Character Analysis Of Tom Robinson In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee
analytical Essay
734 words
In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, she shows how society in the 1930’s affects the lives of many people. One of these people is Tom Robinson, who is expressed to be a “mockingbird” of the story. A mockingbird is unlike several other birds and never harms anyone, therefore should not be killed because it would be like killing peace. Tom is used in the novel as a mockingbird to show how the town of Maycomb, Alabama is racist.
Scout becomes curious to why her father says it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, so she asks. Atticus tells scout, “Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy…but sing their hearts out for us”(Lee, 103). Atticus gives a clear explanation of why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Mockingbirds do not cause any harm to anything or anyone and this is why they are the symbol of innocence in the
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how harper lee's novel, to kill a mockingbird, shows how society in the 1930’s affects the lives of many people. tom robinson is expressed as the mocking bird of the story.
- Analyzes how harper lee created characters that symbolize mockingbirds because they are a sign of peace.
- Analyzes how the town of maycomb, alabama was predominately white. racism spread like a disease and children walked around easily calling blacks derogatory terms.
- Analyzes how tom lost all hope in his case and decided to try to escape from where he was being held. he was the symbolic mockingbird that was brutally killed for no reason.
- Analyzes how tom robinson, a mockingbird, expresses his symbolism through the actions of people in racist town. he was an innocent man that was continuously humble and peaceful.
Racism spread like a disease through the town and children walked around easily calling blacks derogatory terms. One day after school Scout came home and explained to her father how her day went. She said that the children were calling Atticus a nigger lover. Scout addressed, “You aren’t actually a nigger lover are you?” (Lee, 124). Her father, shocked at first, replied informatively, “I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody" (Lee, 124). What Atticus meant, was that he tries to be kind to everybody no matter their skin color. Scout does not realize that calling blacks “niggers” is bad, and that you have to call them “negroes”. A reader of this novel could infer that Scout did not know that she cannot use that word because she hears kids at schools say it all the time. All of this indirectly relates to Tom and how he was a black man that was constantly being taunted by hateful terms because he was just there, like a mockingbird. He never fought back, instead he stayed
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- Racism in the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Leeanalytical essayMany years ago, some men, no, most men, hated Black people. This is a fact that Blacks were forced into getting used to. Daily, Blacks had to face the music that they were hated, they were not wanted, and the reality that most people would rather they be dead. This is exactly how people felt toward Tom Robinson, a Black man who was accused of terrible things just because of Racism; even though he was innocent. Racism in the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, affects the events in the novel by costing Tom Robinson his freedom and eventually, his life.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how racism in the novel, to kill a mockingbird, affects tom robinson's freedom and eventually, his life.
- Narrates how mayella ewell calls tom robinson to the house to ask him to help her. she kisses him and yells, "kiss me back nigger!"
- Analyzes how atticus finch, the defendant for the upcoming case of tom robinson, is protecting tom from the mob because they don't think that he deserves a case.
- Analyzes how the trial of tom robinson is cruel in everything that he has to go through. atticus is successful in proving tom innocent, but mr. gilmer's lawyer says to tom.
- Explains that robinson is pretty good at busting up chiffarobes and kindling with one hand. he chokes the breath out of a woman and slings her to the floor.
- Narrates how mr. gilmer convinces the jury that tom robinson is guilty of rape. after an hour of discussion, everything changes for tom. he is sent to prison and sees no way of being released, ever.
- Opines that racism has been depleted over the last seventy years that we have finally gotten to a time period where our courts are much closer to having true justice for everyone.
550 wordsRead More - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - The Many Faces of Evilanalytical essayDispersed throughout To Kill A Mockingbird are numerous illustrations of racism. Statements such as "Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for" (Lee 108) are common throughout the entire novel. The use of racist statements such as these seemed to bother many people who were then driven to ban Lee's book from their schools. If we look back to the times when the book was written, we can understand the use of the word "nigger." During the early twentieth century, the word "nigger" was used as commonly as many people today use the word "black." The general public either didn't realize or didn't care about how demeaning the word "nigger" was. Eventually, some African-Americans became so used to hearing it that they no longer paid any attention to it. Atticus Finch, Scout's father, however, had a different way of thinking. Although Atticus was Caucasian, he realized that the word "nigger" was wrong to say. He did not use that word and he instructed his children not to use that word either. This courtesy did not catch on. People continued to refer to African-Americans as "niggers" and called anyone who was kind to "niggers" a "nigger-lover." Scout realized this and, as she matured, she came to understand how wrong the use of the word "nigger" actually was.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how rousseau epitomizes many points of evil that are discussed in harper lee's novel, to kill a mockingbird.
