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Analysis of a mockingbird movie
Racism in harper lees to kill a mockingbird
Racism in harper lees to kill a mockingbird
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In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Scout Finch and her brother Jem Finch live in Maycomb, Alabama during the post-depression era with their father Atticus Finch and caretaker Calpurnia. Throughout the story, Scout recounts her childhood adventures attempting to lure the malevolent phantom Boo Radley out of his house and attending the controversial and unsuccessful trial of Tom Robinson. As Scout grows up, she begins to become aware of the racist views of her neighbors when observing Atticus defend Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a nineteen-year-old girl. Harper Lee explores the theme of racism by illustrating ways Atticus raises his family unprejudiced.
Lee interprets the Finch family as unprejudiced by describing the way Atticus influences his children. During numerous occasions, Atticus corrects his children when they treat anybody poorly. By teaching respect, Atticus accomplishes his goal of raising his children free of the Maycomb disease, or racism. Scout and Jem’s ignorance about the social differences in Maycomb causes them to treat everyone equally and as if they are all the same. Atticus’ beliefs about inequality have been inherited by the children.
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Atticus hires an African American caretaker for the children so they learn to treat everyone they meet equally. By including her into the family, Scout and Jem begin to feel comfortable and friendly with anyone who may be different from themselves. As a result of Atticus exposing the children to the idea of equality, Scout and Jem do not understand why the town they live in is so segregated. When Lula calls out Calpurnia for bringing the children to their church, Scout and Jem become very confused and ask Calpurnia why Lula acted that way. The way Scout and Jem are brought up causes them to be unable to understand why the community is
Throughout the novel, Atticus’ assistance to Jem and Scout’s development becomes evident. Atticus takes every opportunity to attempt to teach his children the importance of having an open-mind. For instance, when Scout queries Atticus about Maycomb’s prejudice perspective, he tells her, “You never really understand a person until…you climb in their skin and walk around in it.” (Lee 30) Even during the early stages of the novel, it is apparent that Atticus endeavors to instill the values of empathy and tolerance within Jem and Scout by teaching them how to have multiple perspectives on a situation. In addition, Atticus also attempts to enlighten his children about peaceful resolution in society. For example, when Atticus is chosen to defend Tom Robinson, Atticus tells Scout, you might hear some ugly talk about it at school but…you just hold your head high and keep those fists down.”...
In addition to being a lawyer, Atticus enjoys being a father to Jem and Scout. When Jem and Scout found out that their father would be defending a black person, they knew immediately that there would be much controversy, humiliation from the people of Maycomb and great difficulty keeping Tom alive for the trial. It was not long when Atticus had to leave the house very late to go to jail, where Tom was kept because many white people wanted to kill him. Worrying about their father, Jem and Scout sneak out of the house to find him. A self-appointed lynch mob has gathered on the jail to take justice into their own hands. Scout decides to talk to Walter Cunningham, one of the members of the mob. She talks about how her father Atticus thought that "entailments are bad "(154 ) " and that his boy Walter is a real nice boy and tell him I said hey"(154). Upon hearing this, the mob realized that Atticus cannot be all bad if he has such a nice daughter as Scout. Atticus, with some unexpected help from his children, faces down the mob and cause them to break up the potential lynching of the man behind bars. Having gone to a black church earlier, the children found out that Tom is actually a kind person, church-going and a good husband and father to his children.
Childhood is a continuous time of learning, and of seeing mistakes and using them to change your perspectives. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates how two children learn from people and their actions to respect everyone no matter what they might look like on the outside. To Kill A Mockingbird tells a story about two young kids named Scout and her older brother Jem Finch growing up in their small, racist town of Maycomb, Alabama. As the years go by they learn how their town and a lot of the people in it aren’t as perfect as they may have seemed before. When Jem and Scout’s father Atticus defends a black man in court, the town’s imperfections begin to show. A sour, little man named Bob Ewell even tries to kill Jem and Scout all because of the help Atticus gave to the black man named Tom Robinson. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee illustrates the central theme that it is wrong to judge someone by their appearance on the outside, or belittle someone because they are different.
Children are known to mimic and pick up their parent’s every move. With all this admiration and responsibility, parents are expected to be the best person they can be as everything they do will have an impact on their child. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout is an example of how children are affected by their parents. Scout is a young girl who lives in Maycomb County of Alabama during the Great Depression. Throughout the story, Scout and her big brother Jem learn and grow with the help of their father Atticus. Atticus Finch is a respectable lawyer who puts in all of his effort to defend the innocent African American man, Tom Robinson against false rape accusations from Mayella and Bob Ewell. His sense of justice and beliefs are
To Kill A Mockingbird is told from the point of view of young Scout Finch, a lawyer’s daughter in Maycomb County, Alabama in the 1930’s. It includes the various adventures of Scout, her older brother Jem, and their friend Dill, such as their obsession with Boo Radley. The trial of a black man, Tom Robinson, accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell, is the main focus of the story. Scout and Jem’s father Atticus takes on the impossible task of defending Tom Robinson, the man accused of the crime, but loses based on the jury’s racism and prejudice. Throughout the book, Maycomb’s many problems unfold and Scout and Jem grow up.
