essay

639 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: racism in literature

The characters from Harper Lee's, To Kill A Mockingbird, Jem Finch, Tom Robinson, and Athur "Boo" Radley all symbolze mockingbirds who have been injured or destroyed through contact with prejudice.

Jem Finch lost his innocence after he witnessed the trial, and the ongoing disease that is racial segregation that has plagued Macomb county. He symbolizes the annihilation of of a childs' innocence. When we met Jem he was just a simple-minded, clever, young boy, who had everything and nothing on his mind. But throughout the novel Jem begins to develop his own state of mind and starts looking at the world around him with new eyes. Evidence pointing towards Jem's development is in Chapter 22, "When the jury declared Tom guilty, Jem started to cry. He had every reason to. How could someone be so unethical, immoral and unjust? All of this is probably hard for most people to take (provided they are not ignorant). "It ain't right." "No son, it's not right." (Page 212)". This is such a powerful and symbolic moment for Jem's character because it represents the immoralty displayed biased simply on someones shade of skin. He does not understand how unjust men can be to appointed a dark skinned man to death. Even the law decrees that all men are equal in court, but how can there be racial justice when there isn't even justice among the people of Macomb County? Jem is a developed mockingbird because of his belief in racial equalty, and being one of the few who rebut in Macomb's flawed society.

Tom Robinson is the mockingbird that was innocently killed, not because of any signifigant evidence, but because of his tinted skin color that automatically sentenced him to death. The character of Tom Robinson symbolizes the racial injustice ...

... middle of paper ...

...was there to witness this, he came to the children's aid, defending them from the hostile, and infuriated Ewell. In the process this is how Jem broke his arm, but if it weren't for Boo's presence, the outcome could have been much different. Heck Tate decides to protect Boo from becoming the topic of the towns conversations by stating that Bob Ewell fell on his own knife. That night, as Scout walked him home, she stood on the porched and realized. She was finally in his shoes, seeing the world from his perspective. From Boo Radley's porch he was able to see the world ahead of him, and every summer he was secretly the guardian of the children attempting to get a glimpse of him, watching over and protecting them all this time without any acknowledgment at all. Symbolizing that mockingbirds don't sing all the time, but when they do, it's a hym that can not be forgotten.

Show More
Related

  • What Does The Flowers Symbolize In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1095 Words  | 3 Pages

    (263,264). By demonstrating that Jem did not instigate the attack upon him or his sister, Lee is able to show that Jem is a non instigator also known as a “Mockingbird” because he did not do anything to bring the attack upon himself or his sister. Also, Lee demonstrates the none “Mockingbird” Mr. Bob Ewell by attacking the young Finch children. Another instance of “Mockingbird” characters is Tom Robinson, a hardworking, family loving African American who was put up for his life against the word of two white people even though he had not committed any offences he was being charged for. Tom Robinson was found “Guilty. .

    Read More

  • Jem's Growth in Harper Lee’s Novel, To Kill a Mockingbird

    1278 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jem Finch has come a long way since his humble beginnings as a naive ten year old child. He has come to understand the real meaning of courage, gone from playmate to protector for his sister and has grown enough to understand the workings of the real world, and see the negatives and positives of society. His maturity has been quick and the changes great, and over the years he has come to adhere, respect and carry out Atticus`s legacy and use his father`s ideals to shape his lifestyle. Due to the course of events, his adolescent changes and Atticus`s influence, Jem has matured from a reckless child into a young man capable of making his own decisions.

    Read More

  • essay

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    Distinctively visual language and cinematic techniques highlight to the responder the particular literal and metaphorical experiences characters are faced with, within a text. Peter Goldsworthy’s novel Maestro, Don McLean’s song ‘Vincent’ and the intriguing film Australia by Baz Luhrrman, explore the ways in which the human experiences of an individual’s connection to landscape is fundamental in shaping one’s sense of identity, personal growth and development. Composers further explore the realisation that our lives can be enriched by an understanding and appreciation of art as well as a deeper understanding of the importance of love and lust. The depiction of characters is conveyed through distinctively visual images to highlight the subsequent development of courage and resilience leads responders to a deeper understanding of how human experiences can create a sense of individuality.