- Analyzes how racist statements like "your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for" are common throughout to kill a mockingbird.
- Analyzes how jean louise was subjected to more evil than racism. robert ewell attempted to murder scout and jem in a drunken rage.
- Analyzes how arthur was misrepresented by people who didn't understand his situation. scout learned that she should never judge a man or woman until she has walked around in their shoes.
794 wordsRead More - To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Leeanalytical essayAtticus Finch is an extraordinary individual who teaches his children Jem and Scout valuable life lessons about morals. Atticus does so by teaching his children that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Atticus says that mockingbirds do not harm anyone, and that all they do is make beautiful music for us to enjoy. This is proven when Atticus says, “I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 90). This is further proven when Miss Maudie tells Jem and Scout that Atticus is right because “[Mockingbirds] 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” (90). When Atticus talks about mockingbirds in this profound way, it also refers to individuals such as Tom Robinson. Tom can be seen as a mockingbird, because he does not hurt anybody, he always tries to be friendly and help his neighbours, but he is wrongly accused, and is sent to jail. Lastly, Atticus also teaches valuable life lessons about moral...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how atticus finch is portrayed as an extraordinary character who teaches valuable life lessons about morals, courage, and sacrifice.
- Concludes that atticus finch is an extraordinary individual who teaches his children valuable life lessons about morals.
- Analyzes how atticus finch continues to teach valuable life lessons of courage, which cause his children to view courage in a much greater way.
- Opines that real courage is not a gun in one's hand, but when one sees it through no matter what. she died beholden to nothing and nobody.
- Analyzes how atticus finch continues to teach courage, which causes his children to view courage in a much greater way.
- Analyzes how atticus teaches valuable life lessons of sacrifice in to kill a mockingbird. he sacrifices his safety and his children's safety to save mayella ewell from being beaten by her father.
- Analyzes how the novel portrays atticus finch as an extraordinary individual who teaches valuable life lessons about morals, courage and sacrifice.
1072 wordsRead More - How Did Tom Robinson Sin To Kill A Mockingbirdopinionated essayIt is a sin to kill a mockingbird because they do not do anything wrong. They only sing for people to enjoy their songs.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that tom robinson represents the mockingbird symbol because he did not do anything wrong. he helped people when it was needed.
- Analyzes how jem and scout finch represent the mockingbird symbol because when they were walking home on halloween night, bob ewell followed them and tries to kill them.
- Opines that boo radley represents the mockingbird symbol because he gave jem and scout gifts like the indian pennies, the broken pocket watch, and a ball of yarn.
400 wordsRead More - Tom Robinson Convictions In To Kill A Mockingbirdanalytical essayDuring the case of Tom Robinson and his conviction, Scout is exposed to how the people of Maycomb react to racism, learning how to react to racism herself. For example, when the jury was deciding a verdict, Reverend Sykes says, “I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man”(Lee 238). When Reverend Sykes says this, Scout finally experiences how racism affects her and the townspeople personally. She also assimilates the information and influences around her, making herself racist as well. For instance, while explaining things to Dill, Scout makes a racist remark saying, “Well, Dill, after all, he’s just a Negro”(Lee 226). With Scout saying this, it would be her primitive time of saying, out loud, a racist remark.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how scout is exposed to how the people of maycomb react to racism, and assimilates the information and influences around her.
246 wordsRead More - essayanalytical essayTom Robinson is the mockingbird that was innocently killed, not because of any signifigant evidence, but because of his tinted skin color that automatically sentenced him to death. The character of Tom Robinson symbolizes the racial injustice ...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how characters from harper lee's, to kill a mockingbird, jem finch, tom robinson, and athur "boo" radley symbolize mocking birds who have been injured or destroyed through contact with prejudice.
- Analyzes how jem finch symbolizes the annihilation of a child's innocence after witnessing the trial and the ongoing racial segregation that has plagued macomb county.
- Analyzes how the character of tom robinson symbolizes the racial injustice and how far of an extent prejudice can be taken.
- Analyzes how athur "boo" radley is an antoganistic monster because of his little to no interaction with the outside world, but evidently has a heart of gold.
