Social differences have changed incredibly in the last decades. The world has known an evolution that no one could have predicted. Aspects such as racism, social class and individual perception have differed drastically and now represent a modern open-minded world. The multiculturism boost our country and our world has known has brought a new wave of cultural, racial and social differences. The world has changed for the better and communities as well as individuals are now more open to differences in others. In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, the subject of social differences is the main theme for the book. The book adresses directly the major problem of racism per example and deals with it in it's special way. Set in the 1930's, To Kill a Mockingbird examines very closely social differences at that time. Unfortunately, the social differences found in the 1930's are very different than those we face in 2007. To Kill a Mockingbird has become a cultural phenomenon. Students everywhere study this novel referring to concepts that were established over 75 years ago. Obviously, opinions and beliefs have changed and do not apply to our world today. As a result, the social differences in the novel do not demonstrate the differences known to us today and is therefore innapropriate for class study. Today, visual racism is not present, trials are treated equally compared to unfair racist trails and social classes and economical differences are seen in a new way.
Firstly, visual racism found in the novel has become very rare today. The idea of excluding someone due to his or her race is not at all valued today if not frowned upon. Students are thought this in school to prepare them for actual society. Statements in the book are completely the opposite we try to teach children and teens today. In To Kill a Mockingbird, visual racism and exclusion is very obvious. When Tom Robinson and Atticus go to trial, a seperate balcony is reserved for the “coloured” people : “The coloured balcony ran along three walls of the courtroom like a second-story veranda…” (Lee 164) This indicates clearly the lack of social justice in the novel. People of other races than Caucasian in a public building have reserved seating, a practice that would be severely denounced today. This shows the drastic contrast from the book to our everyday world. Similarly,
Many students believe that Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a commentary on social issues in 1930’s America. However, over time new themes for discussion have grown from the novel. The courage and leadership of characters in To Kill a Mockingbird have become common subjects discussed by today’s students. In this way, Lee’s novel has evolved to meet the changing ideology of humanity. At the time of the novel, standing up against common customs and beliefs was unacceptable, a violation of societal rules. Several characters in To Kill a Mockingbird express outrage at the collective belief system of their community and show resilience in the face of persecution, much as many current leaders face when espousing unconventional views or actions.
Martin Luther King said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Racism is still an issue that can be seen in the twenty-first century. Although, tons of progress has been made over the last century, some still hold on to racist beliefs. The majority of classic American literature demonstrates the racism that was present in the early twentieth century. By looking at the theme of race in the American classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, it is clear that people are quick to judge others based on their own opinions and feelings.
A distinct conscience is formed by the values and desires of one’s unique identity. However, common beliefs of societal standards can influence conscientious desires. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee introduces a young girl named Scout, who learns about the difference between social conformity and human conscience. Through this, she notices the conflict it brings: choosing to conform or stand with your desire. Through Maycomb’s discriminatory principles, Atticus’ actions against common beliefs, and Scout’s comprehension of Boo, Lee reveals how society’s standards and conformity hinders personal desires for righteousness.
Throughout life, people are constantly learning to adapt culturally and politically, to the world around them. Overtime, we find it easier to cope with more changes more often, because we have learned to adapt quickly. We don’t all cope identically, some better than others. By using different strategies to cope, we make a difference in our life and the lives around us. In the three books, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a novel about a child in a small Southern town that is involved in a crisis of conscience. Siddhartha by Herman Hesse a story about a man searching for enlightenment, and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, about an African tribe member’s struggle with his own tribe and external forces. The three main characters all find
Harper Lee’s masterpiece, To Kill a Mockingbird, wreathed in racism, innocence, and ignorance, explores the concept of imprisonment. The consequences of extended confinement continually fill the pages of this twentieth century novel. Confined by his moral biases, Atticus Finch, Maycomb’s town lawyer, helps the less fortunate: the social outcasts. As a result of the overbearing, emotionally and physically brutish father, the town’s resident ghost, Boo Radley, suffers exclusion from the rest of society. The Black American community, reflected through the trial of Tom Robinson, suffers under the prejudice of Alabama’s racist white population. The social walls of Maycomb County create impenetrable confines that victimize every resident of the town.
Even though extraordinary changes have been made in the past to achieve racial equality, America is still racist, especially in schools. In the novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” written by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is criticized for defending a black man accused of raping a white woman. During the 1930s, the time this novel took place, America was a very segregated country. At the time when Harper Lee wrote "To Kill a Mockingbird," America was fighting a civil rights movement. The events of racism in “To Kill a Mockingbird” reflect the time period.