According to Shackleford, “The novel portrays a young girl's love for her father and brother and the experience of childhood during the Great Depression in a racist, segregated society, which uses superficial and materialistic values to judge outsiders, including the powerful character Boo Radley” (Shackelford). The main character relates closely with her father because he is the superior role model in her life. Having her mother die when she was very young caused her Dad to become a single parent, which caused him to hire help to assist him with the children. (Shackleford). For example, Atticus hired Calpurnia, the black housekeeper as a surrogate mother for the children (Lee 3). Lee describes racism in her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. According to Felty, “Lee poses a limitation on her social critique in the novel, however, by directing it almost completely through the Finch family rather than through Tom Robinson and his family. This focus makes sense given the point of view of the novel, but it still keeps the Robinson family at a distance from the reader” (Felty). Lee bases how the reader views racism through the eyes of Scout and Atticus, the white characters, instead of Tom Robinson and the black characters. In the South, segregation was mutually distasteful because even in the justice system racism was still evident. According to Johnson, “Atticus' heroism is a quality that Maycomb's black population fully recognizes.
In To Kill A MockingBird, Harper Lee introduces the readers to the discriminating town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s. The town of Maycomb is small with little going on and everybody knows each other. When a horrifying trial takes place between an African American named Tom Robinson and a lower-class White man named Bob Ewell, the trial brings out the real thoughts of the people in Maycomb. With this trial going on, Jean “Scout” Louise Finch has to learn to mature like her older brother in order to understand her surroundings. Scout at all costs has to avert turning into a racist and judgemental person like the rest of the town has. Scout’s father, Atticus, is defending the African American in the case and gets ridiculed for it. She has
To kill a mockingbird is a book that takes place in the late Nineteen Thirties narrated by Scout Finch about what it was like to grow up in Maycomb, Alabama during the depression. Maycomb was divided into very clear social classes who hate each other as much as they hated the Yankees during the civil war. This prejudice, however, it is ironic because besides being related, everybody in Maycomb is very similar. In the midst of this division, the Finches find themselves in the spotlight when their Father decides to defend Tom Robinson a black man who allegedly raped a white citizen of Maycomb. Atticus’ two children, Jem and Scout, are taunted and ridiculed because of their dad’s decision. However, despite growing
The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, takes place in the 1930s in a small Alabama county called Maycomb. The novel is about the Finch family of three. Atticus, the father, Scout the older brother and Scout the younger sister, who acts like a tomboy. Scout may be a lady, but does not like to act like one, she likes to play and get dirty with her brother. Being young, both children learn lessons throughout the novel by many different residents, such as, Calpurnia, the maid, Miss Maudie, the neighbor, and their father, Atticus. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird various citizens in the town of Maycomb play an important role in the lives of Jem and Scout Finch
To Kill A Mockingbird reflects many themes, but three of the most significant ones are courage, prejudice, and education. Through characterization and behavior the author demonstrates the connection of these themes as crucial for manifesting real humanity within individuals. Education and courage produce a higher level of humanity in human behavior, particularly because they allow individuals to walk in the skins of other people before judging them. Education and courage allow for a neutralization of prejudice because they lend a broader understanding to the individual concerning others. Atticus, the father of Scout and Jem (Jeremy Finch), often teaches the lessons of education and courage to his children. Atticus' brand of courage and education is different than that of most people's in the town. Atticus' brand of courage disdains the use of guns, as we see when he refuses to use one to protect Tom Robinson (a black man accused of...
In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird, a black man is wrongfully convicted due to racism. In Macomb which is a small town in southern Alabama Scout and Jem Finch spend their days trying to find out who the mysterious Boo Radley is. When their dad Atticus which is a lawyer gets assigned Tom Robinsons case. Who is a black man accused of beating and raping Mayela Ewell. Throughout the story Jem and scout learn you shouldn’t judge someone until you walk around in their skin.
...s will pass on these ideas to children and family. Even so, compassion emitted from Atticus towards his children are able to shield them from the disease and make them much like Atticus, someone who would see it like it is rather than be blindfolded by the pre-conceived ideas. Wisdom and life experience also are shown as very desirable traits to have as they can motivate you through the toughest tasks and drive you to do what should be done instead of abandon your duties. In conclusion, Harper Lee’s book To Kill a Mockingbird highlights the horrible prejudice and ignorance towards black people in the southern town of Maycomb, but also shows wisdom and compassion as not only desirable but necessary traits to have to withstand the bombardment of pre-conceived ideas from the people surrounding you, and also portrays these qualities as a shield to people around you.
In the 1930’s, racism and strong feelings of prejudice caused an African American man to be falsely accused and convicted and then brutally murdered; these feelings caused a guilty man to walk free; these feelings caused two young children to almost be murdered. Although, despite these feelings, a shy recluse saved those two young children and made a friendship that will last forever. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set in the 1930’s, during the Great Depression in Maycomb, Alabama, a town deeply rooted in racism. It focuses on the development of Jem and Scout Finch and their father, Atticus Finch’s work as a lawyer. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the characteristics of integrity, honesty, and having a conscience are portrayed by several
Atticus Finch shares a few insights into Maycomb’s racism and classism with Jem and Scout. After the trial, Jem and Scout start questioning the law and social customs in Maycomb. Atticus has to explain to them how the racism in Maycomb works and why: “‘When it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always
Children at school call Atticus a “nigger-lover”. Scout does not think twice before beating anybody up and standing up for her father until Atticus asks Scout to ignore all the gossip about them and to “stop beating up kids at school.” Scout decides to listen to Atticus because Atticus rarely ever asked anything from them. This is when Scout starts to learn how to be a lady and Jem grows up to be a man. Aunt Alexandra’s stay with the Finch’s influences Scout and Jem to be well behaved people of their own fine breed and higher social status.