Robinson. Scout finally learns what Atticus means when he says that you can't understand a person until you walk around in their skin. Atticus' influence shows in Scout accompanying Jem to Mrs. Dubose's.

    Read More

  • Miss Gates Foreshadowing

    434 Words  | 1 Pages

    ‘“Hitler is the government,”’ said Miss Gates, and seizing the opportunity to make education dynamic… ”(328). The class discussion about Hitler is a peculiar moment in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Yet Harper Lee would never add this to the story without a purpose. Setting, diction, syntax, static characters and irony used in this passage creates Scout’s coming of age moment in realizing the prejudicial conception towards black people in Maycomb.

    Read More

  • The Hypocrisy of Humanity Depicted in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird

    1308 Words  | 3 Pages

    Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird shows so many characteristics of today’s society. Among thes...

    Read More

  • Examples Of Diction In To Kill A Mockingbird

    990 Words  | 2 Pages

    There is no doubt that Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a famous novel known for its themes, most of them containing wise life lessons, racial inequality being an obvious and important one. Firstly, racism illustrates the lack of justice and people’s views on prejudice in Tom Robinson’s case. Secondly, the novel touches base on diction notably the racial slurs used. Finally, with racism being a theme of the novel, it affects the characters’ personalities. Harper Lee uses life lessons, diction and characters throughout the novel because it develops the main theme of racism in To Kill a Mockingbird.

    Read More

  • The Theme of Racism in To Kill a Mockingbird

    2121 Words  | 5 Pages

    One of the widely recognized controversies in American history is the 1930s, which housed the Great Depression and the post-civil war, the ruling of Plessy versus Ferguson and the Jim Crow Laws, and segregation. While textbooks detail the factual aspect of the time there is only one other literature that can exhibit the emotion experienced in the era. To Kill a Mockingbird is the acclaimed novel that displays the experiences of the South, through inequality and segregation, social class differences and the right to fairness. The novel’s experiences are narrated through a grown Scout, who appears as a little girl in the novel, offering her innocent views on the happenings in Maycomb County. The most observed aspect of the novel is race and racism; with Tom Robinson’s trial being the prime focus of the novel, the issue of race is bound to be discussed throughout the novel is race, racism and segregation; with Tom Robinson’s trial being the focus of the novel, the issue of race is heavily represented throughout the novel. With Mockingbird being a common book among English Language Arts and Literatures classrooms, the topic of race is bound to surface amid a young, twenty-first century group of student of students with the inevitability of this discussion, the question remains on how to approach the conversation as an educator. As an educator, one should seek to establish the context of the times, prepare the students for the conversation and examine the other characters and situations similarly to race. Educators must also be introspective before examining their students’ feelings, so that they are not surprised by their emotions and can also express their feelings to their students. The discussion should target a goal, one of examin...

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Essays: Doing the Right Thing

    807 Words  | 2 Pages

    To Kill a Mockingbird    "I simply want to tell you that there are some  men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us.  Your father's one of them." – Miss Maudie               The quote above states that Atticus Finch was a man who did unpleasant things, but this quote is false.  Miss Maudie had every good intention when she told Jem and Scout this and her point was taken in the way she intended it to be taken by the children.  Her point could have been better worded if the portion that reads "our unpleasant jobs" were replaced with "what is right."  Atticus did unpleasant things only because he knew that they were the right thing to do.  Miss Maudie told the children about their father in this way only to avoid saying that the rest of the town was wrong.

    Read More

  • Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    786 Words  | 2 Pages

    Harper Lee introduces Scout as an insensible tomboy caught in the midst of contrite prejudicial conception. She has not yet discovered what is right and wrong due to various misconceptions that the people of Maycomb influence her with. ?Don?t say nigger, Scout. That?s common? (75). This particular quote is said by Atticus, Scout?s father, while referring to Scout?s racial ignorance towards African Americans. This quote portrays her social standing at the beginning of the novel as she tends to act ignorant by speaking with rude racial terms. ?Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don't pretend to understand? I just hope that Jem and Scout come to me for their answers instead of listening to the town. I hope they trust me enough?? (92). This quote expressed by Atticus describes Scout?s mental and emotional state near the dawning of the novel. Scout is given influential lessons through the form of words on what to think therefore she is misguided by false pretenses. These ?pretenses? may be misleading, consequently Scout is basing her beliefs about prejudice on the conceptions of others instead of what Scout truly believes. Although Scout?s ...

    Read More

  • How Is Scout Development In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1014 Words  | 3 Pages

    All of us grow, develop, and adapt to our surroundings according to what we see and learn. However, we don’t always only the just induce the positive values, but also adapt to the disadvantageous values, as well. To Kill a Mockingbird is a unique novel written by Harper Lee, which tells about a sophisticated family living in a small town. The focus of this book is Scout, the main character and an innocent child, and the story is presented from her perspective. The structure of the book shows the shaping of Scout’s character from innocent behavior to maturity. Scout develops her empathy and maturity throughout the book by the reflection of other characters and occurring events. The

    Read More

  • Is Scout a Reliable Narrator in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    1231 Words  | 3 Pages

    First of all, Scout allows the reader to focus more on the exterior of situations. Children tend to experience things differently from others. Events that take place in society may be of great importance to adults and mean nothing to children. Things of importance differ between children and adults. But sometimes, a child’s perspective may be the best way to look at things. In To Kill A Mockingbird, the whole town was talking about Tom Robinson’s trial, especially since he was African American and Atticus, a white man, was to be his lawyer. According to reviewer Edwin Bruell in Racism in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, “[To Kill A] Mockingbird, he tells us, is about the townspeople, not about Robinson” (Mancini 101)....

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On To Kill A Mockingbird

    509 Words  | 2 Pages

    To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic tale of a young girl named Jean Louise Finch, or Scout, growing up in the 1930’s during the great depression. The book is famously known for its controversial topics including, racism, sexism, and inappropriate language, causing the book to be banned in several places. The topic is up for debate, if teachers and parents should let students read the book. After reading the text, I have concluded that To Kill a Mockingbird should be read by every student in the tenth grade. The book has many controversial and touchy topics that should be brought to the attention of the student.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Essays: Character Analysis

    823 Words  | 2 Pages

    Humans exist in an irrational universe and despite our circumstances, we continue to venture to make rational decisions. Everyone's meaning of life is distinct from the next. We create our own meaning through the freedom of our existence and choice. In the novel The Stranger written by Albert Camus and TMI (The Meursault Investigation) written by Kamel Daoud both authors attempt to answer the question of the purpose of life through their main characters actions by focusing on questioning human existence, and the feeling that there is no purpose or explanation at the core of existence. Meursault and Harun's actions help define and create the self they desire to become (public self). We witness both characters struggling to detect the meaning

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Education Analysis

    699 Words  | 2 Pages

    Through Lee’s focus on social inequality, she suggests social disparity plays a big role in the schools in Maycomb and can discourage a student due to where they are ranked in society. Lee shows students that not all children have the resources and time that other students have to others by stating, “the burden of

    Read More

More about To Kill A Mockingbird Education Essay

Open Document