Powerful Silence “Quiet people have the loudest minds,” –Stephen Hawking. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee in which the main character Scout Finch narrates, there are some very significant people that made a difference in people’s lives but they are quite shy. For instance there is Atticus Finch and Arthur also known as Boo Radley who both lived in Maycomb County, Alabama during the 1930’s. On the outside, Atticus is a quiet man who is a lawyer and loves to read but on the inside there is a very talented man who can shoot a gun and never miss a target, and a strong defender of equality and justice for all. Boo Radley is the outcast of the town. He’s always in his house and never comes out, not even for a nice stroll. However, …show more content…
Her book called Quiet Strength shows how she went against the rules to defend the equality of Negros. Professor Mia Bay summarized Parks’ book saying that, “Rosa Parks’ story tells us you don’t have to always have been a leader to do something important and to make an impact, and you don’t have to be a big a personality or a loud person to take a stand. You can be a quiet person of principles and these quiet people who work behind the scenes are important to social change” (Huffington Post). Rosa Parks is saying that you don't need to be an outgoing fighter to stand up for something or someone that you think is right. You can just be a quiet person who is in the background but makes the biggest change. Shy people make big changes, but they also can save other people’s …show more content…
She was from Surrey, in the United Kingdom. She was visiting Maikhao beach in Phuket, Thailand when she noticed that the tide had rushed out and something strange happening with the waves on that beach. Tilly observed the tide that was rushing out and, “As the other tourists watched in amazement, the water began to bubble and the boats on the horizon started to violently bob up and down. Tilly, who had studied tsunamis in a geography class two weeks earlier, quickly realized they were in danger”(The Telegraph). After she had recognized that a tsunami was on its way, she told her parents, and they warned the life guards. The life guards then evacuated all of the people out of the hotel and off the beach. She ended up saving many people’s lives because of
First impressions of people are often lasting impressions, especially in the minds of children. Many times these impressions, aided by misunderstanding and prejudgment, cause unjust discrimination against an individual. To kill a Mockingbird depicts the themes of misunderstanding and prejudice that portray Arthur (Boo) Radley as a villain. Through the progressive revelation of Radley's character, the children realize that their negative impressions and fear of him were unfounded. Through gradual stages of change, from total misunderstanding of Boo, to a realization of an error in judgment, to a reevaluation followed by a change of heart, to a growing trust and acceptance of Boo, and finally to an appreciation of his true character, Jem's, Scout's, and Dill's impressions of Radley are dramatically altered.
One of the first lessons taught in Mockingbird is the power of understanding other people’s perspectives. Initially, Scout has trouble empathizing with other people, especially her first Grade Teacher, Miss Caroline, whom Scout becomes frustrated at for not understanding Maycomb’s complex social structure. After hearing his daughter complain, Atticus tells Scout that she'll “get along a lot better with all kinds of folks [if she] considers things from [their] point of view” (39). After ‘standing in the shoes of another person’, it is much harder to be prejudiced towards that person. Indeed, this may be because a key tenet of prejudice is disregarding the views of whoever is being judged. Nevertheless, it proves difficult for Scout to grasp this relatively simple concept, who begins to hear rumors of Boo Radley, an enigma who has not been seen outside his home for over 30 years. Thus begins Jem and Scout’s quest to make Boo Radley come outs...
Thus, Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Arthur “Boo” Radley are all victims of rumour, humiliation, and prejudice. Firstly, Atticus is humiliated by his family and his neighbourhood because he has stood up to an African American man, and then, is nicknamed “nigger-lover” for his decision. By strong evidence, Tom Robinson is proven innocent of rapping a young white woman, but is still convicted, and then shot to death because he is black. Finally, Arthur Radley is greatly misunderstood because of his mysterious background and is forced to isolate from society to escape the awful and untruthful rumours about him in Maycomb. Through the storytelling of Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Arthur “Boo” Radley, the reader understands how the mockingbird symbol is used to represent those who are innocent, and have good intentions at heart.
“You never really understood a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around it.” Atticus Finch is a man of extreme integrity. He, as both a lawyer and a human being, stands up for his democratic beliefs and encourages his children to stand up for their own, though they may stand alone. Harper Lee showed how far respect went in To Kill a Mockingbird when Atticus defended Tom Robinson in his rape trial. He did not think twice about being ridiculed by th...