    Read More

  • The Mockingbirds of To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

    1256 Words  | 3 Pages

    Thus, Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Arthur “Boo” Radley are all victims of rumour, humiliation, and prejudice. Firstly, Atticus is humiliated by his family and his neighbourhood because he has stood up to an African American man, and then, is nicknamed “nigger-lover” for his decision. By strong evidence, Tom Robinson is proven innocent of rapping a young white woman, but is still convicted, and then shot to death because he is black. Finally, Arthur Radley is greatly misunderstood because of his mysterious background and is forced to isolate from society to escape the awful and untruthful rumours about him in Maycomb. Through the storytelling of Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Arthur “Boo” Radley, the reader understands how the mockingbird symbol is used to represent those who are innocent, and have good intentions at heart.

    Read More

  • To Kill a Mockingbird: Theme Analysis

    863 Words  | 2 Pages

    Atticus Finch and Tom Robinson are both appropriate examples of how the theme of prejudice is seen in To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch is rumored to be a tedious, old man who is biased towards the black race, because he chooses to fight for a black man's rights. Tom Robinson, Atticus' defendant, is not given the benefit of the doubt only because of the pigment of his skin. The novel altogether is an extraordinary paradigm of prejudice and the problems it creates.

    Read More

  • Mockingbirds' Song

    631 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mockingbirds represent Tom Robinson because people look down upon him because he is black. Mr.Ewell accused Tom Robinson of beating and raping Mayella Ewell, his oldest child. In the end, no one had any evidence, so it solely depended on each man’s word. Atticus Finch, Robinson’s lawyer and Scout and Jem’s father, found that the person who beat Mayella’s right eye would have to use their left hand. The jury found Robinson guilty even though he couldn’t have committed the crime because “his left arm was fully twelve inches shorter than his right, and hung dead at his side”(Lee 211). Later at the prison, guards shot him multiple times after ‘attempting to escape’. In addition to maintaining a full-time job and supporting his family, he had found time to help others in the community, white or black, for free. Despite helping The Ewells with chores, they didn’t return the kindness when Robinson needed it the most, ultimately killing him.

    Read More

  • Essay

    541 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) was established to provide employees with ability to take a leave from work for personal or family health issues. The Act lays out specific circumstance in which an employee may take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave within a 12 month period. Under the law, employees may request a leave for personal health issues, to care for a child, spouse or parent with serious health issues, birth or care of a child during the first year or for newly placed adoptions within one year. Employees are covered under FMLA if the employer has 50 or more employees and the employee has worked for the employer for at least 12 months. The employee must submit a written request for FMLA and provide documentation supporting their request. Once approved, the employee may take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. Upon return the employee is guaranteed a job, if the employer had to fill their position out of business necessity, the employer must provide the employee with a position with equal responsibility and pay.

    Read More

  • Symbols In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1005 Words  | 3 Pages

    The mockingbirds in the story symbolize peace and innocence because they don’t do anything wrong and they only bring joy to people. “‘But remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird [said by Atticus]’....’Your father's right,’ she [Miss Maudie] said. ‘Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy” (Lee, 119). The title also has meaning in it, since mockingbirds represent innocence, to kill a mockingbird means to destroy innocence. Some of the characters in the story can be represented as mockingbirds, or innocent people destroyed by evil things. One of the major mockingbirds in the story, Tom Robinson, who was killed by the police, was an innocent man who was destroyed by the evil of the Ewell’s. “‘Tom’s dead.” [said by Atticus]. Aunt Alexandra put her hands on her mouth. ‘They shot him,’ said Atticus. ‘He was running. It was during their exercise period’ (Lee, 315). Tom had the misfortune of knowing the Ewell’s, it was because of Mayella and Bob’s lies that he died. “Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed” (Lee, 323). There are other mockingbirds in the story too, such as Jem and Boo Radley. Jem’s innocence was destroyed during Tom Robinson’s trial, where he sees Tom undergo an unfair trial. Since the trial took place in the deep South in the 1930’s, what a white man says is held higher than what a black man says, even when it’s not true. "The jury couldn't

