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To kill a mockingbird in historical perspective and current context: a review essay
Parallels between important historical events and killing a mockingbird
Influence of literature on society
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Literature is a very powerful thing and has been used to enhance the world. But is it powerful enough to be a vehicle for promoting change in society? The answer to that question is yes. One example is the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. This book is about a white family living in a small Alabama town in the 1930’s. Throughout this book the family witness’s mistreatment of blacks and injustice. This book was an effective vehicle for promoting change.
In this book Harper Lee promoted change by making people think about social injustices while they were reading her book. She did this by using scenarios of social injustice in her book that related to real life and the Jim Crow laws. This allowed people to reconsidering their standing on race. In her book there are many examples of social injustice. One example of injustice is when Dolphus Raymond is disrespected and disapproved by the whites in Maycomb because he socializes with black people and has had children with a black woman. He even pretends to be a drunk so people can accept him and why he had kids with a black women. He says the he’s trying “to give ‘em a reason” (Lee 200). This section of Harper Lee’s book shows the Jim Crow laws that disapproved interracial marriage. In some states interracial marriage was even outlawed, those states saying “It shall be unlawful for a white person to marry anyone except a white person.” (Jim Crow). This promotes change by showing people that there is nothing wrong with the people interracially marrying, it is just
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Like many other terrible things it takes time to change and get better. Literature can be one of the many tools used to rid society of racial discrimination and injustice. “To kill a mockingbird” is a successful example from the past that promoted change in society. The book did this by showing social injustices and brought them to the attention to the
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...
Sometimes, people discriminate one thing, but strongly oppose the discrimination of another thing. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, this issue is very much expressed throughout the story. This thought-provoking story takes place in Maycomb, Alabama during a time when there’s a rape trial against a falsely accused African American named Tom Robinson. There is also a discrimination, of sorts, towards a man named Boo Radley, by three young children named Jeremy “Jem” Finch, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, and Charles “Dill” Baker Harris. Both Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are similar in their own ways through their inherent goodness.
song, we characterize it only by what the other birds sing. Hence, we see the
Social Justice There are many responsibilities and duties that one should fulfill to rid the world of social injustices and inequalities but if no one doesn’t step in then how is this issue supposed to be put to rest? In To Kill a Mockingbird, the fictional town of Maycomb County isn’t a perfect little town but one that is filled with racist, critical, and judgmental people with no morals. On the other hand, there are people like Atticus Finch who do what they believe is right. Atticus filled his responsibility for this issue by defending Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping Mayella Ewell. This was a pivotal moment in the book because Atticus took the case when no one else in Maycomb would because they are too afraid and racist to defend a man like Tom Robinson, an African American.
People all over the world need to learn the lesson that Harper Lee was trying to teach in this novel. The important lesson Harper has taught is that reading is a big key in life. If people didn’t read, then people wouldn’t learn about the racial segregation that took place long ago. They wouldn’t even know about the conditions of a small county during their darkest period of time, The Great Depression. Without reading, how could people learn about the simple, but true quote, “...remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 119). If we did not read books like this, then we would not learn the power that descriptive language has on people. This book is a great fragment of our learning curve and should stay in our learning cannon, so more students can become as advanced as Harper Lee.
In a desperate attempt to save his client, Tom Robinson, from death, Atticus Finch boldly declares, “To begin with, this case should never have come to trial. This case is as simple as black and white” (Lee 271). The gross amounts of lurid racial inequality in the early 20th century South is unfathomable to the everyday modern person. African-Americans received absolutely no equality anywhere, especially not in American court rooms. After reading accounts of the trials of nine young men accused of raping two white women, novelist Harper Lee took up her pen and wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, a blistering exposition of tragic inequalities suffered by African Americans told from the point of view of a young girl. Though there are a few trivial differences between the events of the Scottsboro trials and the trial of Tom Robinson portrayed in To Kill a Mockingbird, such as the accusers’ attitudes towards attention, the two cases share a superabundance of similarities. Among these are the preservation of idealist views regarding southern womanhood and excessive brutality utilized by police.
To Kill A Mockingbird has allowed me as a reader to look back and realize how history really was. For example, many Maycomb citizens were racist towards colored people and many readers should feel how to live in a segregated neighborhood. The scene was when Scout was describing the courthouse and all the African Americans had to sit on top: “ The colored balcony ran along 3 walls..” (219) Also this scene impacted my feeling towards colored people when Scout became aware that all the courthouse members were white. Like many high school students who are reader this book, many of them think the word racism is a joke and don’t use it as it’s
In 1960, a novel was written to outline injustices and racism against those who were innocent, though unfairly judged because of social expectations and prejudiced beliefs. This novel not only presented these issues, but is also considered a revolutionary piece of literature, still being read by many people today, more than 50 years later. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, has caused some controversy about the intents of the book and the way certain people or groups are presented. Whether To Kill a Mockingbird as a narrative outshines the issue it presents is a debatable argument. However, I believe that the narrative of the novel supports the concerns exhibited for numerous reasons. In what follows, some of these are presented: the historical
In the novel, ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee some characters suffer in the hands of justice and fairness more than others. Many characters in the novel are discriminated against such as Calpurnia, Dolphus Raymond, Helen Robinson, Burris Ewell and more. However I will be focusing on the discrimination against Tom Robinson for his race, Walter Cunningham for his low socioeconomic status and Boo Radley for the rumors and supposed mental instability he holds. I chose those three because they are the most prominent and I will discuss how the discrimination against the characters therefore leads to their injustice or unfairness.
There is no doubt that Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a famous novel known for its themes, most of them containing wise life lessons, racial inequality being an obvious and important one. Firstly, racism illustrates the lack of justice and people’s views on prejudice in Tom Robinson’s case. Secondly, the novel touches base on diction notably the racial slurs used. Finally, with racism being a theme of the novel, it affects the characters’ personalities. Harper Lee uses life lessons, diction and characters throughout the novel because it develops the main theme of racism in To Kill a Mockingbird.
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).
“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” is marvelous and unforgettable novel. Not only show how dramatic, sad in and old town – Maycomb be like, but through her unique writings, some big conflicts about politics and critical is going on through this tired old Southern town. Not just in general like education, friendship, neighbors but also pacific in individuals like family and the people’s characteristics themselves. In one book yet can covered with such many problems, Harper Lee must have been experienced a lot and deeply understanding that time. That is why the book lives, becoming literature and get the love from the audiences a lot. One of the problem and mostly run along with the story and interest me is racism between white people and black people socially.
'Democracy,' she said. 'Does anybody have a definition?' ... 'Equal rights for all, special privileges for none' (Lee 248).