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Theme of morality and ethics in to kill a mockingbird
Theme of morality and ethics in to kill a mockingbird
What are some symbols to kill a mocking bird
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Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird details the events of a rape trial from the perspective of the defendant’s attorney’s daughter, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. Lee heavily relies on the use of symbols in the novel to demonstrate a greater theme of the story. The mockingbird that is referred to in the title and that appears as a motif in the novel is said to symbolize innocence. Scout’s father, Atticus, states that, “it is a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 119). Miss Maudie further explains his statement, saying that mockingbirds do not harm anyone or anything; they simply provide us with sweet music (Lee 119). The innocent nature of a mockingbird makes it a symbol for Tom Robinson, the innocent black man accused of raping a white woman (Smykowski). However, I reject this idea. The mockingbird does not symbolize innocence; the mockingbird symbolizes the social norm.
Throughout the novel, Atticus struggles with defending Robinson. Atticus has a social responsibility to assume Robinson is guilty only because of his skin color. But when Atticus discovers evidence that supports Robinson’s innocence, he faces a conflict within himself: pride. Atticus knows if he shares this evidence, he could ruin himself socially. The question becomes should he do
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Atticus’ internal conflict of pride is created by the external conflict of civil rights. Atticus would not have this problem had there been no civil rights conflict. It would have been easy for him to do his job, present the evidence, and defend Robinson. That would have made for an exceedingly lackluster story unless one thoroughly relishes in the ins and outs of the law. The plot of the story hinges on its racial subplot. But it is only that: a subplot. It is merely the essential setting needed to understand the story and the foundation on which the story takes place. This leads us to the only other major plot
Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, Harper Lee's, To Kill a Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior, to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, and the struggle between blacks and whites. Atticus Finch, a lawyer and single parent in a small southern town in the 1930's, is appointed by the local judge to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accused of raping a white woman. Friends and neighbors object when Atticus puts up a strong and spirited defense on behalf of the accused black man. Atticus renounces violence but stands up for what he believes in. He decides to defend Tom Robinson because if he did not, he would not only lose the respect of his children and the townspeople, but himself as well.
...markings of an innocent childhood no longer. After Tom Robinson is shot, his murder is compared to “the senseless slaughter of songbirds”. Their hearts do nothing but sing out, making beautiful music for all to hear. This is why it is considered a sin to kill one. Jem Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley can all be seen as “mockingbirds”. They never attempt to hurt anyone, yet Tom Robinson was framed for rape, Boo Radley was unlawfully labeled as a vague recluse and the innocence of Jem Fitch was unfairly stolen due to the evil nature of society.
Atticus did what no other person would do in Maycomb, he defended a negro man in court. In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, Atticus is a lawyer that has to defend Tom Robinson because Tom was accused of raping a white lady. Others in Maycomb don’t agree with Atticus because he took a black man’s words over a white woman’s word. Atticus is a man of morals with integrity, so he did the right thing and took Tom Robinson’s side. It makes sense for Atticus to take a stand to defend Tom Robinson because he follows his morals and the golden rule.
The main reason Atticus should take the stand and defend Tom Robinson is because he needs to protect his honor. This is illustrated by Atticus’s words,
Atticus Finch shows, in many ways, the true definition of a hero, but no situation was more important than the Tom Robinson trial. In Maycomb, the thought of taking a negro’s word instead of a white man’s was ridiculous to the citizens, especially over a matter as serious as a black man raping a white woman. Regardless of this information, Atticus still takes on Tom Robinson’s case and tries to make as big of a difference as possible. When Scout asks him if he thinks that he will win the case, Atticus subtly replies “No, honey” (76). Atticus goes on to explain, “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try and win” (76). Basically, Atticus believes that just because it is unlikely that he will win, it does not mean that he should just give up without trying. Throughout all the discrimination, Atticus remains tough and tries to achieve his goal, no matter how hard it is. This was an example of moral courage. Even Scout knows how hard her father is trying by comparing Atticus’ efforts to “watching Atticus walk down the street, raise a rifle to his shoulder and pull the trigger, but...
When most people were against him and are trying to convince him not to, Atticus was determined to continue defending Tom Robinson (an African American who was accused of raping a white lady name Mayella Ewell - Mr. Ewell's daughter). (Make it active voice ?) Due to his good morals, Atticus felt like he needs to help Tom Robinson “This case, Tom Robinson’s case, is something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience --- Scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man” (108). As addressed in To Kill a Mockingbird, Jim Crow laws manipulated individuals ethics to think that blaming African Americans is fine since all they do is not good (change the wordings).
In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee utilizes the significant symbol of a mockingbird to convey the coming of age theme of knowing someone’s background before forming opinions. When Scout and Jem get airsoft guns for Christmas, Atticus knows they will go “after birds,” so he allows them to “shoot all the bluejays” as long as they do not “kill a mockingbird” because it is “a sin” (Lee 119). Through close analysis, the advice Atticus presents has a much deeper meaning to it than originally perceived. The “mockingbird” is a symbol for all of the innocent people that are portrayed unjustly and the “bluejays” represent the malevolent individuals. Also, Lee’s decision to use the word “sin” suggests that killing a mockingbird is absolutely iniquitous,
The justification for why Atticus broke from the norm, and acted unlike most others in his community, can be compared to the motive of the central character in the novel, A Time To Kill, written by John Grisham. The comparative character, a lawyer named Jake, also endangers not only his own life but his family's, by defending a Negro. He is compelled to undergo such a risk as he believes he is protecting an innocent man. Despite the fact that he is black. Jake could not live with himself if he failed to give his utmost effort in clearing the accused, Carl Lee Hailey's, name. The lawyer feels that it is his obligation to humanity to do so. Similarly, the case Atticus accepts is something which goes to the essence of a man's own conscience. Atticus is unable to treat the underdogs of the town how the majority of people act towards them. Clearly the people of Maycomb are narrow-minded, bigoted and hypocritical, and Atticus Finch is not. Nothing can be done to make the prejudiced, perverse people hear the truth. This dogmatic attitude does not occur exclusively between the whites and the Negroes either. The community's unsubstantiated stories about other citizens also demonstrate their heedless to the truth and prejudiced natures.
