The Influence of Society in Classic Literature Throughout the course of history, there have been countless examples of the impact of both society and the times on authors and the literature they are able to craft. One of the most notable of these examples is the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The overall reach of society’s impact is tremendous. Lee herself was heavily influenced by the circumstances she encountered as a young woman, which in turn allowed for her to create such a true classic. From this Lee was able to replicate her experiences with society in the characters Scout, Jem, and Boo. All three characters were molded by the society in which they live, as well as the social standards set in the 1930’s. To Kill a Mockingbird was also able to shape and mold me as a person, by challenging the beliefs and understandings of both justice and innocence that I once had. Harper Lee was greatly impacted by the society in which she lived. It is stated that “Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama” (Biography.com …show more content…
Scout and Jem’s beautiful and haunting coming of age story has reminded me of one simple fact: people are deep and complex, and as soon as you begin to view others in such a way the world becomes a whole new place. The passage that really reinforced this idea for me was, “We came to the street light on the corner, and I wondered how many times Dill had stood there hugging the fat pole, watching, waiting, hoping. I wondered how many times Jem and I had made this journey, but I entered the Radley front gate for the second time in my life” (278). This is one of the largest moments where Scout begins thinking of those around her, examining what they could have been feeling, and putting some emotion behind the people she cherishes. I found this passage incredibly enlightening. It reminded me that if a young girl is capable of recognizing the complexity of others, I am
During our lives, we develop morals and values through life experiences. They can be influenced by our society and the people we surround ourselves with. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee demonstrates courage, social inequality and prejudice through the characters and events in the book. We experience life lessons through the protagonist Scout Finch as she develops her own values. This is displayed through a variety of life lessons and values throughout the novel.
“I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; I will not refuse to do something I can do.” This quote by Edward Everett Hale means that if somebody wants to make a change in the world, even if it is a small thing, they have the power to. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set during the 1930’s. There were different perspectives back then. African Americans did not have the same rights as white people did. This story is based around a society in which African Americans were not given the same chances as whites, and were lower in status. A man named Atticus Finch changes the viewpoint towards African Americans. In To Kill a Mockingbird Harper shows that one person can change society, as shown by Atticus in the Tom Robinson trial and the decisions he makes at home.
She was able to do this by creating a loose character, and developing them more and more as the story went on. For example, Jem was a loose character, adventurous and curious, but with the times of Boo Radley hiding in the house and the trial, he developed during times of social commentary. With each of those events, Jem had to be brave. With Boo hiding in the house, he would run into the lawn, to prove his bravery for the children. Also with the trial, Jem used bravery to stand up to the crowd who was in front of the jail. All in all Harper Lee uses a developing character to show how the town reacts to the certain character, in a certain case. All in all, the social commentary surrounding the character all depends upon which character is at
Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” takes place during the 1930’s in the fictional and quiet town of Maycomb, located in Maycomb County, Alabama. The town of Maycomb is described as a tired old town that moves very slowly and its residents have nothing to fear but fear itself. Being in set in the South during the 1930’s the story does tackle racism and inequality for African Americans as racism was becoming more and more prominent in the 1930’s. The fact that the story takes place in a backwater county in Alabama makes the the injustice even more prevalent. The story goes through the early years of the main characters Jem and Scout so the exact time is always changing, however, the more important and intense parts of the story takes place
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.
Jill McCorkle's Ferris Beach, a contemporary novel, shares numerous characteristics with Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel written in the 1960's. Like To Kill a Mockingbird, McCorkle's novel documents the life of a young girl in a small southern town. The two narrators, Kate Burns and Scout Finch, endure difficult encounters. A study of these main characters reveals the parallels and differences of the two novels. Jill McCorkle duplicates character similarities and rape from Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird to show the reader how young girls think and develop.