639 wordsRead More - Mockingbirds' Songanalytical essayMockingbirds represent Tom Robinson because people look down upon him because he is black. Mr.Ewell accused Tom Robinson of beating and raping Mayella Ewell, his oldest child. In the end, no one had any evidence, so it solely depended on each man’s word. Atticus Finch, Robinson’s lawyer and Scout and Jem’s father, found that the person who beat Mayella’s right eye would have to use their left hand. The jury found Robinson guilty even though he couldn’t have committed the crime because “his left arm was fully twelve inches shorter than his right, and hung dead at his side”(Lee 211). Later at the prison, guards shot him multiple times after ‘attempting to escape’. In addition to maintaining a full-time job and supporting his family, he had found time to help others in the community, white or black, for free. Despite helping The Ewells with chores, they didn’t return the kindness when Robinson needed it the most, ultimately killing him.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how mockingbirds play a small role in the plot, but convey larger meaning. they represent many different characters throughout the book, including tom robinson, scout finch, mr.raymond, and boo radley.
- Analyzes how mockingbirds represent tom robinson because people look down upon him because he is black. mr.ewell accused him of beating and raping mayella ewell.
- Analyzes how mr.raymond is seen as an outcast because he came from an old and rich family, but still decides to socialize with the black community.
- Analyzes how boo radley has hidden in his home for more than fifteen years. maycomb has ostracized him because they see him as a mentally insane person who may or may not be alive.
- Analyzes how atticus visits tom robinson, jem, scout and dill decide to follow him. mr.cunningham and many other white citizens of maycomb gang up and try to pressure him into giving up on robinson. scout decides to speak up.
- Opines that maycomb needs more people like scout, the song, to protect the mockingbirds from harm. tom robinson helped the ewells, but they turned against him.
631 wordsRead More - Boo Radley Is A Sin To Kill A Mockingbirdanalytical essayThe story, "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is set in the South of Maycomb, Alabama. It portrays a deteriorate society which is segregated by the racial and social actions of the people in Maycomb. In the novel Atticus claims that “it is a sin to kill a mockingbird”, because they do not do any harm to us humans, they are harmless, gentle and they only sing their hearts out to us. There are three people that the author, Harper Lee depicts as a mockingbird; Boo Radley, killed by society's bias views towards those who don’t think he is sane. Tom Robinson, killed by inequality, no respect and racial prejudice shown by the people; and
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how harper lee's "to kill a mockingbird" portrays deteriorating society segregated by racial and social actions of the people in maycomb.
- Analyzes how arthur "boo" radley is a caring, sensitive and friendly man who is taunted by his neighbors. the neighborhood did not help him when he was in need of company.
- Analyzes how tom robinson was wrongfully convicted and killed for a crime that he did not execute. the people of maycomb wanted to kill tom for their own amusement.
512 wordsRead More - An Analysis Of 'Tom Robinson In To Kill A Mockingbird'analytical essayFurthermore, the most transparent symbol of imprisonment is Tom Robinson. Due to the risk being hurt by citizens he is imprisoned in multiple jails, “...moving him to the county jail tomorrow,” (194). The cause of his imprisonment is the accusation of a false rape, which causes him to later become “guilty” of something he did not do (292). He is physically imprisoned for the majority of the novel. A more in-depth way that he is imprisoned is from the people he lives around and how they view his skin colour. The people of Maycomb are racist and treat coloured people as less than them. “Atticus had no case,” (323) Atticus tries his very best to prove that Tom is innocent but he never had a case. “Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the most transparent symbol of imprisonment is tom robinson, who is imprisoned by the beliefs of the jury, judge, and the citizens of maycomb.
232 wordsRead More - Tom Robinson represents a mockingbird slain by prejudice and racism. His innocence of the crime he’s accused of suggests a relationship to the mockingbird for they both provide no harm. Considering the irrationality of the townspeople, killing Tom Robinson brought forward no good or prevented no evil, just like a mockingbird. Equally Boo Radley was an innocent who was accused of crimes that were not committed. People classified Boo as a threat and a menace for his reputation that is later discovered to be inaccurate. Scouts speculations towards Boo were muddled with prejudice tied with ignorance, but later describes him to be a representation of a mockingbird for his vulnerability in the end. Accordingly, by killing a mockingbird it is associated
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how tom robinson represents a mockingbird slain by prejudice and racism, while boo radley was an innocent who was accused of crimes that were not committed.
127 wordsRead More