Even though it is obvious that Mr. Underwood does not like negroes, he writes about the injustice done upon Tom Robinson. Similar to killing a mockingbird, Tom is killed for a crime he had never committed and harm that he had never brought. Scout is one of the most innocent people in this book. During the course of this book, she goes through events and experiences, that no child should ever witness at a young age. On one hand, her father Atticus, is trying to teach her to live moral life and make the right decisions.
Throughout their journey, these children experience times of unfairness where individuals were innocently accused of certain actions, tying into the symbolic meaning of the mockingbird. The novel’s title, To Kill a Mockingbird, provides significance towards not drawing conclusions immediately and not blaming individuals, like Tom Robinson and Arthur “Boo” Radley, who don’t have a voice in society. Atticus, a lawyer and the father of Scout and Jem, is portrayed as the leader of Maycomb County—the person that everyone respects. Even though Atticus use to be the deadest shot in Maycomb County, he refuses to reveal that side of him to his children. Atticus wouldn’t teach Jem and Scout how to shoot, but he instructs them to, “…shoot all the bluejays you want [with the air rifles that the children received], if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 90).
Prejudice in To Kill A Mockingbird Prejudice is a strong word. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, a black man, Tom Robinson, was accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell, and was brought to trial. There were distinct views concerning Tom Robinson's innocence – views influenced by prejudice. The townspeople of Maycomb believed in Tom's guilt while Atticus and the children believed in Tom's innocence. The townspeople, from day one, knew what the verdict was going to be even though some of them knew deep down that Tom did not rape Mayella.
That no one would forgive him for believing in a black man's word rather than a white man's. Even his own sister expresses disapproval of his decision, practically telling him he was bringing disgrace on the family. But, no matter how much his reputation suffered, he did not change his mind. Standing up for his convictions was more important then what people thought about him.. Moreover, Atticus manifested courage when he went to the jailhouse to protect Tom from a lynch mob.
The definition of identity is the values someone has, and how said person treats others. There are no two characters in To Kill a Mockingbird that differ in identity as much as Atticus Finch and Bob Ewell. Atticus is a man of the law. He defends Tom, an innocent man wrongly convicted, despite the flack his family get from it. “‘ My folks said your daddy was a disgrace an’ that nigger oughta hang from the water tank!’” (Lee 76) He sets a good example for his children.
When a black man in Maycomb is accused of rape, the town thinks he is guilty; there is no physical evidence that a rape ever occurred, but Tom is still sent to jail to wait for his trial. Racism towards Tom Robinson in Maycomb county causes disputes on his case, and causes talk to go around about the man who is defending him, Atticus Finch. To begin with, Jem and Scout’s father, Atticus, was Tom Robinson’s lawyer. Since Atticus was white and defending a black man, some of Atticus’s friends and neighbors turned against him and his family. Jem and Scout were treated with disrespect by Maycomb citizens everywhere they went because of their father’s decision to defend Tom.
This quote demonstrates that Jem and Scout’s awareness of the true society around them begins to shape up into a more of an adult perspective. In the Tom Robinson trial, the jury makes the incorrect verdict of ruling him guilty, although all the evidence proves otherwise. The jury makes the decision base... ... middle of paper ... ...did it to stop us findin’ things- he’s crazy, I reckon, like they say (Lee 72).’ ” After Jem and Scout place their letter in the knot hole in the Radley tree, it was filled up with cement by Nathan Radley. This was done to prevent Boo from having any contact with the outside world, the same reason he is locked up inside his house. Jem and Scout realize this, and they loose their innocence as a result of their realization of the true nature of human beings in the world.
At this school she focused on her studies and her writing as opposed to other girls that focused on fashion. Lee was also a member of the literary honor society. In July of 1960 Lee’s most famous book, To Kill a Mockingbird, was published. To Kill a Mockingbird was an immediate bestseller and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961. Following the publishment of her highly acclaimed novel, Lee announced a second novel, but this one was never published.
To Kill A Mockingbird Essay Injustice is a problem which everyone faces. Nobody likes to suffer from injustice, yet they make others suffer all the time. Yet some individuals like Atticus Finch rise above this injustice enough to stay proud of his ways and to know what he was doing was truely right. Other individuals like Boo Radly hide indoors practicing ways “Alien” to Maycomb believing what he was doing was morally right and he would be repaid in his afterlife. The last man who rises above injustice is Tom Robinson, who has been charged with a crime he didn’t commit but yet he stayed strong enough to be able to think beyond it and win his court case.
These characters are representative of the author’s reoccurring symbol of the mockingbird, which signifies innocence, and subjects them to vulnerability. Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, although innocent, fall victim to the hatred of society and thus emerge as mockingbirds. Tom Robinson, is black man, who is wrongfully accused of raping a white woman; while Boo Radley is believed to be a criminal because of the rumors the townspeople say about him. Because these men do not fall into the norm, their lives are greatly affected by the thoughts and opinions of the townspeople. The mockingbird is a powerful symbol that is repeatedly seen throughout the novel.