Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird
analytical Essay
1376 words
Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird
In the novel by Harper Lee named, To Kill a Mockingbird, there is one main tragic event that occurs. The feelings and expressions dealt with in the novel are seen through the eyes of the main character, named Scout. In the novel Tom Robinson is a black male accused of rape in Maycomb County. During the same time period as the novel there were many historical events that were almost identical in setting and conclusion. There were many things that happened leading up to the court case that foreshadowed Tom Robinson’s inability to be found innocent of the charges. The Scottsboro case and the case in the novel are similar in many ways, especially in that they ruined the lives of blacks over false accusations.
An event that was very much similar in nature to the novel was the Scottsboro trials. The Scottsboro trials involved nine young black males who were charged with the rape of two white females on a train. The black boys on the train got into a fight with some white males, which was the beginning of their worst nightmare. The two women on the train that made the accusations saw an opportunity to stage a rape claim.
The two women in the Scottsboro case were from poor families living in African-American communities. In the 1920's and 1930s it was not common for white families to live in black communities. Even though there were a few that lived in the black communities, they were not thought highly of. The two women's names were Victoria Price and Ruby Bates. During the court case, “Another witness claimed that he had let Price use a room for prostitution and that she turned down a white man once because it was ‘Negro night’" (Greatest). Ruby Bates’ situation was not much bet...
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...onvicted of a crime that he didn’t commit, which eventually led to his death. The town of Maycomb committed a sin, by killing a mockingbird.
Works Cited:
"The Greatest Trials of All Time." The Scottsboro Boys. 1998. Court TV Online. 13 Feb. 2002.
In this essay, the author
- Compares harper lee's to kill a mockingbird to the scottsboro case and the case in the novel.
- Explains that the scottsboro trials involved nine young black males who were charged with the rape of two white females on a train.
- Analyzes how the two women in the scottsboro case were from poor families living in african-american communities.
- Analyzes how mayella ewell lives in a similar setting to the women in the scottsboro trials. her father uses racial insinuations like, "why, i run for tate quick as i could."
- Analyzes how the scottsboro boys trial was a case built around lies. the accusations in the trials were completely false and were created to diversion from the actual activities of the two ladies on the train.
- Analyzes how the case in the novel is a lie, but the accusers never changed their story. mayella ewell claimed to have been beaten and raped by tom robinson, when in fact her drunken father probably did the beating.
- Analyzes how the community surrounding the scottsboro trials was determined to put these young black boys to death. ruby bates recanted her story after realizing her faults.
- Analyzes how mr. finch was assigned to the case, and was doing his duty as a lawyer to defend his client. scout and her brother had learned to take harsh comments from the community, but hearing it from their aunt was hard to swallow.
- Analyzes how tom robinson represents an entire race of black people that were not given any respect in the early 1900's.
- Cites the scottsboro boys' "the greatest trials of all time" and claudia durst's understanding to kill a mockingbird.
Related
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- Art In To Kill A Mockingbirdanalytical essaySimilar to the Tom Robinson case, the Scottsboro boys were falsely accused of rape. Even though there was no evidence provided for the prosecution, they were convicted due to the injustice of the time. Furthermore, there is a relationship between the Emmett Till incident and the novel. In both cases whites went against the law and lynched, or attempted to lynch, the African American and were not punished for it. Finally, the stories are all on common terms in that the conflicts involved white men trying to keep African American males away from white girls, even if the African Americans never actually did anything
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the novel to kill a mockingbird depicts the idea of oppression, racism, and freedom.
- Analyzes how harper lee connected the ideas of freedom in terms of oppression and racism in to kill a mockingbird.
- Analyzes how maya angelou and paul dunbar's caged bird and sympathy relate to the conflicts of to kill a mockingbird. both poets reference the sadness of oppression and joy of freedom.
- Analyzes how the real life stories of emmett till and the scottsboro boys' trial relate to to kill a mockingbird because there is prejudice toward the boys, due to the injustice of the time.
- Concludes that art is a common form of communication used to express people's ideas of life, and this works in accordance with the idea of art being only an imitation.
805 wordsRead More - Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbirdanalytical essayHarper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird In the early twentieth century, the United States was undergoing a dramatic social change. Slavery had been abolished decades before, but the southern states were still attempting to restrict social interaction among people of different races. In particular, blacks were subject to special Jim Crow laws which restricted their rights and attempted to keep the race inferior to whites. Even beyond these laws, however, blacks were feeling the pressure of prejudice.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how atticus picks apart the state's evidence on the matter. the jury panel of twelve white males returned a unanimous guilty verdict.
- Analyzes du bois, w.e.b., and sternsher's the negro in depression and war.
- Explains ling, p.j., "a white woman’s word: the scottsboro case (1931)." race on trial.
