Review of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

1533 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: To kill a mockingbird and today's society

Review of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird" made a significant impact on me

as it made me aware of the necessity to offer tolerance and

understanding to other people. "To Kill A Mockingbird" is set in

Alabama, South America 1933-1935. 6-year-old Scout, a young girl

living in the old tired town of Maycomb, narrates the novel. Using a

young girl enables Harper Lee to explore the issue of racial

prejudices in a humorous manner. The novel is about a series of events

experienced by Scout as she matures over the two-year period

concentrating mainly on the trial of Tom Robinson. By the end of the

novel the message of the novel that it is important to always show

tolerance and understanding to other people is conveyed to the reader

and understood by Scout. Throughout my essay I intend to discuss the

extent to which I find Atticus an admirable character.

Harper Lee constantly portrays Atticus Finch, Scout's father as an

admirable character. One of the ways in which Atticus' commendable

personality is conveyed is through his role as a single parent. It is

clear that Scout and Jem have nothing but respect, trust and love for

their father. Atticus appears to be a very loving father as

demonstrated by the many examples of Scout "climbing onto her fathers

knee" simply for reassurance and security. Atticus consistently

provides his children with stability and security which is one method

in which Atticus proves himself to be an admirable character.

Similarily, Scout and Jems trust for their father is a way in which

Atticus' extent to which he is an admirable character is shown. As

Scout is young, vulner...

... middle of paper ...

... opinions and racial prejudices of

the 1930s and promotes racial equality. However voicing and acting

upon his very much individual opinion was not free of consequence.

Atticus and his family suffered much insult and abuse. Both Atticus

and his children faced life-threatening situations throughout the

novel. However, Atticus remained dignified and maintained his strong

and high principles. In "To kill A Mockingbird" many lessons are

taught to the reader through the narration of Scout and the wise

advice given by Atticus. Atticus consistently proves to be a loving,

stable and trusting father, an understanding, high principled and wise

lawyer and a helpful, respectable and dignified citizen. In

conclusion, the attitudes, actions and beliefs of Atticus Finch

demonstrate that he is clearly an extremely admirable character.

Show More
Related

  • Essay On Atticus Is A Bad Father

    563 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the story To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, we are introduced to the character Atticus. He is a hard working single parent of two who is kindhearted and does what he believes is right and treats everyone equally. Being such a hard worker, his mind is often on work, even at home, which means less time spent with his children. While Atticus may make some mistakes as a parent, overall he is an admirable father.

    Read More

  • Dialectical Journal Chapters 12-18

    1896 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...reinforcing the idea that the roles are now switched. Atticus keeps calm during most of the situations, but lets others boss him around and take control while he mainly sits and waits nearby. Scout and Jem begin to stand up for their father when he will not stand up for himself and act caring as if they were in charge of Atticus’ actions, protecting him from the evils of others. Scout supports this idea when she begins to talk very adult-like with Mr. Cunningham, especially showing her thoughtful wisdom when speaking of “entailments”. Atticus later shows that he is proud of his children for sticking up for him when he did not himself by massaging Jem’s hair in his “one gesture of affection.” So while Atticus often is being the best father figure he can to Scout and Jem, they are also very helpful to him by taking control of situations that he would not be able to.

    Read More

  • Analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    1270 Words  | 3 Pages

    one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it is a sin to

    Read More

  • To Kill a Mocking Bird - Maturation

    1082 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...heme of maturation in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, is conveyed through the characters of Scout and Jem, in conjunction with the assistance of their virtuous father Atticus Finch. Early in the novel, Atticus ascertains himself as a major facilitator in the maturation process of Scout and Jem by incessantly providing mature solutions to his children’s predicaments. Moreover, Scout, a major benefactor of the Boo Radley incident and Atticus’ wisdom, has helped her develop into a very tolerant and mature individual. Undeniably, Jem’s remarkable development into a broadminded and compassionate character can be directly attributed to Atticus’ kindness and Jem’s exposure to the Tom Robinson trial. In synopsis, it is evident that the individuals and social circumstances that surround an individual play a major role in defining the type of individual one will become.

    Read More

  • Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

    1141 Words  | 3 Pages

    Childhood is a continuous time of learning, and of seeing mistakes and using them to change your perspectives. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates how two children learn from people and their actions to respect everyone no matter what they might look like on the outside. To Kill A Mockingbird tells a story about two young kids named Scout and her older brother Jem Finch growing up in their small, racist town of Maycomb, Alabama. As the years go by they learn how their town and a lot of the people in it aren’t as perfect as they may have seemed before. When Jem and Scout’s father Atticus defends a black man in court, the town’s imperfections begin to show. A sour, little man named Bob Ewell even tries to kill Jem and Scout all because of the help Atticus gave to the black man named Tom Robinson. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee illustrates the central theme that it is wrong to judge someone by their appearance on the outside, or belittle someone because they are different.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird

