To Kill a Mocking Bird is an enormously popular fictional novel written by Harper Lee. It is a coming of age story about a girl named Scout, who lives with her brother Jem and her father Atticus. Throughout the novel, Scout learns about the injustice of prejudice, which is the main theme of this novel. Most of the events revolve around this theme, and a majority of the characters have experienced it at one time or another. However, by far the most prominent victims of prejudice are Tom Robinson, Mayella Ewell, and Boo Radley.
One of the most evident displays of prejudice in this novel is Tom Robinson’s case. He is a black man who has suffered from prejudice for his whole life, just like the rest of the black community in Maycomb. However, in Robinson’s circumstance, prejudice was taken to a completely foreboding level. When he was accused of raping Mayella Ewell, all evidence practically confirmed his innocence, but the jury still deemed him guilty. When put against Robert Ewell, an arrogant, abhorrent, and good for nothing man, he lost because he is black. “Atticus had used every to...
To Kill A Mockingbird is a heroic tale of leadership and courage during racial times. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Atticus, To, Jem and Scout are unfortunately exposed to a really racist and prejudice society and town. Which ends up causing them to lose a case and really confuse Jem and Scout when they are young. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird it uses characterization to help show a theme which is loss of innocence when people are exposed to surprising and unfair situations.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Twelve Angry men by Reginald Rose and The Scottsboro Trial are all about unfair trials containing discrimination towards different people and people being prejudice .The peoples action towards the defendants affected them for the rest of their life. Many of the people that came into the court brought in their own social problems and that influenced the verdict.
group in his society. In the quote ." . . If I didn't take this case
Harper Lee’s only book, To Kill a Mockingbird, is the stereotypical tale of childhood and innocence, yet it successfully incorporates mature themes, like the racism in the South at the time, to create a masterpiece of a work that has enraptured people’s minds and hearts for generations. According to esteemed novelist Wally Lamb, “It was the first time in my life that a book had sort of captured me. That was exciting; I didn’t realize that literature could do that” (111). Scout’s witty narration and brash actions make her the kind of heroine you can’t help but root for, and the events that take place in Maycomb County are small-scale versions of the dilemmas that face our world today. Mockingbird is a fantastically written novel that belongs on the shelves for classic literature that everyone should take the time to read and appreciate for their execution of style and the importance of their content.
The theme of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mocking Bird is the existence of racism and prejudice in the 1930 – 40's. Harper Lee succeeds in presenting the topic in a manner that is not overly simplistic and thus achieves the task of allowing the reader to fully appreciate the complex nature of unjust discrimination. Harper Lee's inclusion of characters such as Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, Dolphus Raymond and many others, aid the reader to grasp the concept of racism and its central role in the town of Maycomb.
The changes in the Radley house were dramatic from the beginning to the end because the book was constantly changing and new things would pop up or change in the story. One thing To notice about the Radley house is that the doors are only closed when it is cold or Boo is ill. Another thing that makes the place superstitious is that the shutters and doors on the house were always and only closed on Sunday. This maybe people believ that it was alien or that the house had a superstitious figure living in it and people thought that Boo didn't exist. The only one that didn't believe it was Scout because he was unsure of Boo's existence. Boo also carried the name of being the "malevolent phantom" of Maycomb. The house had changed before for instance the one time someone asked Atticus if the house ever had screen doors and it was before even Atticus was born.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a fictional story in which a black man is accused of a crime against the daughter of one of the most hateful, racist men in all of Maycomb, Alabama. Though the book is considered fictional, it couldn’t be any more real. Nine black men were “hoboing” a train and ended up being accused of a crime against two white women and known as vial criminals throughout the south. This incident became known as the Scottsboro trial. Although the book To Kill a Mockingbird and the Scottsboro trial are very similar, they are also quite different.
so that he once dared Jem to go to the door of the Radley place and
In the classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, an ongoing theme throughout the book is it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. This theme comes from Atticus instructing Jem not to shoot mockingbirds with his air rifle, because it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Miss Maudie tells Scout that Atticus is correct; mockingbirds don’t do anything to disturb people, all they do is sing beautifully for everyone to hear. Author Harper Lee shows this theme using characterization.
What is one of the most paramount life lessons? Perhaps, it is the ability to accept and truly understand other people. This universal theme is shown throughout To Kill A Mockingbird. Jem and Scout learn to accept and understand people mainly through Atticus. Atticus teaches the kids about tolerance with his own actions. As a result, Jem and Scout become more dynamic characters by the end of the novel. There are several times when Atticus shows tolerance in front of the kids: he lets the Cunninghams pay him back in goods, he praises Ms. Dubose, and leads Jem and Scout to the consummate understanding of Boo Radley. Tolerance is intertwined within To Kill A Mockingbird, and allows Jem and Scout to be more benevolent people.
The Gender roles in society have greatly changed throughout the years of America from puritan women who thought that showing skin was undoubtedly a sin from the flapper era in american history that welcomed the idea of women showing more of their sexuality. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird which depict the events that occur when a white man who defends an african american man during the era of the great depression and what results from the story. Gender roles are a prevalent theme in the story. Through the characters dialogue and Scout's narration, Miss Maudie is characterized as a modern women while aunt Alexandra is characterized by her adherence to tradition.
To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee sheds light upon the controversy of racism and justice in his classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. The notion of equality in accordance with the law and the pursuit of justice are hindered by racial discrimination. The essence of human nature is pondered. Are we inclined to be good or in the wrath of evil? The novel reflects on the contrasting nature of appearance versus reality.
In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus is an ideal father, who sets a great example for his kids. A picture of Atticus is important to Scout because Atticus teaches Scout many important life lessons about life. Firstly, as Atticus talks to Scout about Miss. Stephanie, he states “if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee,30). Scout realizes that one can never feel someone’s pain, happiness, or glory until she looks at their point of view of things; she learns to consider other people’s situation and feelings. She also understands that she will never know what goes in other people’s lives, and therefore she cannot judge anyone. Scout matures as she learns to apply Atticus’ wise advice to understand Mrs. Dubose and Boo Radley, who are individuals that are misunderstood by the community. Furthermore, as Miss Maudie talks to Scout, she states “Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets” (Lee, 46). Miss Maudie knows about Atticus’ personality quite well. Miss Maudie explains to Scout Atticus is a man with moral principles, he does what he believes is right even if others are not there to praise him. Through Atticus’ exemplary role, Scout understands the importance of integrity, and strong moral values. Finally, when Scout questions her father about the possible outcome of the trial, Atticus states “simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us to try to win” (Lee, 76). Atticus teaches Scout toleration, determination and moral courage. He already knows he is going to los...
Despite cultures and conflicts, the fundamental bonds remain: We all belong to a common family. The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee is a timeless classic about coming of age in a small southern town in the 1930’s. The book follows Jem and Scout, two siblings, who must face the harsh realities of life. Hypocrisy and racism together make the two most important themes.
The book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel. It is set in the 1930s, a time when racism was very prominent. Harper Lee emphasizes the themes of prejudice and tolerance in her novel through the use of her characters and their interactions within the Maycomb community. The narrator of the story, Scout, comes across many people and situations with prejudice and tolerance, as her father defends a black man.