Harper Lee 's Just Mercy

In the novel, Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson, it is extremely apparent that there is a link between poverty, wealth, injustice, and justice. This book incorporates a strong theme of poverty and how it relates to justice, as well as injustice. Furthermore, it very apparently works to explain and provide examples of problems within the justice system, and the urgency that these be corrected. One major problem being poverty in relation to obtaining justice. This being said, throughout my personal reading of the book, I have come to agree with Stevenson's statement, "the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice" (Stevenson 18).

Atticus said, “They’ve done it befor and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it-seems that only children weep”(Lee 285). To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel written by Harper Lee. It is about two siblings , Jem and Scout, who live in a small town called Maycomb. Their father Atticus, is a well known lawyer, who is defending an African American that was accused of raping a white women. Throughout the novel, Jem and Scout are introduced to discrimination and learn that it’s an everlasting problem. Prejudice and discrimination are important themes in To Kill a Mockingbird because of racism, sexism, and ageism.

Throughout the riveting and eye-opening memoir, Just Mercy, by influential lawyer Bryan Stevenson readers are given a real insight on the predominance of racial minorities on crime sentencings. He opens up on the taboo topics of prejudice and sentencing the poor and weak simply because it’s convenient. This is re-affirmed through New York Times article by Shaila Dewan, “Court by Court, Lawyers Fight Policies that Fall Heavily on the Poor,” where she point blank states “[the justice system] is waging a guerilla campaign to reserve what they consider unconstitutional practices that penalize the poor.” In addition to both of these sources, the video “Keeping the Poor Out of Jail” by Kassie Bracken and Jessica Naudziunas, two Harvard law school students, upholds the same beliefs about inequality as they take on local justice systems and current policies targeting the poor. Although the fourteenth amendment states no state shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws poverty remains to be an exception to some degree. Those living in poverty lack the same equality as the rest of the US, not being given fair chances in trials or overly punished for their lack of resources. There needs to be an improvement in our justice system so we can eliminate the injustice on the impoverished, whether it be a more involved state-provided lawyer or an adequate, unbiased, and

In the book Just Mercy: A story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson, there are several topics discussed regarding the American Justice system. One of those many topics discussed is regarding how a person’s race, social status and income, may influence the outcome of a court trail. In present day America, many years after the era of Jim crow and segregation the Justice system still seems to be more lenient towards white Americans, especially those with high income and a good standing in society. The American justice system has become unjust in the trials deemed to be fair, due to an evident prejudice against minorities, their social status and whether or not they receive a well off or poor income.

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is about two children, Jem and Scout, and their relationships with their father, Atticus. The children raise themselves growing up, many people would say they were irresponsible, but they are both appear to be intelligent individuals. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird the novel demonstrates a rigid class structure and social stratification in the County of Maycomb. People should not be judged by their social class, they should be judged on their personality.

Rickey Williams says, “I don’t think people change. I think the essence of what I am today is the same as when I was five years old. It’s just maturity.” (Ricky, Williams). In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the characters face many challenges in their society and experience lessons that made them different, than from the beginning of the book. Atticus, the father of Scout and Jem, is a lawyer in Maycomb County during the 1930’s. Atticus is given a special case where he has to defend a black man, which creates many problems for him and his family against their town, dealing with racism. In the novel Atticus, Scout, and Jem are all wise people that symbolize a mockingbird.

Only five percent of the world’s population live in The United States of America, but twenty-five percent of the incarcerated people live here. Our country has the highest incarceration rate in the world, and not because we are criminals, but because prisons operate under a corrupt system.“We only kill black people.’ Police Officer Says During Traffic Stop”. Yes, unfortunately, this is a legitimate news article published by Christine Hauser and Jacey Fortin on August 31, 2017. We are currently living in a society where wealth and race dominate exterminating any sense of justice and kindness remaining in our society. Bryan Stevenson’s book Just Mercy is a memoir about how our justice system is shaped in a way in which according to Bryan Stevenson, “treats you much better if you are rich and guilty than if you are poor and innocent ”(Stevenson, Bryan. "We need to talk about an injustice." TED. Feb. 2012. Lecture.). In addition to this, it also treats you better if you’re white. This memoir also tells us how the system treats the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned many people based on their race and socioeconomic status. In other words, the system is shaped in a way that the broken get punished because the system wants them to remain broken. In Just Mercy, Stevenson successfully uses ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade his audience to see a different perspective of our justice system which I believe is the reality of our justice system.

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird there are many scenes which feature Scout and Jem “coming of age” one such scene is in the trial of Tom Robinson scene, in which Jem and Scout learn what the real, prejudiced world is really like. In the Tom Robinson court case scene, Lee does a masterful job of illustrating the “growing up” of Jem and Scout. Throughout the several chapters in which the trial takes place, Lee highlights the children’s experiences growing up and learning about the prejudice and overall racism of the american, white South.