- Analyzes the irrational hatred of black people in harper lee's novel, to kill a mockingbird.
- Analyzes how the scottsboro boys' trial involved two white women that accused nine black youths of rape.
1363 wordsRead More - The Scottsboro Trials and To Kill A Mockingbirdanalytical essayParallels and bias were shown in both cases, every racist witness showed bias to the black men who were accused. The major characters that were involved with the trial were similar too. Both Atticus and Judge Horton fought for the equal treatment of blacks in the judicial system as the whites. The accusers of the black men were similar too; it seems like the book was made after the actual Scottsboro Case. The time that both of the trials took place in were exactly the same as well. Every single aspect of both of the trials is the same except for the outcomes. One outcome was that they men got away which was amazing because it was real life and the other was more realistic that the black man was killed and the racists had their justice served.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the scottsboro trial and the trial of tom robinson are almost identical in the forms of bias and accusers that were persecuted.
- Narrates how a group of white and black men rode the trains in the thirties for transportation. they were kicked off of the train and arrested for vagrancy.
- Analyzes how the characters in the novel to kill a mockingbird relate directly to the people involved with the scottsboro case.
- Analyzes how the antagonists and protagonists in both cases were identical and the bias was shown in the same ways. atticus finch and judge horton fought to make the trials fair.
- Analyzes how parallels and bias were shown in both cases. atticus and judge horton fought for equal treatment of blacks in the judicial system as the whites.
1162 wordsRead More - Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbirdanalytical essayHarper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird To Kill a Mockingbird, both as a novel and as a film, shows how time can change the way society views the importance of certain issues, such as racism. Because it was written during the civil rights movement, many people protested against it for conveying issues of prejudice between the north and the south. However, after time, the novel gradually became accepted. It is now a world-renowned classic, and it has won the Pulitzer Prize, as well as having made its way to the big screen. The author, Harper Lee, sets the story in a small town in Alabama.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how harper lee's to kill a mockingbird shows how time can change the way society views the importance of certain issues, such as racism.
- Analyzes how eases the reader into the life of the town with warmth and good humor. the backcountry kids unhinge a teacher from an alien?north? county of alabama.
- Analyzes how mitgang tells us that the novel is about two children who live in a small town, where they deal with racism in society.
- Explains jane kansas' website dedicated to to kill a mockingbird covers the novel, the film, events, reviews, interviews, and harper lee's biography. lee gave her manuscript to the j. b. lippincott company in 1957.
- Quotes murray schumach's article titled 'prize for novel elates film pair', in which pakula was inspired to create a film based on the novel.
- Analyzes mitgang's article 'books of the times,' which states that "to kill a mockingbird" opens the chrysalis in childhood quietly and dramatically.
- Agrees with larry tubelle's argument that the novel 'to kill a mockingbird' was transformed into film without losing any of its prize-winning characteristics.
- Analyzes how claudia durst johnson's book, to kill a mockingbird: threatening boundaries, conveys the importance of the novel.
- Analyzes how jill may's case study in defense of 'to kill a mockingbird' states that the book was censored because it portrays sex, racism, and profanity.
- Analyzes how the novel affected lynn neary in a positive way. it helped her deal with what was going on in the world during her childhood.
- Argues that the film's liberal sensibility is simplistic in that racism is seen as the vice of only an ignorant, lower-class segment of the population.
- Analyzes how the school's approach to to kill a mockingbird differs from the way it was handled when it first came out. instead of getting rid of the novel, teachers are now encouraging schools to give it recognition.
- Explains that the film has received a change in criticism along with the change of time. recent reviews have praised it, and stressed its achievements.
- Explains that many reproductions of to kill a mockingbird are available, including the classic 1960 publication, the 40th anniversary edition, and the study guide.
- Analyzes how harper lee's to kill a mockingbird is an example of how hearts can change with time.
- Opines that crum, steve, is the rev. of to kill a mockingbird by harper lee.
- Analyzes dashielle's rev. of to kill a mockingbird by harper lee. ciniscene. dec. 2001.
- Describes dirks' rev of to kill a mockingbird (1962). greatest films 1996-2005.
- Analyzes may's book, "in defense of?to kill a mockingbird." censored books: critical viewpoints.
- Explains meyer, mariyln, rev. of to kill a mockingbird by harper lee.
- Cites schumach, murray, and the new york times' article, "prize for novel elates film pair."
- Cites stratton, jerry. rev. of to kill a mockingbird by harper lee.
- Analyzes tubelle, larry, rev. of to kill a mockingbird by harper lee. variety 100 12 dec. 1962.
- Describes weinberg, scott, and harper lee's rev. of to kill a mockingbird.
