The idea of a perfect world is an amazing one. In this world there would be peace and prosperity among all who live. But sadly, we live in an imperfect world where there is racism, segregation, and a society which constantly fights people who desire equality. In Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton and in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, there is a great deal of segregation, as well as a society that supports inequality. The characters in both books have to deal with these issues in their daily lives, while trying to combat them. They learn that battling society can be a very difficult pursuit. Segregation is a prominent topic in both of these books, and plays a large role in each. In To Kill a Mockingbird, blacks are discriminated against in a number of different ways. One place they are discriminated against is in church, and another in the very homes and neighborhoods they live in. One example of church segregation is, "First purchase African M.E. Church was in the quarters outside the southern town limits, across the old sawmill tracks... it was paid for from the first earnings of freed slaves. Negros worshiped in it on sundays and white men gambled in it on weekdays" (Lee 118). This is clearly segregation because blacks and whites have to worship in different churches. Also, it is segregated from the white church because white men worship in an "actual church" where they don't need to rent a building out to gamblers. Anyone gambling in a church is rude in itself. The whites have enough money to pay for belongings like hymnals; the black church only has one book. Also, the white church doesn't have to rent the church out to gamblers. An example of public segregation, in a very socially close town, is displayed during th... ... middle of paper ... ...ayed here makes it clear that the blacks want equality. It also shows the two sides of society that are clearly demonstrated in both of these books. It is clear that people's opinions and government, which can influence society, affect the societal norms that keep equality from being reached. Each character that challenges society soon learns that these battles of politically correctness can be very difficult to win. With every one of these issues, the characters must battle society and "norms" to try and bring change for the better. In To Kill a Mockingbird and Cry, the Beloved Country ,they fight against segregation, massive amounts of poverty, and the people around them. Each of the battles they fight make the future generations think about what is right and wrong. They are not only battling society, but influencing society so we can reach equality in all nations.
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...
In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, many things are repeated and emphasized. Harper Lee does this for a reason, she wants her reader to centralize their thoughts on certain themes. After reading and analyzing this novel, we discovered that the theme of “justice and injustice” was the most relevant theme. Many scenarios in this book, such as: death, the court system, racism, and the Finch children depicted this. Harper Lee uses this plot so her readers understand the difference between justice and injustice, and its consequences.
The years of 1960 and 1961, when To Kill A Mockingbird was published, signaled a time of great change. The civil rights movement was in full swing and the country was undergoing social and economic reconstruction. Traditional thinking was being transformed into ideas and thoughts that had never been considered before, and old traditions were pitted against new ones. Looking into the Deep South, in a little town named Maycomb, tradition for most people meant prejudice, separation, and racism. Atticus Finch chooses to fight against this "old tradition" with traditions of his own. Because of his highly ethical character, Atticus is able to honorably defend Tom Robinson and promote a "new tradition" for himself and his children. Respect, dignity, and equality form the backbone of Atticus' belief system, a belief system containing qualities that are often overlooked in the traditional South. In the absence of outside support, Atticus fights his battle the only way he knows how -- with patience, perseverance, and honesty.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, the most important theme was the defiance of social prejudices. The Finch family defy racism and receive hate and trouble from both the adults and children of their community. Their struggles come together in a case that accurately describes historical realities that existed in the
To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in a rural southern town in the 1930s, when racism was commonly accepted. Blacks were
To conclude my essay Harper Lee uses the time and setting to exemplify the horrible effects of prejudice through Atticus, Boo and Tom. Boo is thought to be a monster by the people of Maycomb but ends up being a very caring shy young man not a monster. Throughout the novel Atticus Finch is discriminated by the townspeople of Maycomb for doing what is right and standing up for Tom Robinson who is innocent. Tom Robinson experiences so much racism that by the time he steps in to the courtroom he is a dead man. This classic piece of literature is an epic novel that exemplifies and pints out the horrible effects of prejudice and injustice on people and how these two key matters lead to injustice and in some cases destruction.
In the book ‘ To Kill A Mockingbird ‘ by Harper Lee there are many themes that emerge throughout the novel from either the character’s actions and the progression of the plot. The themes that I would like to focus are those of social inequality and that of racism. Both of these themes guide the plot and help to shape the setting of the novel. The themes of social inequality and racism deeply trouble the main characters of Jem and Scout.
