Hypocrisy In To Kill A Mockingbird Analysis

Author uses Atticus teach these lessons through his wise words. Atticus teaches these lessons to not only the audience, but Jem and Scout too. Some of the main things he teaches his kids about are understanding people, using the mind instead of the body, the cruel reality of stereotypes, and true

In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” society shapes and influences Scout and makes her see the reality of social hierarchy and discrimination in society. For instance, in the text it states, “If there’s just one kind of folks, why can’t they get along with each other? If they’re all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other? (Lee 304). Literally speaking, this quote tells us that despite everyone being the same, there is still hate towards others, and discrimination is still present in their society. This quote may suggest and show how Scout is influenced by society and changed into someone more mature, and can now see the disparities and understand the discriminations shown in her society. Another example states, “There’s four kinds of folks in the world, there’s

Mockingbirds will only sing their hearts, not cause any damage or give their lives to pleasing others. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird great examples are shown of different types of mockingbirds. Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Arthur (Boo) Radley are great examples of representing a mockingbird.

Growing up is a difficult task, especially when the town around you doesn’t offer to help you understand what’s going on around you. Using many examples of the loss of childhood innocence, Harper Lee shows us that a corrupted society leads to growing up faster and one’s childhood is stripped away. Through Jem, the eldest of the Finch children, and Scout, the youngest, the readers see how a trial in 1930 Alabama takes a toll of young minds. In Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, she implies that growing up leads to loss of innocence, especially in troubling times.

“It's right hard to say," she said. "Suppose you and Scout talked colored-folks' talk at home it'd be out of place, wouldn't it? Now what if I talked white-folks' talk at church, and with my neighbors? They'd think I was puttin' on airs to beat Moses, "But Cal, you know better," I said. “It's not necessary to tell all you know. It's not ladylike—in the second place, folks don't like to have somebody around knowing more than they do. It aggravates 'em. You're not gonna change

José Emilio Pacheco says “We are all hypocrites. We cannot see ourselves or judge ourselves the way we see and judge others.” Hypocrisy is demonstrated and observed on an everyday basis in our society, and even in the rural town of Maycomb in the 1930s it is evident as well. In To Kill a Mockingbird, two children by the names of Scout and Jem start to see hypocrisy more and more frequently because of the events that happen to unfold. This includes , including an african american young man accused of something he did not do. This amazing novel by Harper Lee shows that hypocrisy is closely linked to privilege, and a dominating opinion about others. The characters Miss Gates and Mrs. Merriweather are great examples of hypocrisy and Atticus is a great counterexample, showing an effort of being larger than others in Maycomb.

Power, something that’ll change what’s right to what’s wrong, change what’s wrong to right. The story “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is about a White woman, Mayella Ewell, accusing a Black man of rape. We would know right off the back who’s going to win the trial because the Whites were more superior in the 1930’s. Even though Mayella is powerful when it comes to race, she is powerless when it comes to class and gender.

In life people learn mostly from experience, even if they experience something through another means. Over this past summer I had the privilege of reading the award winning book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. At first glance, the novel just reinforced one of my basic morals: racism is wrong. Upon a closer look I picked up on some more subtle themes that Lee expressed in her novel. One of the underlying themes made me think about a belief I had come to believe for many years: hypocrisy is wrong. The characterization Lee used in To Kill a Mockingbird taught me that although hypocrisy is wrong, it is beneficial because it destroys innocence which is necessary for change.

Nelle Harper Lee’s book To Kill a Mockingbird was published in July 1960. Since then, it has won numerous awards and has become a book read by nearly every student in America’s public schools at one point or another. Books so widely read as this have a power over the minds they touch; it is a subconscious power, something absorbed while you try not to fall asleep listening to the droning voice of the reader. No matter how little attention a student paid to the novel, the message of strength in the face of a decision between what is obviously right and what everyone else says must be, is one that lingers in their mind.

The famous philosopher and motivational speaker Wayne Dyer once stated that “If you can change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”. To be able to change the perspective of a person is to change the perspective of the entire world. No one can fully understand how someone behaves until they understand a perspective other than their own. In To Kill a Mockingbird, many characters have made judgements before they can fully understand the truth. The book is set in a town called Maycomb during the Great Depression, which was a severe economic downturn in the 1930s, which caused starvation and unemployment throughout the United States. The town is a very close community, but not everyone living there understands each other’s

Although Scout does not understand what is all happening during her childhood, Lee’s usage of her innocent and immature viewpoint express the significance of prejudice and racism between classes and races in the 1930’s time period. Scout has respectful morals; therefore, she loves Calpurnia and is not prejudice against African Americans. She attended church with Calpurnia, and even sat in the balcony with the African Americans during the Tom Robinson trial. Her morals exemplify the innocence that she has during her childhood viewpoint while also showing the wicked ways of the people in

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee there are multiple moments of hypocrisy in the novel. Lee showed the hypocrisy gratefully because it showed other characters how people could be as a person. People that are hypocrites have standards that they expect others or themselves to follow but they don’t. Examples of these hypocritical people is Miss Gates teaching a lesson over Adolf Hitler, Mrs. Merriweather and her christianity, Aunt Alexandra and her great family values, and Bob Ewell thinking he’s some high end white person.

“Shoot all the Bluejays you want, if you can hit’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee pg. 90). The bird, mentioned nearly twice, seems to show little importance to the story. Nonetheless, it resembles the perception of some characters. The one time Scout had ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do anything was when referring to the mockingbird. He advised his children when hunting to never shoot a mockingbird. Miss Maudie followed with further detail by explaining that “Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee pg.90).

This is demonstrated when Scout’s teacher, Miss Stephanie, exclaims that she is deeply offended by Hitler’s prejudice mindset, yet goes against her morals after the trial. This reveals that Miss Stephanie is enveloped in a hypocritical mentality as she appears relieved after Tom Robinson’s conviction. Another example of this mentality is illustrated when Aunt Alexandra’s missionary circle is over, and Mrs. Merryweather declares, “Hypocrites, Mrs. Perkins, born hypocrites. At least we don’t have that sin on our shoulders down here,” (313). This situation perfectly exposes the absurd amount of hypocrisy in Maycomb, due to the fact being that Mrs. Merryweather had just finished insulting the other race a few pages before. A final case of hypocrisy is shown when the reader learns that white people rent out the black church on weekdays for gambling purposes. Church, a place reserved for prayer, and a very significant place for Christian folk is being disrespected. Despite following the same God, a detail the white population disregards, somehow the black church is less important than the other race’s. Amongst other things, the reader is able to see that racism corrupts the white mentality through the renting of the church and Scout’s primary

In both the text “To Kill a Mockingbird” written by Harper Lee and the film “A Time to Kill” directed by Joel Schumacher, similar ideas are presented using language devices and stylistic features in differing ways to appeal to their target audience. Each have very similar storylines in which a white lawyer defends a an African-American in a prejudiced court case. Racism is a key idea presented strongly in each due to the eras they are set in. The era and country set in each story provide a strong base for the prominent issue. With the unpleasant happenings in each text and through the racist acts the idea of compassion shines through. As well as compassion being a significant idea, forgiveness is also presented through the racists acts.