To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Prompt: Explain how the fictional Maycomb County in Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird represents many of the societal problems we have today, and explain how Atticus Finch's empathy for a ll people serves as a model we should all follow.
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Narrow-mindedness in To Kill a Mockingbird
“I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know no way of judging of the future but by the past.”-Edward Gibbon. There were many societal problems in To Kill a Mockingbird that were displayed such as, racism, child abuse, poverty, and alcohol/drug abuse. The main societal problem in To Kill a Mockingbird is narrow-mindedness. Despite Atticus’s strong efforts, the problem continued in the book. This is true in society today as well, our society has made steps to fix it, but narrow-mindedness is still around.
First, Racism and prejudice are examples of narrow-mindedness. There are many cases of racism in To Kill a Mockingbird, or as Atticus calls it “Maycomb’s usual disease”. Most of the characters in the book conformed to racism, and like Atticus said, “Only the children weep” when there are racism problems. Aunt Alexandra displays her racial discrimination when she gets upset because Calpurnia let Scout and Jem go to her church. Even their cousin, Francis, calls Atticus a “nigger-lover”. Mrs. Dubose says, “Your father’s [Atticus’s] no better than the niggers and trash he works for!” (135). We’ve made some major steps from racism, such as Obama becoming president, but it still exists. If you are a poor black person being on trial for a crime you can’t afford a good lawyer, so you are even more likely to ...
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...g speech, Atticus says “There is one institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college president. That institution is a court….In the name of god, do your duty.”(274). Also, he later says “The one place a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom be he any color of the rainbow…” (295).
“History does nothing it does not possess immense riches, it does not fight battles. It is men, real, living, who do all this”-Karl Marx. In order to fix the societal problem of being narrow-minded, we have to learn from what the character Atticus said and did in To Kill a Mockingbird. We have to look at the world from the other person’s point of view, and treat them how you want to be treated. As a society, we have to stick up for people are being treated unfairly.
Atticus was a man of strong morals and conscience and in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, had to overcome the backlash and hate from defending Tom Robinson. With what seemed to be the majority of Maycomb County against him and his own safety at stake, Atticus knew that he couldn’t win the trial. Yet accompanied by his rationality, good ethics and determination he overcomes the trial. It is not the desired ending, but for his efforts in the trial, Atticus gains the respect of the black community and the respect of others in Maycomb by following through and overcoming the challenges that followed the
To Kill a Mockingbird focuses on “Maycomb’s usual disease,” as a pivotal part of the book, but also shows that compassion and wisdom can exist in these most bleak areas. The prejudice and bigotry comes from the lack of knowledge of Maycomb, and their fear to change what they have grown up with. Pre-conceived ideas are the main reason that Maycomb is ignorant of black people as they are afraid what a change of those pre-conceived ideas will bring. Even so, compassion still exists, as Atticus is able to save Scout and Jem from the influence of ‘Maycomb’s usual disease.’ Wisdom is also embodied by Atticus, where his wisdom, which is not necessarily knowledge but life experience, is able to force him to do things which are right, shown in his reluctant shooting of the rabid dog.
By providing a precise example of the times it is set in, To Kill a Mockingbird effects the readers opinions on today's society making them think of ways to better it. For example, in the novel, Lee describes what life in Maycomb, a southern town in Alabama, was like during the 1930's: “ a day was twenty-four hours long but seemed longer. There was no hurry, for there was no where to go, nothing to buy, and no money to buy it with...” ( Lee 6). People have a hard time imagining what life in a big depression was like, and this provides them with a description that not only helps the reader think about living during those times but broadens their knowledge about the history in general. This new insight helps them to see how far today's society has come and how many obstacles mankind has faced and overcome on their journey to today. In addition, Catherine Bernard explains through her book, Understanding To Kill A Mockingbird, that: “ While Lee's novel is set in the 1930's, the themes of discrimination and toleranc...
Why are different races and social classes treated so differently? Why was education so horrible at some points in time? Two of the characters in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird are Jem and Scout. When Jem and Scout are growing up, they find out that many things are not as they seem. Certain people are not treated as well as others just because of the color of their skin, how they live, educational status, or even on just urban legend. At courthouses back then, blacks had to sit in a balcony. Many people in this time were so uneducated that they couldn’t read out of hymn books at church, if they had any. Harper Lee wrote a story to express the different kinds of prejudice and educational problems in the 1930’s in Maycomb County, Alabama.
The prejudices present in the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, display the views of the Old South. Defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a prejudice is an adverse opinion formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge. A significant prejudice present is sexism against women. The segregation of social classes is also exhibited in the novel. Most importantly, racism plays a dominant role in To Kill a Mockingbird. Although very common in the South, the prejudices displayed are morally wrong.