Keeping a mouth shut doesn't hold the world shut out, it opens up new doors to things that would never be expected. In To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, there is are two character that is are an eternal mystery for the readers. Boo Radley, though the reader nor Scout and Jem know anything about the character all they want is to learn about him. Boo becomes a mysterious figure that many see as creepy, ghostly, but also reasonably wise. The one-time Boo appears the readers learn he is a sagacious, powerful man. Little do Scout and Jem know is that their father is also a rational being as well. The two crucial character in the story helps support the
Rosa Parks was a very important woman in history, giving people a voice about racism. Rosa was an African American woman who was told move from the back of the bus and give her seat to a white man. “She was already sitting in the “negro” section located in the back of the bus and refused to relinquish her seat” (Stabler 1). This event causes a major controversy with the 20th century civil rights movement in the 1950-1960s. The 1965 action of Rosa Parks sparked the deceleration from the Supreme ...
In To Kill a Mockingbird, the novel explains greatly about a famous phrase that starts with “Don’t judge a book by its cover. People aren’t who they seem to be because most people have qualities that they hide/fake about. This theme is the most significant aspect in the novel. Boo Radley is a character that does a perfect example of hiding his lifestyle the people in Maycomb heard rumors about him being a monster. Atticus is also another great example. In the beginning of the book, Jem refuses to eat dinner until his dad, Atticus, promises him to play football. When Atticus does not tolerate to do that promise, Jem calls/consider him a boring dad. Mrs. Dubose is considered to be a cranky lady, but she is a whole different person. Out of all
People in the 1950’s were not treated with the respect they are today. Thus, Martin Luther King’s dream of freedom and equality for mankind did transpire, however it came its limitations. One brave individual who stands out during these unjust times of segregation is Rosa Parks. With her audacious actions and complete serenity, she sparked a nation. By courageously refusing to conform to racial laws, Rosa Parks aided in the achievement of integration. Although racism still exists in the world, without Rosa Park’s courage, maybe blacks and whites would still sit on the opposite sides of a bus. -Stephanie Schille
One reason quiet people are the most powerful is because they don’t really have a record of saying anything bad or good, so people tend to respect them more. Atticus and Arthur were the strongest characters in the novel and most of the town barely knew them. Atticus is being called, upon other things, a nigger lover, and he tells Scout in chapter 11, "I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody... it's never an insult to be called a “bad” name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you." This quote shows that Atticus isn’t a part of
Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, many characters develop and mature in unique ways. Boo, who fears talking to others, Aunt Alexandra, who is against people of other races or social classes, and Scout, who is young and is not aware of life’s challenges, constantly suppress their emotions and personality. Their life choices and decisions that they make throughout the book, lead them to be more accepting of others and less prejudice. As the book progresses, Boo, Aunt Alexandra, and Scout learn life lessons and develop into mature adults.
Rosa Parks risked her life everyday by being a leader and role model in her community. Rosa and her husband were both fired from their jobs and they had no income, which meant they had no money for their family. To make things worse Parks was getting threatening calls and it got to the point of
She took a seat in the first of several rows designated for "colored" passengers. As the bus continued on its route the bus began to fill quickly with white passengers. When the bus driver stopped and asked Rosa to get up and move so the whites could sit down, she refused and was arrested. Her refusal to move to the back of the bus and stand up for her rights showed bravery and strength. These were just a few acts that these courageous African Americans did to take a stance publicly to gain their rightful respect. All of their acts of courage opened the pathway for others to speak up and stand up for their human rights regardless of their race. “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed”. M.L.K.
For half of her life, there had been laws and customs that kept African Americans segregated from the Caucasians. These laws allowed whites to treat blacks without any respect. These actions were never thought to be fair. Even as a child, Rosa protested against disrespectful treatment. Yet, it was very difficult to do anything about the law, when all the law makers were of white ethnicity.
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.
By not giving up her seat to a white man, Rosa Parks has started the cause of the civil rights movement in the United States. This helps all African Americans get rights in America. Rosa Parks saw racial discrimination in her early life. Also, she saw African Americans as not equal. She influenced the change of African American rights, which helped develop the Civil Rights Movement. Rosa Parks helped influenced society, when she said no to a white male for her seat. The boycott of African American rights started after Rosa Parks did not give up her seat. Rosa Parks did not know she was going to influence society, nor did she know she was going to get arrested by doing this. Rosa Parks influence has helped change society and also is still a great example to others today.