In the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee there is a major theme. Racism is present everywhere throughout this book, from the beginning to the end. This theme is developed by all the people in the town of Maycomb being racist towards African Americans, and some African Americans are being racist towards white people. Harper Lee has made Maycomb townspeople racist to show that this book was set during the Great Depression. We can tell it’s during this time period because of the way people lived and how the author uses language to create the sense of the book being set in that time. Therefore, the most important theme in the book is racism because of the way everyone in the town acts towards each other and treats each other.
The first historical influence in Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird is the era of the Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow was a series of laws that segregated Blacks from Whites (Pilgrim). Jim Crow was an anti-Black, racist “way of life” in the south between 1877 and the “mid-1960s” (Pilgrim). An example of a law is that Blacks had to at all times use courtesy titles for Whites, such as Mrs., Sir, Miss, Mr., or Ma’am, but Whites never had to use those titles for Blacks (Pilgrim). There are a couple of reasons leading to as why these laws would happen. For example, many religious leaders, such as Christian ministers told people that Whites were the “Chosen people”, that Blacks were meant to be servants, and that “God supported racial segregation” (Pilgrim).
To Kill a Mockingbird revolves around human behavior and the boundaries that it facilitates. The boundaries of the quiet little town of Maycomb, Alabama are constantly tested by the games that people play. In each game, distinctions evolve. The distinctions become the rules of the game, of life, and from them, different boundaries form for each new character. With each new drama, characters and distinctions change, as do the boundaries which form them.
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest” Ellie Wiesel. Readers may find the amount of injustice in Harper lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird a little shocking. This could be why it’s such a popular book. People like the suspense of knowing someone’s right, but still being found guilty for something they did not do. There are many times throughout the book when people are powerless to prevent injustice but they still protest it. This shows that even when people unjustly punish there should always be someone to protest it. The theme of injustice is a common one in harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, whether it be through racism, misinformation, or Arrogance.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a novel that covers many different well known issues with prejudice. Not only is racism a big problem in this book, but judgement based on social class is also evident. Economic class in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird is shown in many ways from how people are treated and talked about, to how people assume that they live their lives.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” is an all-time classic and unforgettable novel. Through Harper Lee’s unique way of writing, several conflicts about politics and social injustices begin to erupt one by one throughout the novel – with a hefty portion of the story focusing on prejudice and the relationships between African Americans and whites in the Southern
Not only is To Kill a Mockingbird a fun novel to read, it is purposeful. Harper Lee wrote the novel to demonstrate the way in which the world and its people should live together in harmony through a basic moral attitude of treating others with respect and kindness. The novel received the Pulitzer Prize in 1960, which places it among the best adult novels ever written; although it achieved this high recognition, today’s primary readers are adolescents. However, at the turning of the twenty-first century, one might wrongfully assume Harper Lee intended To Kill a Mockingbird a novel for adolescents and ignore its lessons for adults. According to “’Fine Fancy Gentlemen’ and ‘Yappy Folks’: Contending Voices in To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Theodore Hovet and Grace-Ann Hovet, Lee’s work is important because she does not supply the normal assumptions most in America harbor regarding the origins of racism. To the contrary, they argue that “Rather than ascribing racial prejudice primarily to ‘poor white trash’ (qtd. in Newitz and Wray), Lee demonstrates how issues of gender and class intensify prejudice, silence the voices that might challenge the existing order, and greatly complicate many Americans’ conception of the causes of racism and segregation” (67). Reading To Kill a Mockingbird provides its audience with a basic moral code by which to live and encounter individuals who appear different or make choices unlike those made by the mainstream populace. Therefore, this novel becomes part of our moral culture; regardless of age, people learn from the moral codes taught by defense attorney Atticus Finch, his children, and his community.
To Kill a Mockingbird overall explores the racial and social prejudices in the small town of Maycomb and shows that not everyone can be equal in a town where the white community gave themselves the title of being superior and explores how this is challenged by only very few people who decide that it is not up to them to decide who is