“Prejudice is a learned trait. You’re not born prejudice; you’re taught it” –Charles R Swindoll. The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is about a young girl named Scout who lives in a world filled with prejudice. There are many instances and types of prejudice in the novel. A man named Tom Robinson was convicted for doing a crime he never did because of the color of his skin. To this day, Tom would have never been tried because the evidence assuredly shows he is not guilty. One only becomes prejudice if you are taught it from other prejudice people. Harper Lee shows this idea throughout her novel through her characters, dialogue and theme.
Scout lives in Maycomb County where she has to discover the unfair realities of society alongside prejudice people and some honest, accepting, and compassionate people. Her father, Atticus, is a lawyer who teaches her life lessons to help her understand different perspectives. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates how people’s ignorance results in prejudice against others and can only be stopped through understanding and compassion.
The novel TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee has numerous accounts of racism and prejudice throughout the entire piece. The novel is set in the 1930's, a time when racism was very prevalent. Although bigotry and segregation were pointed in majority towards blacks, other accounts towards whites were also heard of, though not as commonly. There are acts that are so discreet that you almost don't catch them, but along with those, there are blatant acts of bigotry that would never occur in our time. Lee addresses many of these feelings in her novel.
Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird presents a corrupt society which are challenged with complex social, ethical and moral issues.
Using the backdrop of racial tension and an episode of southern living, Lee develops To Kill a Mockingbird to point out basic morals by which people should live. By Lee’s combining a fictionalization of the historic Scottsboro Trial and the novel’s use of the community to morally educate two children, her characters demonstrate moral responsibility. In the first part of the novel, Lee establishes conflict as Atticus Finch, the father, and the surrounding community, through various situations and conversations, enlighten Jem and Scout Finch with lessons of moral ethic. The moral responsibility of others is to express kindness and respect to others in a world where people of different races, socioeconomic statuses, and cultures exist. In setting the tone Lee establishes the mood through mentions of the Great Depression to remind her reader of the hardships the nation endured.
Prejudice as defined by the Merriam Webster’s Dictionary is, “a feeling of like or dislike for someone or something especially when it is not reasonable or logical.”prejudice is prevalent through many of the characters in the book. Scout, is the book’s narrator and is 7 at the beginning of the book. Her father, Atticus is a lawyer in the town of Maycomb, where the story takes place. Tom Robinson, a black character, is also very important throughout the plot of the book. Tom was accused of raping a white girl, Mayella and was sentenced to a trial which the book centers around. Throughout Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, she implies that prejudice, whether it be social
'Democracy,' she said. 'Does anybody have a definition?' ... 'Equal rights for all, special privileges for none' (Lee 248).
The first “mockingbird” that is featured in the novel is a man named Atticus Finch. Not only is Atticus Finch the sole representative of Maycomb in the legislature, but also he is a brilliant lawyer. In addition, he has a good reputation in both Maycomb’s black and white communities because of his exceptional character. However, his reputation is soon shattered when he is faced with a case in court that affects him personally: he must defend an African American man in court in Maycomb’s segregated society. If Atticus chooses to try defending the man, he will lose his good status in town, since his racist American neighbors will soon disrespect him for treating the African Americans as equal to the Americans, which is highly unacceptable in the United States during the 1930s. However, Atticus still accepted the case believing that if he does not, he w...
"Any ordinary favour we do for someone or any compassionate reaching out may seem to be going nowhere at first, but may be planting a seed we can 't see right now. Sometimes we need to just do the best we can and then trust in an unfolding we can 't design or ordain." - Sharon Salzberg. To Kill A Mockingbird embodies those very words in every aspect and exemplifies them through its three main characters: Atticus, Scout, Jem. Yet, with racism and discrimination seemingly making its way back into the twenty first century with increased shootings of African American males and Donald trump making an effort to export all Muslims out of America etc..., the
Racial prejudice is widespread in the county of Maycomb, and a prime example is the Tom Robinson case. Tom, a black man, was accused of raping Mayella, a white woman. Atticus puts forward all evidence from his witnesses that clearly proves Tom was innocent, Jem even says, ?and we?re gonna win Scout. I don?t see how we can?t? (pg 206), but Tom still received a ?Guilty? verdict. Atticus tried removing the prejudiced thoughts of the jurors by saying, ??the assumption - the evil assumption - that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings??. (pg 208). Atticus? saying insinuated the point that all of God?s children were created equal. To the jury, the only important thing was that Tom was black and the accuser was white, he never stood a chance under those conditions. These racial tensions between blacks and whites had made their way into the courtroom, a place where everyone should receive a fair trial no matter what race or colour, but an unjust verdict was reached. The prejudice that was felt towards Tom made him lose all hope of freedom, and as a result, he died upon an escape attempt. Tom was victim of racial prejudice and loss of hope.