Her father, Bob Ewell, is very accusatory of Tom Robinson and is quite prejudiced against multiple characters in this novel, particularly because of their race or involvement with people of other races. To Kill a Mockingbird is also a story of the coming of age of Scout and Jem, Atticus’ children. Throughout the novel, they learn more about the culture of Maycomb, Alabama, their hometown, through their involvement in the Tom Robinson case and interactions with their neighbors, including Miss Maudie, Miss Stephanie, and Mrs. Dubose. They also experience discrimination directed at them because of Atticus’ decisions regarding the Tom Robinson case, further educating them about the culture of Maycomb as it relates to the treatment of others and general beliefs of the county. In the To Kill a Mockingbird play adaptation, Christopher Sergel shows that people’s prejudice and false assumptions towards a person based off of their age, social class, or race can greatly affect how they treat people and how those people are generally treated in the society that they are a part

As the story To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee unfolds, the reader watches Scout and Jem grow up, mature and broaden their worldviews. Their father, Atticus, is not only a single parent, but also a friend, role model and teacher for his children. Hence, this may suggest why Scout and Jem calls him ‘Atticus’ instead of ‘Father’. Throughout the novel, the children encounter many different and difficult barriers that challenges Maycomb’s standards and meres. As a result, Jem and Scout unearths the beauty of integrity and the power of empathy, through lessons taught by Atticus’ wise words and admirable actions.

As Scout matures, she begins to see the irony when women raise money to help the “poor African children” but fail to see the cruel treatment of the Blacks right outside their door. Scout also has trouble getting along with her Aunt Alexandra, who makes snide comments about their Black maid and openly voices her negative opinion on African Americans. Harper Lee tries to show the compassionate side of Aunt Alexandra and the rest of Maycomb, by showing that, perhaps these people can’t help their racist thoughts because of the community they were brought up in. Whereas, Scout's father, Atticus strives to be unlike the rest of Maycomb and teaches both his children to not say “common” words, such as nigger and gives Scout the freedom to get mud on her overalls and keep her hair short. Atticus wants pass values like honesty, dignity and independence to his kids. The readers realize that if Atticus was not in their lives Scout and Jem would have grown up to become completely different people, common, like the rest of Maycomb.

Tom Robinson, a black slave for a poor white man, finds himself face to face with the race ignorance in Maycomb when he is wrongfully accused of rape. Atticus Finch, the father to Jem and Scout, takes on Tom Robinson’s case, and acts as a catalyst to instilling a social conscience in his town, and in his children with Boo Radley. Because the defendant is on the bottom of the social structure, evil is just assumed. Atticus recognizes this great handicap and uses it to his advantage in his overall point, the the social conscience in human beings morality is crippling the town’s ability to break free from the poverty.

If you have ever wondered what it was like to grow up while witnessing racism during the Great Depression, then the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is just for you. Two children, Jem and Scout, are living in a world of prejudice with their father Atticus Finch, a well-educated lawyer and their housekeeper Calpurnia, a “colored” woman. Atticus is the most intelligent man in Maycomb County, because of this, he defended Tom Robinson in court. Mr. Robinson is an African-American man who was falsely accused of sexually assaulting a “white” woman . The novel takes place in the South during the 1930’s, where racism was a major issue. “Colored” people were not seen as human beings, they were seen as objects. Many were slaves, and under the control of “white” people. Calpurnia who is the housekeeper for the Finches takes very good care of the house, but not just that. Calpurnia’s mother-like actions and sincerity show that she is an important part of the Finch household.

In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee tells the story of two kids growing up in the deep south during the Depression in which she portrays the complexities of life. Jeremy Atticus Finch, known as Jem, and Jean Louise Finch, known as Scout, grow up with their father named Atticus and their house servant Calpurnia. Over the course of three summers, Jem and Scout and their friend Dill learn about racism, religion, and injustice. They learn that the color of somebody is what will shape them into the way that they will be treated in society and known as to others. Atticus, their father, who happens to be a lawyer teaches them everything they need to know as they grow up along with the help of Calpurnia. Jem and Scout don't have a mother because she died when Scout was only 2 years old making Calpurnia be like a real mother to them. Along the way, Atticus encounters some tough times with a case that he has to defend a black man, yet even this keeps the family strong with Calpurnia´s help and the love of others. In the end, Atticus didn't win the case, but it left society know that white people aren’t better than any other person. In order for a person to see the full scope of a person’s life, one must account for all the ups and downs a person goes through their lifetime. Nothing in life has only one side to it because if this was to be the case everyone would be a reflection of oneself which wouldn’t be possible. Life has trillions of perspectives to it one can even see in To Kill

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a first person narrative describing the life of Jem and Scout, a brother and sister who are the main protagonists of the novel. Jem and Scout grow up in a town where they are constantly surrounded by racial inequality, social unrest and prejudice. Jem Finch is considered a normal young boy growing up in the small Alabama town of Maycomb. Like his friends Jem likes to likes take part in activities that are perceived to be masculine in nature such as sports. Yet the way he is raised is very different than his friends and his upbringing is considered to be against the cultural norm of the time. Harper Lee creates the character of Jem to show the reader the internal