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What characters are the mockingbirds in to kill a mockingbird essay
Character analysis to kill a mockingbird
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To Kill A Mockingbird To be a mockingbird is to be a honest, caring person, like Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, Jem, and Scout. Boo Radley is a mockingbird and he shows this when he fell victim to false accusations. Boo Radley was expelled to his home and only comes out at night, Boo to some is only a legend to fear because of the slander being thrown around about him being mentally ill. Even though he is actually a good person. Tom Robinson is a mockingbird and he shows this when even after Mayella testified against him in court he was able to admit that he did have sympathy towards her. Jem and Scout are mockingbirds because of how even though they are more vulnerable as children, they are have to deal with and handle more mature situations. …show more content…
Tom Robinson is a mockingbird, this is shown when Tom is able to admit he had sympathy towards Mayella, even after she falsely testified against him. "I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more'n the rest of 'em" (Chpt 19) When he was on trial for rape, the jury was biased against Tom Robinson. The whole Jury was completely white men as was the law back then, and people were grown up to think that they are better than colored people. White people were always treated as more important than the colored people. White people were allowed to sit on the main floor of the court room while everyone else had to go up top where it was crowded. Tom Robinson or any of the colored people are not treated with the same individuality as everyone else. As Atticus said "What was one Negro, more or less, among two hundred of 'em?"(314) With a coloured person they are mostly thought of as a maid, or a worker, not just another person. Boo Radley is a mockingbird, this is shown when he falls victim to false accusations. Some younger people do not even know if Boo is real, they just heard the legends. "The Radley place was inhabited by an unknown entity the mere description of whom was enough to make us behave
hope he has of a normal life. However, Boo stays out of sight for many
Harper Lee takes inspiration for her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, from her own life experiences. The story tells about the lives of Jean Louise Finch and Jem Finch, the two children of a talented lawyer, who introduces them to racism and bigotry at a very young age. The Tom Robinson trial, similar to the Scottsboro trial, causes Jem and Scout to recognize the distinctly different types of people living in Maycomb. Man’s inhumanity to man compels Harper Lee to uncover the shameful acts of society; these injustices, especially those of the Tom Robinson trial, open Scout and Jem’s eyes to the defective perspectives held by society; reading To Kill A Mockingbird, leads me to wonder how far our society has truly come.
But Boo tends to be a misunderstood character, just like the mockingbird. In chapter 28, when Jem and Scout were walking back home from school, they took the shortcut which happened to be pitch black. Jem heard a sound which alerted them. At first Jem thought it was Cecil Jacobs (a boy who liked to pull jokes on Jem and Scout), but then they realized it was someone else. They heard footsteps running after them to find that it was a grown man. Jem called out to Scout to run but she fell due to her costume.When Scout finally got back up to find Jem, the man squeezed her until she could barely breathe. Worriedly, Scout called out for Jem but didn’t get a response. She saw two men underneath the tree besides Jem and herself. She called out “Atticus?” but there was no answer once again. She noticed a man laying the ground that had the awful essence of booze, she got up and made her way over the road, and within the light of the street lamp Scout sees a man carrying Jem. The man headed towards the Finch house, where Atticus let him in. Scout eventually realized that “the man” was no other than Mr. Arthur or commonly referred to as Boo Radley. Mr. Arthur, despite his poor perception of
Tom Robinson: Innocent or Guilty? In my opinion, an innocent man shouldn't be ordered to even step into an unfair court case. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Jem and Scout go through countless conflicts, including the trial of Tom Robinson and the rape of Mayella Ewell. Throughout the story, people considered Tom Robinson a mockingbird, an innocent man, and even an enemy. In chapter ten, Atticus tells Jem and Scout that it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird since they only compose music for people to appreciate.
“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (p.90) Miss. Maudie, one of the main protagonists in To Kill a Mockingbird, warns the young girl Scout that mockingbirds should not to be killed or hunted down because they represent those who are kind and innocent. So, on a broader spectrum, the term “to kill a mockingbird” symbolizes cruel and improper behavior towards people with good hearts and intentions. In the town of Maycomb, unethical behaviors, such as prejudice and gossip, are most commonly used against the “mockingbirds”. Three of those “mockingbirds” that are featured in this novel are Arthur “Boo” Radley, Tom Robinson, and Atticus Finch. Due to the depiction of the mockingbird symbol in the novel, the reader understands the consequences that immoral attitudes have towards those who are innocent and kindhearted.
Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, although innocent, fall victim to the hatred of society and thus emerge as mockingbirds. Tom Robinson, is a 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. The bird is representative of the innocence and susceptibility of certain characters.
