Throughout the book To Kill A Mockingbird Lee discusses the effects of ignorance and the toll it takes on people such as Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, Scout herself, and many more. Through her examples of sexism, prejudice, and racism, from the populist of poverty stricken Southerners, she shows the readers the injustice of many. The victims of ignorance are the ‘mockingbirds’ of the story. A good example of this injustice is the trial of Tom Robinson, who is falsely accused of raping a white girl and is found guilty. The book is from the point of view Scout, a child, who has an advantage over most kids due to her having a lawyer as a dad, to see the other side of the story. Her father tells her in the story, “you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.” (Lee 200).
Throughout the events of the trial in Maycomb, Atticus’s most important advice for Scout is that “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (Lee, 30) As the society’s prejudices surround Scout and Jem, Atticus encourages them to cultivate respect within themselves; not only for other races, but for everyone. Throughout “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Harper Lee traces out Scout’s growing respect for outsiders, for her aggressors, and eventually for Boo Radley.
When one is young, one is oblivious to the harsh realities of life. The imperfect human nature, suffering, and trauma can influence a child’s view of the world and the people in it. In her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee tells a story about the coming of age of Scout, a young girl living in the post Civil War South, in a context of racism, violence and aggression. As Scout faces these new experiences, she relies upon her African-American nanny, Calpurnia, her reclusive neighbor, Arthur Radley, and her father, Atticus Finch to help her through it all. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the characterization of Scout to illustrate that when a naive child is exposed to traumatic, adult situations, they may develop a deeper and a more mature understanding of the people who influence them in their life.
In the novel, To Kill A Mocking Bird the author, Harper Lee illustrates how Jem and Scout change from two innocent children without a care in the world to two mature and understanding children. Jem begins to show us that people are not what they appear. Jem may not come from the best background, but he finally learns not the judge a book by its cover. Jem's experiences with courage go on through the novel. His understanding of courage develops to a more mature de...
Helen Keller, a deaf and blind writer and lecturer describes life as “a succession of
To Kill A Mockingbird tells the story of a young girl, Scout, who comes of age and eventually comprehends that not all people are open-minded, or kind. Scouts interactions with other people help to shape her and allow her to accept that not everyone has the same thoughts and opinions as her. Scout and Jem’s interactions with Atticus help the reader clearly understand that he is a responsible, courageous, and non judgmental man.
With excellent themes and a well-organized plot, Nelle Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is an authentic story that captivates and inspires all who read the Pulitzer Prize winner. The novel is about a young girl named Scout and her reflection on events that happened before and after a major court case Atticus, her father, was advocated for. Harper Lee masterfully crafts a story filled with moral teaching and a realization of the true nature of human life. On top of virtuous morals and an exhilarating plot, Harper Lee also masterfully weaves symbolic representations into many aspects of the novel to aid in teaching and applying these lessons. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee utilizes minor characters to point
The novel To Kill a Mockingbird is a timeless American classic that has been appreciated and loved by readers for decades. Harper Lee explores the story of a lawyer and his family in the deep parts of the South who is given the task of defending a black man accused with the rape of an adolescent white girl. Atticus Finch, the father of the protagonist and narrator Scout Finch, represents an elite group of minds that see beyond the invisible lines of race and wish to treat everyone with respect and equality. Atticus faces a series of external and internal struggles that brings meaning to the novel and reveals the overarching themes of the novel. Through several conflicts varying from a child’s misunderstanding to society’s blatant racism, Harper Lee’s Atticus Finch is passionate about upholding his morals and values and instilling in his children the knowledge and wisdom that he utilizes to guide himself throughout life.
She used the symbolism of the mockingbird to illustrate courage against this discrimination. She also wrote about the importance of empathy to accept others. Everyone is different but it’s our individuality that makes up the character’s content, not skin. Change is started with one person, this person was Atticus. He changed the way society looks at its citizens; he proved the innocence of Tom and the wrongs of the justification system. Lee used these themes in her writing to show how the meaning of her novel can be applied to some of the problems faced in
The award winning novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, may appear to be a simple story about childhood and life in a Southern town in Alabama, but it is really a complex novel dealing with themes of education, moral courage, and tolerance. Through the eyes of Scout Finch, the narrator, Harper Lee teaches the reader about the importance of a moral education, bravery and courage, and prejudice vs. tolerance.
Within this novel, written by Harper Lee, there are many important scenes which contain various key symbols and events described through the life of Scout, a young girl growing up through the great depression and racist times. Throughout the whole story, the most significant episodes show society inequality and capture a very dark time period of American history, that being a high level of racism shown throughout the towns and country. These episodes which are all witnessed by Scout and her older brother Jem, are as follows: The Trial of Tom Robinson, where Atticus has the power to show how a black man was innocent, the scene of Tom being declared guilty, and the scene in which the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” gets its name.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee brings readers on an adventure to discover realistic views on society and the communication between people. Characters are portrayed in different ways as they go through changes and are faced with challenging situations. Several acts of mental courage are explored in To Kill a Mockingbird, such as Atticus’s attitude and actions, Mrs. Dubose’s beliefs, and Jem’s understanding of courage. Each character’s courage gives them strength and a developing understanding of themselves as the novel progresses.
To kill a mockingbird is a book where you can witness a constant growth of morality in the character Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch. Scout lives with her father, Atticus Finch, her brother, Jeremy Atticus ‘Jem’ Finch, and their black cook, Calpurnia, in Maycomb. She is intelligent and, by the standards of her time and place, a tomboy. Since her mother died when she was about two years old she was raised by Atticus, her father, he is a lawyer with unquestionably strong moral beliefs. He is widower with a dry sense of humor, Atticus has instilled in Jem and Scout his strong sense of morality and justice. An aspect that calls the attention to the book is that it is being told from a kid’s point of view and, this way you can see how they get more mature through the book’s leading and how their perspective changes with age and experiences.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a brilliant novel by Harper Lee that engraves moral lessons within its pages. The novel has many themes such as the true meaning of courage, the importance of education, and that a child’s perception is wiser than an adult’s. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee uses skillful language to tell her story and connect to her audience. Harper Lee utilizes literal language, symbolism, and imagery to bring the meaning of To Kill a Mockingbird to life.
As a kid you were probably told not to judge a book by its cover. In To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee takes this concept to a new level.This intricate novel tells the story of the Finch family; Atticus, Jem, and Scout. These characters live in Maycomb County, Alabama during the Great Depression. Scout and Jem think they know who Boo Radley is, the mysterious lurker of the neighborhood, but soon start to learn that there is more than what meets the eye. While taking care of his children Atticus takes a case for a black man, Tom Robinson, which brings hard times and teaches life lessons to the Finches. One of those lessons was about the mockingbird, otherwise symbolized as an innocence being wrongfully harmed. This harm can be seriously done with judgement. These pains are brought to life through the characters Scout, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson.