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Historical influence of killing a mockingbird
Themes of to kill a mockingbird
Harper Lee's writings and influences
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Scout’s Journey Into Maturity
“I do believe in the old saying, 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' Our experiences, good and bad, make us who we are. By overcoming difficulties, we gain strength and maturity” (Angelina Jolie). That is exactly what happened to Scout the protagonist in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird. The author, Harper Lee, tells about the growth of Scout Finch utilizing Scout’s childhood experiences in the town of Maycomb. The innocent Scout matures the most in the novel because of her adventures in the southern town of Alabama. At the beginning of the novel, Scout is an immature child who doesn’t have much knowledge regarding the world, but as the novel progresses, she loses her innocence and slowly becomes a matured
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Scout’s growth was shown by the author when the young narrator of the novel tries to understand what the Tom Robinson trial is about, even though she is only a child. The author exhibits Scout’s innocence when Scout asks Atticus about the case and Scout says, “What is rape? I asked… without consent” (Lee 135). The quote conveyed the message of how innocent Scout is but the case of Tom Robinson exposes Scout to reality and learn about what rape is, which shows Scout’s growth as a character. Afterward, in the trial Atticus proves to the town that Tom Robinson, who is a black man is innocent and was falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell however, the jury decided that Tom Robinson was guilty. Through the trial of Tom Robinson, the author states the prejudices that exists in the world and especially in the town of Maycomb. The protagonist’s experience of the trial of Tom Robinson makes her understand the discrimination that exist in the world. Tom Robinson’s death in the novel established further growth of Scout. In chapter twenty-five, the author gives the news of Tom Robinson's death to the town of Maycomb and that causes great depression in the town especially among the black community because Tom was innocent. Scout finally sees that the world is a cruel place and begins to grow stronger as an individual. To conclude, the author expresses Scout’s growth to the readers through the trial of Tom Robinson and Tom’s
Tom Robinson is a kind black man whom Atticus is defending against the charge that he raped Mayella Ewell. Atticus knows that he will lose because Tom is black, but he also knows that Tom is innocent and that he has to defend him. Tom Robinson is portrayed as a hard-working father and husband in the novel and he was only attempting to help Mayella since no one else would, but she made advances that he refused and her father saw them. On the witness stand, he testifies that he helped her because, "'Mr. Ewell didn't seem to help her none, and neither did the chillun.'" (256). Even though Tom helps Mayella out of kindness and pity, Mayella is trapped and must accuse him of raping her to save her own life. Shortly after being wrongfully convicted
Life is like a forest, if a tree doesn't get enough sunlight it will die. in this case the sunlight and soil is Atticus and the sampling is Scout. Just as a sapling needs sunlight and nutrients, a growing child needs a wise adult. Maycomb is like a tree without sunshine and Atticus is keeping the town alive. He is trying to keep life fair and just for everyone in the town but not always succeeding. In this unfair society, one is usually faced with a restrictive social ladder that restrains its occupants into stereotyped categories. In this type of pessimistic backdrop, it is only natural to copy the actions that surround you. Set in the small sleepy town of Maycomb,Alabama, a court case arises bringing out the worst in everyone in the town. Atticus' wise teachings, Scout meeting both the black people in church and Boo Radley, and discovering the way Maycomb thinks of others helps Scout, older and wiser.
In To Kill a Mocking Bird, By Harper Lee, Fictional Novel, Scout has had many experiences with several characters. She as one of the main characters throughout To Kill Mocking Bird, has always judged other characters or people based on their appearances and actions. Atticus, scouts father explains about this by telling Scout that most people are nice “when you finally see them” (Lee, 376). But how does this theme apply to past minor characters? Does scout later realize that her thought of who the person was before was false? .Based on past characters scout judged before and after. The author Harper Lee shows that in the book To Kill A Mocking Bird, misunderstandings and interpretations, demonstrates the fact that, once you put yourself into someone else’s shoes, you as a human being will later understand and reflect on what you knew about the person before and determine who the person really is, and what morals do they as a character demonstrate. Though this, the theme implies to minor characters in the book such as: Calpurnia, Mrs. Dubose and Dolphus Raymond. Firstly, based on To Kill a Mocking Bird, Scout, understands the fact that most people are nice at first when you see them because of Calpurnia. From the book…”Hush your mouth! Don’t matter who they are anybody steps foot in this house’s yo company” (Lee, 33). In chapter 3 based on this quotation, When Walter Cunningham arrives inside Scouts home, Scout judged Walter. This made Calpurnia as a minor character angry and so she tells scout based on the quote. This makes Scout as a major character feel a bit mad because, Scout never agrees with Calpurnia’s teachings. Though later we as the reader realize that Scout has a change of character in the book. For e...
Sometimes a loss of innocence through contact with evil and life experiences leads to maturity. It helps one see the world for what it really is and gives a shot of reality instead of just living in a dream world. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout’s early childhood innocence is lost as she becomes a near grown up. She starts to see Maycomb in a different light and learns to accept people as they truly are instead of what she thought they were. This is because she comes in contact with racial prejudice, Boo Radley and she real people of Maycomb.
“Maturity is when your world opens up and you realize that you are not the center of it.” –M.J. Croan. Maturity comes in steps, where we are always progressing and learning further about ourselves and how others perceive us. Scout gradually becomes more mature throughout the novel, leaving behind her innocence while also reconstructing her empathy and tolerance for others. Similarly Scout and I were both naïve to the world around us, but because of witnessing first-hand the inhumanity around us blatantly displayed a lack of empathy people contain within them. This was a learning experience for myself because it brought home racial discrimination in an event that will forever impact the way I treat others of a different race, color or religion.
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the character Jem has the personality trait of being a good older brother. In Chapter 9, Atticus is talking to Uncle Jack about Scout and brings up Jem in the conversation. “Jem’s getting older and she follows his example a good bit now.” (Lee, pg. 116) This shows how Jem has the personality trait of being a good older brother because Jem is a good kid and he makes a good example for Scout to follow. If he continues to be a good example to Scout, she will learn from him in good ways. In Chapter 10, Jem and Scout go out exploring together with their air rifles. “...Jem and I decided to go exploring with our air rifles.” (Lee, pg. 122) This quote shows that Jem has the trait of being a good older brother
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the symbol of the Mockingbird and the Bluejay to create the theme that this world is violent place and if it shall be violent then it should be against people who are not good to others but, it is wrong to hurt anyone who is good and doesn't bother others. When Atticus gives Jem a gun, he exclaimed, "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." (Lee 94). This action demonstrates that atticus believes it is wrong to kill a mockingbird but they can kill any bluejays. However, jem and scout do not understand what atticus is implying. Therefore, When Jem asked Mrs. Maudie why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, she said. “Mockingbirds don’t do one
The play tells the story of how a little compassion and empathy can change a town. Also, it touches on notes of racial injustice, class division, gender roles, and loss of innocence. Throughout the course of the play, Scout can be seen to slowly lose her innocence as she begins to learn about racial injustice, crimes (rape), and life. She is also shown to break stereotypical gender roles by dressing as a tomboy and going by the name Scout instead of Jean Louise. Racial injustice is portrayed when Tom Robinson was deemed guilty for attacking and raping Mayella Ewell. The overall theme of compassion was shown throughout the play when the characters began to understand Boo Radley’s reason for staying inside and when Tom Robinson was wrongfully charged for a crime he did not commit. It was also emphasized at the end of the play when all the characters joined together one by one saying “stand in other people’s shoes to finally see them.” A person will never truly understand another until they take the time to see things from the other person’s point of
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.
“Remember, it’s sin to kill a mockingbird” (103). Atticus Finch, the narrator’s father, makes this statement that if you kill an innocent mockingbird, it is sin. Almost at the end of part one of the novel, the author uses the term mockingbird as the actual bird that “makes music for us to enjoy” (103). However, Scout expresses the word mockingbird in a metaphorical way : “well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn't it?” (317). In regards to the statement, how does the author register the presence of injustice in the American Deep South? How does
Scout learned a number of things in the book, but most of them all refer back to a statement that Atticus and Calpurnia said, which goes, “It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird because all they do is sing their hearts our for us.” (Lee, pg. 90). Scout learned that about people, too. She learned that some people don’t do anything to you, so it would be a sin to do something mean in return. Over the course of the story Scout becomes more mature and learns the most important facts of life. She was living through a very difficult time and most of that helped her get through.
...st in school by learning about Hitler and the horrible historical events that have happened in the world. Her maturity is expressed by what she has learned about the world around her and can apply those things to her every day life. Moreover, Scout has matured greatly in the novel and she has learned many lessons about life, family, and womanhood.
Their father was an attorney supporting Tom Robinson, a black man accused of beating and raping Mayella Ewell. As more witnesses testified, it began to look like Atticus would win and Tom Robinson would be set free. Atticus attempted to convict Mr. Ewell of beating Mayella and framing it on Tom. Mr. Ewell told the judge, “’…Jedge, I’ve asked this county for fifteen years to clean out that nest down yonder, they’re dangerous to live around ‘sides devaluin’ my property—‘” (177). After hearing everyone’s testimonies, the jury convicted Tom Robinson of raping and beating Mayella and was put in jail. The trial exposed the children to the racism of the Deep South in the time they were growing up. Since Tom Robinson was a black man and Mayella Ewell was a young white girl, her purity was seen more believable than a black man's testament against rape. The fear that was brought on the county was also witnessed by the children in the outcome. The children knew Tom didn't cause injury to Mayella, but out of power, fear, racism, influence, impurity Mr. Ewell was able to convince the jury that Tom Robinson raped Mayella. The children’s views on the amount of hate and prejudice in the world were expanded. Their maturity and views on the realistic world grew, and they were shown that not everything is in their control, and as much as they know something maybe right, they may not always be able to change
This is the most important passage for a few reasons. First of all, it shows Scout that sometimes what she considers right, like talking like white-folks', isn't what is right to other people. Also it opens her eyes to the fact that negroes and whites might not be as different as she always thought if people like Cal can go back and forth between talking like white folk and negroes so easily. In addition, Scout is learning that sometimes behaving slightly different around some people, like acting more calm or speaking slightly different than normal, can be beneficial to both parties. Overall, this passage shows many social skills that Scout learned by going to church with Cal. These skills will help her grow as a person and will hopefully aid
Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “There are no facts, only interpretations”. In other words, what may seem as truth to someone, may be viewed as a lie by another. How people look at the same situation differ depending on their interpretation. This idea appears several times throughout the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and serves as the central lesson for the main character, Scout. In the novel, Scout encounters several conflicts that require her to not jump to conclusions, but instead consider the situation from someone else’s interpretation and perspective. One such situation occurred after she had walked Boo Radley home, and got the opportunity to look at her familiar neighborhood from another angle (372). Through that experience she is able to mature, and learn how to see the good in the most desperate of situations. In turn, this development serves to demonstrate how maturity comes through recognizing different perspectives.