Since the beginning, Atticus was pictured as an adequate father figure who treated "[his children] with courteous detachment" (6). He never was very emotional, always collected and patient. Though his children believe he acted accordingly simply because he was old and feeble, the further you read into his character you find that he has always had this sense of justice and honor. While most of the novel revolves around Tom’s trial, Atticus faced challenges within himself before he took the case. Despite the fact that he was aware that he would not win “simply because [they] were licked a hundred years before [they] started” (76), he proceeded to defend Tom. Though many people found this act questionable and even infuriating, it was simple to decide when it came down to Atticus ' values. He humbly did not see why the color of someone 's skin should be able to convict them. As a lawyer, he fought against truth and lie and immediately knew that his soon to be client, Tom Robinson, was indeed telling the truth. By taking the case, Atticus held true to his former beliefs. He simply was not willing to give away any part of himself in order to please his community. Additionally, Atticus decides to invest himself in the case because of the example he wanted to make for his young children. Atticus reasoned with Scout that he couldn’t face them, or “couldn’t even tell [her] or Jem not to do something again” (75), if he weren 't to go to trial with Tom. Atticus addresses this idea because he understands that him not taking this case, and going against everything he’s ever stood for, could not make a good example for his kids. If he expects them to have value and structure in their life, he must be their coach. Evident throughout the novel, he teaches honesty and equality to both Jem and Scout. Granted that he would later face hatred
Atticus shows great compassion and tolerance when he stands up for the Negroes. He stands up and represents Tom Robinson because he believes that everyone should be treated equally in the court of law. He knows that because Tom was a Negro there would be a slim chance of winning. That fact never discouraged him though because he says that the main reason he is representing Tom is because, ' if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature'; (75). He recited a speech, which clearly states that Tom Robinson is not guilty. In that speech he says, 'our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal'; (205). He believed that prejudice and stereotyping is wrong and he tries to teach these morals to Scout and Jem.
It is a sin to kill a mockingbird, mockingbirds are innocent birds that do not do one harm thing, but makes music for ones to enjoy. Tom Robinson is one of the novel’s “mockingbirds”, he is innocent but he was falsely convicted of rape and got killed. In a court, black man had never won over a white person. Tom Robinson, a black man was accused of raping Mayella Ewell, Mr. Ewell’s daughter. Atticus defends Tom Robinson because he had been appointed to defend for him, but it is also because of his morals. “Mr. Finch, I tried. I tried to 'thout bein' ugly to her. I didn't wanta be ugly, I didn't wanta push her or nothing” (Lee 260). During...
= = Mocking birds are used throughout the novel to represent innocence. Miss Maudie explains this to Scout. Scout is surprised to hear non-judgemental Atticus calling anything a sin.
Nearly the whole last half of the book is about racism. The attitude of the whole town is that Tom Robinson, because he is black and,"…all Negroes lie,…all Negroes are basically immoral beings,…all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women…"(Lee 207), will be found guilty regardless of how good a case Atticus makes for him. There was substantial amount of evidence that suggests his innocence. Even the prosecution's two witnesses' stories contradicted each other. The jury did not give a guilty verdict it gave a racist verdict. Not a verdict based on fact, but a verdict based on the color of a man's skin. This is important because the author was not making this racism up; it was what it was like in those times. She is trying to show how ignorant and blind people can be just because of differences between them, as well as how society treats racial minorities.
Atticus was incredibly courageous taking on tom Robinsons case against the prejudice of Macomb County and he shows incredible courage when he says, "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try and won." He wants the people of Maycomb to hear the truth about Tom Robinson, "That boy may go to the chair, but he's not going till the truth's told." Chapter 15, Page 146. He was against the whole white community including his own sister practically said that he was a disgrace to his family Atticus tells scout when she asks him why he is taking the case he says "For a number of reasons. The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again.
The main symbols discussed and portrayed in the book were Tim Johnson, the Mockingbirds and Boo Radley. Tim Johnson was a neighbourhood dog who appeared down the Finch’s street one day, but looked very ill and was rabid. Calpurnia the black maid working at the Finch’s rang Atticus and he shot it. Tim Johnson could symbolize the prejudice and mob mentality of Maycomb at the time and because Atticus shot Tim this represents Atticus’s morals beliefs about stopping racism and creating equality. The Mockingbird used in the title of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is the most important symbol depicted in this novel. One day Atticus told Jem that he’d rather Jem shoot at tin cans, but he knew Jem would go after birds. He gave Jem permission to shoot all the blue jays he felt like, but it was a sin to kill a mockingbird. Jem then went to Miss Maudie to ask about what Atticus had just said, "Your father’s right," she said. "Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn cribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” This conveys the loss of innocence in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and thus killing a Mockingbird is to destroy innocence. A number of characters (Jem, Tom Robinson, Dill, Boo Radley, Mr. Raymond) can be identified as Mockingbirds who have been injured or destroyed through their contact with evil. As the novel progresses, the children’s perspective towards Boo Radley matures and this replicates the development of the children. Boo Radley was once an intelligent child, only to be ruined by his cruel father is one of the most important mockingbirds as his innocence was destroyed. Luckily for Jem and Scout, Boo was merely a source of childhood superstition often leaving presents for them. Despite the pain that Boo