Scout and Jem are very close. They are very protective of each other and worry about each other often. When Jem, Scout , and Dill went to the Radley house at night Jem’s pants became stuck on the fence. Jem went to retrieve his pants and Scout wanted to come with to help and protect him, but Jem did not let her because he was protecting her making sure that she would not hurt herself. When Jem was gone Scout waiting for him to return because she was worried he would hurt himself. Another example is when Jem and Scout were attacked by Bob Ewell. Before they were attacked Jem thought he heard someone following them so Jem walked with his hand on Scout’s head worried about her and trying to protect her. When Mr. Ewell attacked them, they were trying to help each other and protect each other. After the attack while Jem was unconscious Scout was even more worried about Jem then she was before. Scout learns from Jem as well. An example is that Jem taught Scout and Dill the history of the Radleys and the superstitions that the town has of Boo Radley. The actions of Jem and Scout reveal the close relationship that they have with each
Harper Lee has a number of characters that contribute to the novel and violent scenes in To Kill a Mockingbird, some that have meaning and some that do not. Some characters that appear often and some that have a minimal role in being seen in the novel, but the characters that do not appear often seem to have the biggest impact on the novel. There are three characters that are looked down on by society around them, one because of race and two because of their morals. Society disregarded these people simply because they were afraid that they could be like them and the unknown. Lee uses violence and alienation to help depict the things that are wrong within the small society.
In previous eras, anti-Black sentiment was widely acknowledged and sometimes encouraged in the United States. Black litigants have endured a long history of racist attitudes and inequality in the criminal justice system To this day, it is impossible to determine if jurors present an unbiased trial for the defendants regardless of their racial background. Although the undercurrent of racism may continue to be present in modern juries, racial prejudice in the modern legal system is certainly less flagrant as many.
Fortunate was I, to grow up in a rural community where almost everybody was the same. I blended in, was like almost all others. I have always felt I received a good education that prepared me fairly well for college and later family life. However, I had no idea how others in the world lived. I grew up in a nice part of town, where everybody I knew was married, middle-class, went to either the “big Lutheran” or Catholic church in town, and the vast majority had occupations relating to agriculture. Fast forward, I’m now a junior high social studies and science teacher living in that same small town. Here, a few ideals guide my teaching practice. The first is to instill a quality work ethic in the students; the second, to teach them to do
"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy” (Lee 94). American writer Harper Lee definitely worked her way up to giving people joy with her book To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee was born on April, 28th, 1926 and grew up in Monroeville, Alabama. Her father was a former newspaper editor, who had served as a state senator and studied law in Monroeville, Alabama. As a lawyer's daughter, Harper Lee certainly was aware of the cases that demonstrated the inequities of the South before the Civil-Rights movement. Her Father was a part of these trials throughout her life, including the very famous Scottsboro Trial. Lee studied law at the University of Alabama for four years, and spent a year as an exchange student in Oxford Un...
To Kill A Mockingbird deals with many primal and basic lessons in human nature. The book exposes many issues that affect most people throughout their lives. Scout, the main character was one of the most affected by these lessons. During the book she was exposed to many profound experiences, which no doubt will leave a lasting impression. In the three years that the book took place, she may have learned the most important things she will learn over her entire life.
Society influences the way people perceive and treat others depending on the way one was raised. In To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, and its two main protagonist were Jem and Scout. These two kids were raised in Alabama during the Great Depression in a time of despair and racism. Atticus Finch, their father, is a lawyer who decides to take a case involving a black man named Tom Robinson who is accused of raping a very poor white girl named Mayella Ewell. The whole town of Maycomb is against Atticus for defending him a black man because the setting occur during a time of separation and inequality between whites and blacks.
Although America is known as the melting pot of cultures here and now, the novel To Kill a Mockingbird addresses how Americans used to behave in the early twentieth century regarding the issues of racism, oppression, and social classes inequity. The story is told by the point of view of Jean Louis Finch, also known as Scout, and it recounts how she explores the controversial issues of the 1930s, while Atticus Finch is the voice of reason and morality. Throughout all the story Atticus shows her daughter, Scout, how despite of other people’s way of thinking, she must respect and tolerate them. A good example of this is when Atticus tells Scout and Jem “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird,”
As a result, this dramatic and deeply moving novel takes us into the world of Jem and Scout, in a journey that teaches both the characters and the readers about lessons in life that we witness everyday and learn from, growing and maturing, day by day. The main problems that were faced in the book were of: prejudice and hate, people judging others, and the inequality between the treatment of men and women. These are problems that are faced in places by people, everyday, even today, and together we must work to overcome these problems and unite, every person equal to any other.