    Read More

  • Essay

    568 Words  | 2 Pages

    Democratic is when citizens vote for all elected officials. Many had defied political system as it was, and thrived towards to create a democratic system that will be beneficial for America as a whole. Andrew Jackson was one of those individuals who challenged the government’s views, and whose name is tied closely to democracy. This essay will focus on the aspects that made this president so great and how democratic was he in actual fact.

    Read More

  • essay

    1229 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Hunger Games was a critically acclaimed movie when it came out; however, some critics would argue that the movie can be sometimes too violent for its intended audience. In this essay I would dissert Brian Bethune’s essay “Dystopia Now” in order to find its weaknesses and compare the movie Battle Royale with his essay.

    Read More

  • the mockingbirds

    897 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this world, everyone has an equal right; however, many people are getting falsely accused of acts they did not commit even though they are innocent. Mockingbirds, one of the most innocent birds, sing their heart out for people to enjoy, however, they getting killed every day. In this novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, there are many racial prejudices going on. Finches stand near the top of the social hierarchy, with Cunningham and Ewells underneath. Black community in Maycomb is even below the Ewells, even if they were a hard worker; they were not treated equally. The “mockingbirds” represents the idea of innocence, so killing a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. Throughout the book, many characters are considered a mockingbird. Three examples are Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, and Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Those three characters are innocent; they are kind and were never harmful to others. However, they were destroyed through contact of evil. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the mockingbirds symbolizes the idea of innocence, and Tom, Boo, and Mr. Raymond are considered one of it.

    Read More

  • essay

    1945 Words  | 4 Pages

    Interprofessional Practice (IPP) is the ability to provide a comprehensive health care service to all patients. Healthcare providers achieve this joining together and working collaboratively to deliver quality care across a range of healthcare settings. An interprofessional setting may offer several benefits to patients, including improved access to healthcare, less conflict and tension amongst caregivers, improved use of clinical resources, better retention of staff, better results for patients in particular those with chronic diseases. (http://www.ontarioshores.ca/about_us/our_approach/interprofessional/). This paper will discuss the benefits of an interprofessional practice to the patient.

    Read More

  • What Does Dill Symbolize In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1048 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bob Ewell decided to get back at Atticus for the Tom Robinson case by attacking his kids. Boo Radley saved Scout and Jem by stabbing Bob, but Heck Tate is insistent on saying that Bob fell on his knife. Atticus agrees and then explains the situation to Scout. Scout explained to him, “‘Yes sir, I understand,’ I reassured him. ‘

    Read More

  • essay

    540 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout Greek mythology male gods were seen as a more superior god then females. Our society has changed drastically since these stories were written. The female characters in Greek mythology tend to be docile and submissive. Their roles were to play as the house wives and to serve for their husband. Most of the heroic characters in Greek mythology were the males. Greek mythology believed that male gods were more dominant to female gods, so therefore they made most of the decisions. In Greek mythology some of the actions of the character are often based on gender role stereotypes, which we still see in our society today.

    Read More

  • essay

    1786 Words  | 4 Pages

    During the Great Depression, while the competitors were cutting costs and reusing outdated designs, Kress was expanding and building more elaborate stores than their previous ones. The architecture was referred to as an “emporium” evoking an elegant atmosphere more suited to a fine cloth or furniture store in New York rather than the five & dime stores dotting small town America. Many wonder what the driving force was behind these design decisions, especially during a national time of economic recession. Perhaps simply to outpace the competition, but perhaps more importantly Samuel Kress was an avid art collector and a proponent of public art enhancing a community. In this way the Kress legacy of the brand became more than a retail business, it became a symbol of small town civic pride.

    Read More

More about essay

Open Document