Discuss the theme of an oustider in Silas Marner and To Kill a
Mockingbird.
What is an outsider? The dictionary defines that an outsider is a
person excluded from a group. The outsider plays an important part in
both novels. In 'Silas Marner' by George Eliot Silas is the main
outsider, however in 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee even though
Boo is the obvious outsider there are many others.
'Silas Marner' is written by George Eliot, which is the pen name of
Mary Ann Evans. She had to change her name to a man's name to avoid
facing prejudice, as it was not seen proper for a lady to write books,
this also makes her an outsider. Due to this she could be more
sympathetic with outsiders, this could have influenced her to create
the character Silas Marner. Her book 'Silas Marner' was written in
1860 but is set in 1820 just before the industrial revolution. The
Neapolinic wars were in motion during 1835, this meant that the
landowners stayed rich and the peasants stayed poor. 'Silas Marner' is
set in the town of Raveloe, which is an isolated town as there are no
trains coming or going from it, the only means of transportation are
horses. This makes Raveloe an outsider town. Silas Marner is a weaver
and the fact that the industrial revolution is about to commence is
ironic because as soon as the industrial revolution begins to take
over he will be out of his job, this adds to the theme of an outsider.
A weaver also works from home and does not have many interactions with
other people, which makes him more of an outsider. A weaver was also
seen to be unusual career for a man at this time, which also makes
Silas more of an outsider. People find Silas obscure but still need
him to make fabric for them. Thi...
... middle of paper ...
...nd not to be outsiders just because of the nature
of their personality. Lee creates Boo to end with little life
fulfillment, as all that happens is Scout walks him home and we do not
know what happens to him. Whereas Silas gets a family and finds
happiness in Eppie, which is much more fulfilling. I think that both
outsiders are afraid at first of opening up to people which after what
they have been through is understandable. However both characters
overcame their fears and opened up to people. I also think that both
these novels show the importance of children in our society, they're a
lot easier to talk to than adults, because they are more unprejudiced.
They don't have reason to judge people and don't know how to judge
people so they take people for what they are and learn more about them
before making opinions. I think that these two stories prove that.
It all took place in the quiet Alabama town of Maycomb, which was also during the Great Depression. Scout Finch lives with her brother, Jem, and their widowed father, Atticus. Atticus is an honest lawyer, so they are doing quite well compared to everyone else during those tough times. Jem and Scout befriended a boy named Dill one summer who came to live in the neighborhood close to them. Later on, Dill become curious about a weird yet spooky house in their street called the Radley place. Mr. Nathan Radley is the owner of the house, whose brother, Arthur (nicknamed Boo), has lived there for years without adventuring outside. That fall, Scout goes to school for the first time and ended up loathing it. In the knothole of a tree on the Radley property, Scout and her brother find gifts. That summer, Dill is back and the three of them try to figure out Boo Radleys story. But their father puts a stop to it, trying to explain to them to try to see life from another person’s perspective before judging or thinking anything bad about them. The three sneak onto t...
In real life there are many different types of people, some of them are similar
The novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, is an American classic, narrated by the young Scout Finch, the most engrossing character in the book. The novel is about the adventures of two siblings over the time of about three years. Jem and Jean Louise (Scout) Finch were two young siblings who one day met another young boy named Dill. Over time, Jem and Scout grow up under the careful watch of their father and friends, learning how to be adults. They play games, they sneak into a courthouse, and they learn a valuable life lesson. Scout was an intriguing character. As the narrator, you learn more about Scout’s feelings towards the events in the book and soon learn to love her. Let me introduce you to Scout Finch.
Scout Finch, the youngest child of Atticus Finch, narrates the story. It is summer and her cousin Dill and brother Jem are her companions and playmates. They play all summer long until Dill has to go back home to Maridian and Scout and her brother start school. The Atticus’ maid, a black woman by the name of Calpurnia, is like a mother to the children. While playing, Scout and Jem discover small trinkets in a knothole in an old oak tree on the Radley property. Summer rolls around again and Dill comes back to visit. A sence of discrimination develops towards the Radley’s because of their race. Scout forms a friendship with her neighbor Miss Maudie, whose house is later burnt down. She tells Scout to respect Boo Radley and treat him like a person. Treasures keep appearing in the knothole until it is filled with cement to prevent decay. As winter comes it snows for the first time in a century. Boo gives scout a blanket and she finally understands her father’s and Miss Maudie’s point of view and treats him respectfully. Scout and Jem receive air guns for Christmas, and promise Atticus never to shoot a mockingbird, for they are peaceful and don’t deserve to die in that manner. Atticus then takes a case defending a black man accused of rape. He knows that such a case will bring trouble for his family but he takes it anyways. This is the sense of courage he tries to instill in his son Jem.
Symbolism. Why is it important in a novel? Why do authors incorporate symbols into their writing? Symbolism aids the reader in understanding what the author wants to portray. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird, she writes about the racism in a small town in Alabama named Maycomb set in the 1930’s and about two children growing up and learning that their town is not as perfect as they thought. The theme topic appearance versus reality helps to get a better understanding of the symbols used in the novel and that you should not judge something by their appearance, you should judge by the reality of what it is. “As Atticus once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem’s skin and walk around in it.” (Scout page 77) In her novel, there are many symbols throughout the narrative that relate to the theme topic appearance versus reality. Harper Lee writes symbols into her novel, such as the snowman, Mrs. Dubose’s Camellia flower and Dolphus Raymond’s Coca-Cola bottle to help reinforce the theme topic of appearance versus reality throughout the novel.