3438 wordsRead More - The Scottsboro Trial Essay: The Stone That Started It Allanalytical essayThe Scottsboro trials were the beginning of an extreme change in the way America treats colored people. There were so many firsts that happened during the Scottsboro trials and one of them was when the sheriff stopped the boys from being lynched because he thought they deserved a real and honest trial. The fact that these boys got a trial must have surprised everyone that was nearby Scottsboro because they say that court was the fullest it had ever been. After that, another first happens when the black and whites march side by side and white people were showing their support for those nine boys accused of rape. The way these trials affected America in later date is phenomenal because this was the first time that whites had a parade in favour of the black kids on trial who were being unfairly judged. The documentary stated “Scottsboro is the rekindling of an equality fight,” This meant that Scottsboro reminded Americans why they should unite together instead of segregating colored people simply because we still thought they were less than whites. This trial led to the chant “Blacks and whites unite and fight” which people would say during the first black and white parade, rioting about the mistreatment those boys were
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the scottsboro trials started the ripple effect towards america stopping racism. the nine boys endured trails and things that affected them even after they were let go.
- Explains that the scottsboro trials were the beginning of an extreme change in the way america treats colored people.
- Explains how the scottsboro trials exposed the preconceived notion of black men being anxious to rape white women.
- Explains that the scottsboro trial was the turning point where white people recognized their flaws in the treatment of black people.
- Analyzes how the scottsboro trials changed the course of history in a dramatic way. they led to the awareness of how racist the south was, and black and whites uniting for the first time.
1048 wordsRead More - Convictions of Coloranalytical essayNelle Harper Lee demonstrates an excellent representation of a harsh time period in her novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, which took place in the South between 1925 and 1935. This period was very important in the construction of the South’s economy, although it proved to be exceptionally challenging for African Americans. They had special laws to abide by, were not given the rights that white people held, and were badly mistreated because of the whites’ resentment that black slaves were now free. One primary example of this mistreatment is the case known as the Scottsboro Trials, in which injustice was served on eight black men for a crime that never happened. The following will include factual and fictitious literature and will utilize them with historical evidence to prove that a black person’s fair trial was improbable in the court system of the young south.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes nelle harper lee's portrayal of a harsh time period in her novel, to kill a mockingbird, which took place in the south between 1925 and 1935.
- Describes how the ku klux klan encouraged white dominance and used violence and intimidation to try to undo all that the blacks had recently gained.
- Narrates how a fight broke out between black and white men and two white women on the train from tennessee to alabama, and the two women were arrested on charges of vagrancy and violation of the mann act.
- Analyzes how harper lee captured the popular racial attitude of the 1930's in to kill a mockingbird by showing real world prejudice as a fictional account.
- Explains that the scottsboro case reached a higher court because of inadequate legal representation from the first trial. the only justice to this trial came when judge horton overturned the jury's conviction and ordered the new trial just before the execution date.
- Analyzes how atticus was the only justice provided for the trial, but his courageous act was not enough in the courtroom.
1806 wordsRead More - Racism and Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Leeargumentative essayIn March of 1931 nine young Negro boys were unjustly charged with raping a white woman. In the bestselling novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, published in 1960, a young black male faces a similar circumstance when he finds himself the defendant charged with a similar crime. Both cases were so harshly charged with racism neither the Scottsboro Boys nor Tom Robinson was safe from an unjustly fate.
In this essay, the author
- Compares how the scottsboro boys and tom robinson were unjustly charged with raping a white woman in 1931 and in 1960.
- Explains that nine young black men were riding on a freight train in northern alabama when they had an altercation with some white men. the defendants were divided into four groups based on the strength of evidence against them.
- Describes how the international labor department and the communist party of the u.s.a spearheaded efforts to free the "scottsboro boys."
- Analyzes how to kill a mockingbird deals with two aspects of racism: white refusal to recognize black equality before the law and white treatment of blacks as less than human.
- Concludes that mayella faked her injuries and it was her father that beat her after she tried to get a black man, tom robinson’s, attention. atticus, knowing his chances of winning the case were slim to none, kept his integrity by continuing to defend tom.
- Analyzes how the novel relates back to many historical events, including the scottsboro case. the boys and tom robinson had to deal with racially targeted prejudice and learn how to keep their heads held high in the face of adversity.
- Cites baughman, judith s., and carter, dan t. on the scottsboro case.
1051 wordsRead More - Conflict In To Kill A Mockingbirdanalytical essayTo Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee and it tells us the stories of Jeremy, Jean Louise, and Atticus Finch, whose lives were affected with Tom Robinson’s trial. The setting takes place in Maycomb County, Alabama. Atticus, a lawyer, was appointed by the county judge to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, who was accused of raping a white girl named Mayella Ewell. As the story unfolds, Tom Robinson gets acquitted of his crime and it draws more controversy outside the community into this issue. Jean Louise, the narrator, tells the events that happened before, during and after trial such as the neighborhood criticizing the Finch family for defending a black man, calling them with racial slurs.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how harper lee's to kill a mockingbird tells the stories of jeremy, jean louise, and atticus finch, whose lives were affected by tom robinson’s trial.
