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Literary analysis to kill a mocking bird
Interpretation to kill a mockingbird
Interpretation to kill a mocking bird
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Appearance Vs. Reality “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” This is a phrase heard frequently throughout one’s life. It refers to the fact that it is easy to look at the surface of people, things, and ideas without taking the effort to delve beyond the outward appearance. The theme of appearance versus reality is prevalent in Harper Lee’s Bildungsroman novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The story takes place in a southern town in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930’s. Throughout the novel, false judgement is portrayed through prejudice in Maycomb’s society that fails to see the difference between assumptions and the silent reality, thus damaging their thoughts and actions. While To Kill a Mockingbird shows the ugliness that can come from judging others, …show more content…
This is a lesson in the novel that Jem and Scout learn soon after meeting Mrs. Dubose. Initially the children believed Mrs. Dubose was a cantankerous old woman. They “hated her”, would be “raked by her wrathful gaze”, and “subject to ruthless interrogation regarding [their] behavior”(Lee 132). After a countless number of times of finding Jem furious at something Mrs. Dubose would say, Atticus tells him that “She’s an old lady and she’s ill. You just hold your head high and be a gentleman…”(Lee 133). Eventually, Jem is no longer able to contain his rage and destroys Mrs. Dubose’s garden. As a result, he is forced to read to Mrs. Dubose as punishment however, he soon learns “Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict” because “she took it as a pain-killer for years”(Lee 147). After her death, Atticus helps Jem and Scout see beyond her sickly appearance and malevolence.“I wanted you to see something about her-I wanted you to see what real courage is...It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what…she died beholden to nothing and nobody...” (Lee 149). Even though Mrs. Dubose knew she was going to die, she wanted to be free of her addiction, and in the end she won. According to Atticus, this is the true definition of courage that he wants his children to understand, to see the world from a different perspective. Mrs. Dubose illustrates the theme that people are not always what they
Jem has become victim of this through Mrs. Dubose, the Finch’s neighbor, through a period of time. After destroying her flowers and her rocking chair from his anger over what she said about his father, Jem is sent to read to her as an apology made by Atticus. While doing this, she passes away, and Jem is confused. He asks why Atticus can still call her a lady, in which Atticus retorts with “...Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her view, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew.”(Lee 93). What he means is that not everyone is all good or all bad, which Jem had yet to
In chapter 11, Mrs. Dubose says some hateful words about Atticus, which leads Jem to smash her flowers. As a punishment, Jem had to read to her every day after school for two hours. A conversation between Atticus and Jem shows how he felt about her in the beginning, “Did she frighten you?” Said Atticus.
The first important character to display an enormous amount of courage is Mrs. Dubose. She was a morphine addict for many years because it was prescribed to her as a pain killer. Mrs. Dubose could have just kept taking morphine and it would have made her life easier, but she chose otherwise. Instead she wanted to "die beholden to nothing and nobody". She showed determination and displayed lots of courage. Even though she said mean things about Atticus and his family, he paid no attention to that, just the fact that she was the most courageous person he knew. After Mrs. Dubose passed away Atticus explained to the children by saying, '"I wanted you to see something about her- I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the i...
Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird sets place in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama during the prominent period of racial inequality in the mid-twentieth century. To Kill a Mockingbird explores the transformations that follow one’s coming-of-age alongside the ambivalent morals of the 1950s. Changing the setting would affect the character development, conflict and atmosphere developing a new theme.
There are many people in the world who are judged by the way they look, dress, or act, resulting in a false or irrelevant opinion of that person. This is the case in To Kill a Mockingbird, where there are many characters who were judged incorrectly and misunderstood, characters who in reality, are completely different people compared to how society sees them. There are three main characters who were misjudged and misunderstood significantly more than the rest. These three characters are Arthur (Boo) Radley, Mrs. Dubose, and Tom Robinson. Arthur (Boo) Radley is a very important character in the novel, and is one of the most
“‘Old Mr. Bob Ewell accused him of rapin’ his girl an’ had him arrested an’ put in jail---’” (Lee 164). To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, takes place in a settled town called Maycomb in Alabama. It is based during the early 1930’s when the Great Depression hit. Poverty reaches everyone from families like the Finches to the “white trash” Ewells. Soon the settled town Maycomb gets into conflict characterized by poverty, racism, and domestic violence.