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee there are many representations of mockingbirds. A mockingbird in the novel, is an innocent soul. One of the most famous quotes from the novel is “It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”( Pg. 103) The reason it’s considered a sin to kill a mockingbird is because they are innocent and do no harm. In the novel there are three main mockingbirds. Boo Radley, Mayella Ewell and Tom Robinson
The trial of Tom Robinson v. Mayella Ewell, the evidence is pointing towards innocence, but the jury is made up of white men in the south, and the verdict is guilty. The case in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee shows how Atticus tells the readers how narrow-minded people can be towards other races.
The Scottsboro Trial and the Tom Robinson Trial are almost identical in the forms of racism and prejudice shown and the the actual trial and the trials outcome. The racism and prejudice is clear and is a key factor throughout both cases, which took place in the same time period. Both trials are very common when it came to the time period, the time the trials have taken place in, those who were persecuted and lastly, why they were persecuted in the first place. “All blacks were liars, and always was not to be trusted was a major part of all of these trails” was the thought during this time. Someone that was white was believed no matter what when it came to a black mans word. Both trials were perfect examples of how the white people of Alabama were above the law. They showed that they could do whatever they wanted to the black people and get away with it. Examples in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Portrayed similar factual evidence that the Tom Robinson trial and the Scottsboro Trial are similar.
Imagine there are two eggs; one is white, and one is brown. They have the same inside, but their shells are different colors. Discrimination is the equivalent of choosing the white egg over the brown egg, just because it’s appearance. During the time of the Great Depression, African-Americans were treated inadequately based on their skin color, even though the treatment was unethical. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, marginalized characters demonstrate heroic traits effectively despite discrimination of race and social class. Even without major voices, marginalized characters are unlikely heroes that change society’s views by being caring and helpful towards others.
In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Tom Robinson, the black man falsely convicted of rape, had absolutely no chance of a fair trial. There is proof of this in the time period in which it occurred as well as evidence from the novel itself. Tom Robinson had an unfair trial because it was his word against the Ewell’s, a white, trashy family.
The historical Scottsboro Trial and the fictional trial of Tom Robinson in the book To Kill a Mockingbird have striking similarities that may or may not be coincidence. Both trials took place in Alabama during the same era of relentless prejudice and bias, which is a major factor in each of these cases. In both cases, the accusers were white women and the persecutors were black men; therefore the black men were immediately considered liars and “wrongdoers”, unlike the word of the white women, which was essentially the truth above the word of someone who was black. Even when the persecutors in these cases had a possible chance of being declared innocent, mobs of citizens formed to threaten them, many of whom were simply racist against blacks. As is evident in these trials, most white people could easily accuse a black person of a crime whether they committed it or not and unjustly get away with it.
In life, obstacles are everywhere, but hints are given as to how to overcome those obstacles with which we are faced daily. In short, To Kill a Mockingbird is based in a small town in Alabama known as Maycomb. Just outside of Mobile, Maycomb happens to be a typical southern town where not much happens until one summer Tom Robinson is accused of rape. Tom, a black man, in the segregated south in the thirties has the odds stacked against him when going on trial. However, Tom's case has been taken on by the best lawyer in town, Atticus Finch, but proving Tom's innocence has challenges due to the strong white presence in the town. Throughout Harper Lee’s novel, Atticus’ name and the relationship between Tim Johnson and Tom Robinson, symbolize how
He states, “Scout, you never really understand people until you consider things from their point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (39). This means how sometimes unless you are someone you can’t fully understand them and how they feeling and behaving. Atticus explains to Scout that caring about others will help Scout understand them more. It will help Scout further understand why something may be happening. Also, Miss Maudie also explains how the Mockingbirds in the trees help further understand life lessons. Miss Maudie states, “Mockingbirds don’t do nothing but make music for us to enjoy… they don’t do one thing but sing our hearts out for us” (119). This means how in life, people shouldn’t naturally hate someone or something. People need to be able to care and have empathy for others. People in the book become the characteristic of mockingbirds. For example, Boo Radley. Boo doesn’t do anything to annoy or harm people, but the children decide to
In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus has the quality of integrity that he always tries his best to do everything he thinks it’s just. In the book, Atticus defends Tom Robinson that is against the whole society. Since he says, “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.” Even though Atticus is against the whole society and may not win the case, he still try his best to support the things he thinks they are just and right. People may disagree with Atticus’s actions, but it surely makes sense that Atticus is devoted to fight for inequality between blacks and whites. There is no doubt that it makes sense for Atticus to take a stand to defend Tom Robinson.