“The worst prisons were not constructed or warped steel and stone. They were carved out of expectations and lies, judgement and corruption.” -Kelseyleigh Reber, If I Resist. To Kill A Mockingbird is written by Harper Lee and was published on July 11, 1960. The book is written about the prejudice and racial discrimination during the early 1930’s. At the same time, slavery has recently been abolished and The Great Depression had begun, when the US economy had crashed into economic recession. The story revolves around a girl named Scout, her brother Jem and their father, Atticus Finch. In Maycomb County, a town located in Southern Alabama, a man named Boo Radley has never left his home and is rumoured to be “six-and-a-half feet tall and dines
To Kill a Mockingbird: Race Relations Racism is a problem that has been around for multiple centuries. In To Kill a Mockingbird, it demonstrates how racism can affect one person even in the court of law. In this story, the case of Tom Robinson is told. It is obvious that Robinson is a victim of racist people that see him guilty only because of his race, African American. From the beginning, it seems obvious that Robinson does not have a chance of winning his case, whether he is guilty or not.
“Many people today have encountered racism in some way or form. Maybe someone of a different race was treated unfairly just because they're a different color. Or someone could have been given special privileges because of their race. Dictionary.com defines racism as,”[1] “A belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one’s own race is superior and has the right to rule others.” Although racism doesn't appear to have the same effect today, as it would have in the past, it is still a big factor in our world today. This is evident with the scandal with Donald Sterlings remarks about African Americans. To Kill a Mockingbird’s main theme is racism and it was written at a time where racism and prejudice was still a norm in the south. Harper Lee grew up in Alabama so she knew first hand how people felt about African Americans. This book was written in the hopes that people would cease to see the differences in people and come together to see the similarities.
Racism has been evident all around America, even before this country was officially created over two hundred years ago. Prejudice and racism are not uncommon words in American history, because many disputes, such as war and protests, have emerged from the topic of race. This has been a common practice in the past, and is still a common practice today. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the effects of racism are shown in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s. The effects of racism were very cruel during this time, and Harper Lee reflected this through characters, such as Atticus, Jem, Scout, Mrs. Dubose, Aunt Alexandra, and Calpurnia in To Kill a Mockingbird.
There is no doubt that Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a famous novel known for its themes, most of them containing wise life lessons, racial inequality being an obvious and important one. Firstly, racism illustrates the lack of justice and people’s views on prejudice in Tom Robinson’s case. Secondly, the novel touches base on diction notably the racial slurs used. Finally, with racism being a theme of the novel, it affects the characters’ personalities. Harper Lee uses life lessons, diction and characters throughout the novel because it develops the main theme of racism in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird expresses the ideology that the social standard of a particular individual, classifies their status in the world. Individuals placed in social classes are labeled to create a sense of social identity. The socio-economic class an individual is born into should not be the determining factor of how the individual is regarded and treated, however, their character and personality should be a primary factor in determining how they are thought of in society.
The novel TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee has numerous accounts of racism and prejudice throughout the entire piece. The novel is set in the 1930's, a time when racism was very prevalent. Although bigotry and segregation were pointed in majority towards blacks, other accounts towards whites were also heard of, though not as commonly. There are acts that are so discreet that you almost don't catch them, but along with those, there are blatant acts of bigotry that would never occur in our time. Lee addresses many of these feelings in her novel.
“To Kill A Mockingbird” is marvelous and unforgettable novel. Not only show how dramatic, sad in and old town – Maycomb be like, but through her unique writings, some big conflicts about politics and critical is going on through this tired old Southern town. Not just in general like education, friendship, neighbors but also pacific in individuals like family and the people’s characteristics themselves. In one book yet can covered with such many problems, Harper Lee must have been experienced a lot and deeply understanding that time. That is why the book lives, becoming literature and get the love from the audiences a lot. One of the problem and mostly run along with the story and interest me is racism between white people and black people socially.
Racism presents itself in many ways in the town of Maycomb. Some are blatant and open, but others are more insidious. One obvious way that racism presents itself is in the result of Tom Robinson’s trial. Another apparent example is the bullying Jem and Scout had to endure as a result of Atticus’s appointment as Tom Robinson’s defense attorney. A less easily discernible case is the persecution of Mr. Dolphus Raymond, who chose to live his life in close relation with the colored community.