Dubose, I can see that she was a strong and courageous woman. Although Mrs. Dubose was often prejudice about Atticus helping a nigger, she fought a battle against herself. This chapter allows the reader to understand two themes of the story, which are courage and human dignity. Even though she knew she was defeated, she fought against the morphine addiction. As stated by Atticus on page 112, “’I wanted you to see something about her—I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyways and you see it through no matter what.”’ In other words, Atticus is saying courage is not within holding a gun but rather standing up for what’s right, regardless of whether they win or lose. Furthermore, it teaches the readers that we need to fight in what we believe in.
Not all of the characters, or circumstances are the way they first appear to Scout. In reality a person may look dangerous, and mean but can have a sweet soul deep down. The people in an individual's life can hold surprises about who they really are and sometimes situations are depicting. The author, Harper Lee of "To Kill A Mockingbird", expresses the contrast between appearance and reality through the eyes of Scout. People look different to others than how they truly are. Appearances lie, but the truth only lies within.
...“Don’t you mutter at me boy! You hold your head up and say yes ma’am. Don’t guess you feel like holding it up, though, with your father what he is” (Lee, 146) She is trying to leave Jem and Scout off with a good impression. Giving Jem a lecture about being polite, Mrs. Dubose is trying to let out the things she thinks the kids need to know before she is gone and thinks that those things are so very important. Even though she is telling Jem not to mutter and to keep his head up, she says it rudely, she’s so conniving that she thinks that by ending their relationship by being semi nice and respectful, she will gain their appreciation. She is wrong. Scout and Jem are so sick of hearing her yell at them and judge them and be mean to them. They want nothing to do with her ever again. Mrs. Dubose is conniving as revealed by her repeated confrontations with Scout and Jem.
... her some joy in her bed-ridden state. Atticus stated, “She died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew’”. Mrs. Dubose’s fearless heart kept her going until it ceased beating.
Atticus says that Mrs. Dubose is a model of real courage rather than ‘a man with a gun in his hand’. What does he mean? Do you think he’s right?
Mrs. Dubose shows courage in the novel through her bravery. Like before, Atticus and Jem are speaking about Mrs. Dubose’s courage. While speaking, Atticus says, “...she died beholding to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew,” (Lee 149). This quote means that Mrs. Dubose needed a lot of courage and bravery to get off of the morphine. This is significant because it shows that she had bravery, and bravery is very closely connected to courage. This connects to the point because she needed courage to start and end the wrath the drugs had on
To Kill a Mockingbird revolves around human behavior and the boundaries that it facilitates. The boundaries of the quiet little town of Maycomb, Alabama are constantly tested by the games that people play. In each game, distinctions evolve. The distinctions become the rules of the game, of life, and from them, different boundaries form for each new character. With each new drama, characters and distinctions change, as do the boundaries which form them.
Mrs. Dubose is overtly racist, representing the ‘bad’ part of the town. In chapter 11 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Mrs. Dubose repeatedly insults Jem and Scout because their father, Atticus Finch, is defending a black man, Tom Robinson, accused of rape. The theme is revealed in chapter 11.
The story “To kill a Mockingbird” takes place in an old tired town in Alabama during the Great Depression. In the story the main conflict involves a black crippled man, Tom Robinson, accused of raping Mayella Ewell, the daughter of Bob Ewell. The Ewells were the lowest of the low in Maycomb; they lived in the town dump and had no education. The Accusation of Tom Robinson was caused by the Ewell’s in an effort to better their lifestyle and increase their rank in the town. Although the story is told from Scout’s eyes, the whole story revolves around this questionable trial and shows that being vulnerable and innocent is a dangerous characteristic to have and can easily be taken advantage of.