The story “To kill a Mockingbird” takes place in an old tired town in Alabama during the Great Depression. In the story the main conflict involves a black crippled man, Tom Robinson, accused of raping Mayella Ewell, the daughter of Bob Ewell. The Ewells were the lowest of the low in Maycomb; they lived in the town dump and had no education. The Accusation of Tom Robinson was caused by the Ewell’s in an effort to better their lifestyle and increase their rank in the town. Although the story is told from Scout’s eyes, the whole story revolves around this questionable trial and shows that being vulnerable and innocent is a dangerous characteristic to have and can easily be taken advantage of.
“‘Old Mr. Bob Ewell accused him of rapin’ his girl an’ had him arrested an’ put in jail---’” (Lee 164). To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, takes place in a settled town called Maycomb in Alabama. It is based during the early 1930’s when the Great Depression hit. Poverty reaches everyone from families like the Finches to the “white trash” Ewells. Soon the settled town Maycomb gets into conflict characterized by poverty, racism, and domestic violence.
Published in 1960 and won Pulitzer Prize later, To Kill a Mockingbird is a semi-autobiographical book by Nelle Harper Lee and a classic in American literature. An extraordinary work and probably the most widely read book about racism, it represents the battle of justice and prejudice, goodness and evilness which prevails in humanity from a little girl’s point of view. It covers a span of three years during which both Maycomb, the small town, and people there, especially Scout Finch and her brother Jem underwent significant changes.
Justice is a translation of the law by an individual’s ideals. Although it can be defined by many, justice is confidently placed in the hands of individuals that understand and interpret the law to the fullest extent, in regards to their integrity and morality. While the law coincides with justice, tension arises when a conflict of ethics comes into play. The subversion of justice is portrayed in, “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee as a result of racism, stereotyping, and preconceived notions (bias).
Love and Life are the Best Teachers “The one thing that doesn’t abide by a majority rule is a person’s conscience.” Dalton Hare To Kill a Mockingbird The great literary classic, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, is about the ageing and maturing of two children in the old town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. Basing this novel off of her own childhood Lee was able to bring the reader deep into the book with her detailed descriptions and realistic plot.
Harper Lee has a number of characters that contribute to the novel and violent scenes in To Kill a Mockingbird, some that have meaning and some that do not. Some characters that appear often and some that have a minimal role in being seen in the novel, but the characters that do not appear often seem to have the biggest impact on the novel. There are three characters that are looked down on by society around them, one because of race and two because of their morals. Society disregarded these people simply because they were afraid that they could be like them and the unknown. Lee uses violence and alienation to help depict the things that are wrong within the small society.
Harper Lee uses symbolism extensively throughout To Kill a Mockingbird,, and much of it refers to the problems of racism in the South during the early twentieth century. Harper Lee's effective use of racial symbolism and allegory can be seen by studying various examples from the book, namely the actions of the children, of the racist whites, and of Atticus Finch.
In 1960, a novel was written to outline injustices and racism against those who were innocent, though unfairly judged because of social expectations and prejudiced beliefs. This novel not only presented these issues, but is also considered a revolutionary piece of literature, still being read by many people today, more than 50 years later. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, has caused some controversy about the intents of the book and the way certain people or groups are presented. Whether To Kill a Mockingbird as a narrative outshines the issue it presents is a debatable argument. However, I believe that the narrative of the novel supports the concerns exhibited for numerous reasons. In what follows, some of these are presented: the historical
In every story, there are themes that point out the meaning of the story so it does not leave the reader hanging. So what is a theme? A theme is a fundamental and often universal idea explored in a literary work. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, there are three main themes, which commonly appear throughout the story. These themes will help tie any lose ends in the story, and help readers to understand the meaning of this story.
Silas Marner, written by George Eliot in 1861, attempts to prove that love of others is ultimately more fulfilling than love of money. This theme shows throughout the book, though the manner in which it is revealed leaves a bit to be desired. Often Silas Marner is criticized for being such a simple, unrealistic story. It does seem odd that after fifteen years of almost solitary confinement, Silas can trade his love of gold for his love of a daughter overnight. Despite Eliot’s attempt to portray Silas’s reawakening to society as a slow transition, the reader interprets his change of heart as a direct and immediate result of Eppie’s arrival. Despite these flaws in the story, the overall theme that man cannot live in a vacuum is portrayed by Eliot very well. Though Silas finds some satisfaction in his tenacious weaving and hoarding of gold, he only discovers true happiness after he dedicates himself to inter-personal relationships. Though his exile from Lantern Yard proves devastating to his self confidence and trust in others and God, fifteen years later Silas makes a full recovery, adopting Eppie to replace his love of money with love of a daughter. The fact that Lantern Yard has disappeared years later when Silas and Eppie go to visit it suggests that this town is no longer dear to Silas. In fact the removal of the town serves as a metaphor for Silas’s ability to find happiness outside his past.