    929 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus is an ideal father, who sets a great example for his kids. A picture of Atticus is important to Scout because Atticus teaches Scout many important life lessons about life. Firstly, as Atticus talks to Scout about Miss. Stephanie, he states “if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. 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). Scout realizes that one can never feel someone’s pain, happiness, or glory until she looks at their point of view of things; she learns to consider other people’s situation and feelings. She also understands that she will never know what goes in other people’s lives, and therefore she cannot judge anyone. Scout matures as she learns to apply Atticus’ wise advice to understand Mrs. Dubose and Boo Radley, who are individuals that are misunderstood by the community. Furthermore, as Miss Maudie talks to Scout, she states “Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets” (Lee, 46). Miss Maudie knows about Atticus’ personality quite well. Miss Maudie explains to Scout Atticus is a man with moral principles, he does what he believes is right even if others are not there to praise him. Through Atticus’ exemplary role, Scout understands the importance of integrity, and strong moral values. Finally, when Scout questions her father about the possible outcome of the trial, Atticus states “simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us to try to win” (Lee, 76). Atticus teaches Scout toleration, determination and moral courage. He already knows he is going to los...

    Read More

  • Atticus Finch

    758 Words  | 2 Pages

    Atticus Finch as a parent teaches Scout and Jem moral values and tries his hardest to pass on to his children his way of thinking. Atticus worries that his children sees to much racism and injustice, and tries to show his children that all people are equal no matter the color of their skin. He teaches them to go against the norm in Maycomb which is prejudice and unjust in their actions.

    Read More

  • Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

    986 Words  | 2 Pages

    “‘You want to grow up to be a lady, don’t you?’ I said not particularly” (Lee). Jean Louise Finch is a tomboy growing up in a world where a girl is expected to become a lady. Submissive housewives and proper ladies were the expectations set for women in the time To Kill A Mockingbird took place. Scout Finch lived in a household that had a strong male influence; aside from Calpurnia, she had no real present example of what she was supposed to become. Because of this, Scout refused to conform to the ways of the rest of the women in Maycomb and the world (Lee 84).

    Read More

  • Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

    700 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of the principal aims of To Kill a Mockingbird is to subject the narrator to a series of

    Read More

  • How Is Atticus Finch A Good Role Model

    663 Words  | 2 Pages

    Atticus Finch is a very essential character in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. He is not only the father on Jem and Scout, but he is also defending Tom Robinson. Along with all of the obstacles and challenges that Atticus faces he is still an exceptional role model for the children. He also overcomes the diversity of Negroes and whites that is displayed during his time by standing up and fighting for Tom Robinson and his triumph in court against Bob Ewell. Lee presents Atticus Finch as understanding of Tom Robinson, caring with the children, and calm throughout the Tom Robinson trial.

    Read More

  • Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

    1461 Words  | 3 Pages

    Racial discrimination, although not the main focus of To Kill a Mockingbird, plays a large role throughout the novel. Many characters in To Kill a Mockingbird are affected by racial discrimination, whether they are the cause or not. Throughout the novel, three characters stand out as being affected by racial discrimination the most. These characters are Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, Atticus Finch, and Tom Robinson.

    Read More

  • Perspective on Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird

    1379 Words  | 3 Pages

    You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen. You know Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen. But do you recall the most famous reindeer of all? Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was misperceived at first. All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names, but after he led Santa’s sleigh, they loved him. Misperceptions like this happen all throughout Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. As you read the novel you see original judgments made about characters transform into new conceptions and new understandings. Some characters twist your views of them on purpose, others do it involuntarily. To Kill a Mockingbird shows this happening over and over again. All you have to do is look for it.

    Read More

  • Atticus As A Model Parent

    482 Words  | 1 Pages

    In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee suggests that Atticus is a model parent. Atticus gives guidance to Jem and Scout, and he treats them with fairness and honesty. He tries to bring them up as best he can as a single parent.

    Read More

  • Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

    3438 Words  | 7 Pages

    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. The narrator is a 9-year-old tomboy, whose father was a widowed lawyer. Herbert Mitgang wrote in the New York Times on July 13, 1960:

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird: Influences on Scout from Interactions w/ Others

    589 Words  | 2 Pages

    Growing up in Maycomb, Southern Alabama in the 1930s was not an easy thing. Amid a town of prejudice and racism, stood a lone house where equality and respect for all gleamed like a shining star amid an empty space. The house of Atticus Finch was that shining star. Jean Louise Finch, also known as “Scout”, is given the opportunity of being raised in this house by her father, Atticus. I stole this essay from the net. As she grows, Atticus passes down his values of equality and righteousness to Scout and her brother Jeremy Atticus Finch, also known as “Jem”. In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, by Harper Lee, we see Scout learns many lessons about dealing with prejudice by observing the behavior of other characters in the story.

    Read More

More about Review of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Open Document