- Analyzes the parent-child conflict between atticus and jean louise finch in the story.
- Analyzes the parent-child conflict between atticus and jean louise when they learned that he was trying to defend a man named tom robinson.
- Analyzes how jean louise doesn't understand the reality of racial discrimination in her community, but her father opposes it, which creates a conflict.
467 wordsRead More - Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbirdanalytical essayThe reference “Raised by an irresponsible mother during the Great Depression in the Jim Crow south, my father was on his own from the age of 13” shows both the racism and the economic collapse occurred in the nation during the 1930s. The 1930s was a difficult time for most people in America. It was the era of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, which cost many workers their jobs and many farmers their farms. The 1930s was also a time of pervasive and sometimes violent racial prejudice. Blacks were scorned upon and stereotyped as lazy, evil, and selfish. During the Depression, they were often the first to lose their jobs and the last to regain them. Jim Crow laws segregated blacks and whites, forcing blacks to use different facilities (restaurants, schools, buses) than whites. Despite technically being “separate but equal,” black facilities were often inferior to white ones. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is set in this turbulent period. In this novel, many people are the victims of prejudice and evil. One such person is Tom Robinson, an honest black worker falsely accused of rape. In the court trial, it is revealed that it was impossible for Tom Robinson to have raped the victim, Mayella Ewell. However, due to the racism of the all-white jury, Tom is convicted of the crime despite the clear evidence. As a result of being punished unfairly, Tom becomes depressed and tries to run from prison, but is shot and killed while attempting to escape. This terrible injustice proves a point. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is not a love (agape) story because despite characters’ attempts to communicate understanding, various forms of prejudice occur, and injustice against innocent individuals results.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how harper lee's to kill a mockingbird is set in the turbulent 1930s.
- Analyzes how atticus communicates with jem and scout to prevent prejudice from harming innocent people. the mockingbirds symbolize an innocent, helpless individual.
- Analyzes how communication fails to stamp out the deep-rooted prejudice in maycomb.
- Analyzes how injustice caused by prejudice in maycomb is highlighted by the conviction of tom robinson, which ultimately results in his death.
- Concludes that to kill a mockingbird is not an agape story because efforts to communicate fail, prejudice ensures, and injustice is the end result.
1173 wordsRead More - Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbirdanalytical essayHarper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird To Kill A Mockingbird is an award-winning novel written by Harper Lee. The novel was published in 1960 and the movie was filmed in 1961. A six-year-old girl by the name of Scout is the main character and narrates the story line in the movie. The movie takes place in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. Maycomb is portrayed as a small, sleepy, depression-era town during the 1930’s depression era.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that harper lee's to kill a mockingbird is an award-winning novel written in 1960 and the movie was filmed in 1961.
- Analyzes how to kill a mockingbird illustrates the true attitude of small-town life in the 1930s south.
- Analyzes how to kill a mockingbird reflects the unjust consequences of ignorance, prejudice, and hate as well as the values of courage, honor, fairness and decency.
- Analyzes how maycomb's white community agreed with the court decision because of racial discrimination. although the movie was fictional, racism was very real during this period.
- Analyzes how the characters deal with extreme racial prejudice. slang references to black men and their assumed deeds and involvements continue throughout the movie.
- Analyzes how atticus realizes there is little chance of proving tom's innocence and winning his case. the guilty verdict directly reflects the white population’s predjudice and assumed guilt
- Analyzes how atticus is convincing and clearly enables the viewer to understand that change needs to take place among the white residents of maycomb.
- Explains that atticus is committed to fairness and justice and willingly views matters from these perspectives. he treats both children with respect and as mature individuals.
- Explains that atticus is a peaceful man and is restrained, even in situations of personal violence. he showed no violence or retaliation toward ewell.
- Analyzes how the movie utilizes the racial era, secluded country town, and atticus finch’s love and concerns for his children. other plot side bars enrich the story's experience.
- Analyzes how radley's character becomes increasingly important as the movie’s plot progresses. he would watch the children from afar and secretly desire their friendship.
- Analyzes how mayella's father, bob ewell, decides to seek revenge on atticus, concentrating his actions toward the finch children. radley saves them from possible harm and takes them to safety.
- Opines that although the story has an appropriate ending, it is shameful that many people continue to display open hostility and discrimination to persons of different races.
- Opines that if children are taught to resolve differences and openly communicate, the problem will cease.
795 wordsRead More