Innocence And Bravery

In the country town of Maycomb, people were easily influenced so prejudice was shown by most. The citizens knew that the colour of your skin determined your place in life and that Negroes were to be treated differently. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, there was only one true character that portrayed the true essence of tolerance. Atticus Finch stood on his own two feet, and never formed an opinion unless he had prior knowledge on the particular person or situation. Throughout the entirety of this novel, it was Atticus alone who not only was tolerant, but set an exemplarily example to his children, and the town, of how knowing before judging is not only important, but vital to society. “First of all…if you can learn a simple trick Scout, you’ll get along better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person till you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (p.33). This is a perfect example of how Atticus passes on his knowledge to his children, and educates them on how respect

Atticus is a mockingbird for the Maycomb society. He has the correct attitude towards different races. In Tom Robinson’s case, he provides strong arguments Tom’s accusation and proves that Tom Robinson did not rape and harm Mayella Ewell. Even though Atticus failed to restore Tom back to Tom’s family due to racial discrimination existed commonly in Maycomb in 1930s, Atticus leads the society to take the first small step in the right direction in the battle against racial discrimination, according to the quote stated by Miss Maudie, “Atticus Finch won’t win, he can’t

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is set in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. Racism is ever present toward blacks and the trial of Tom Robinson, an African American, clearly displays this. Tom Robinson was accused of raping a white woman. The huge detail in this is that it was a white woman. Racial issues are really brought about because of that detail. People during this time would easily take a white man’s word over that of a black man, so nobody would ever trust Tom Robinson, especially since he was a black man being accused of a crime against a white woman. Tom Robinson really can’t do anything to help his case. The only person that can help him is Atticus. While Atticus does not believe that he will win the case, he knows that it is right to do everything he can to help Tom. He knows right from wrong and he will do everything in his power to help people see that, and to help Tom survive this case. Tom Robinson could also be described as a Mockingbird in this story. If proven innocent, he would be

Another way Harper Lee uses the character of Atticus to show social justice is by making him talk fairly with Mayella during the trial. This can be seen when Atticus says, “I'm not bitter, just tired. I’m going to bed.” (Lee 285). Atticus believed that Tom Robinson needed a fair trial whether Tom was white or not. Atticus had the choice of not

White or colored, superior or inferior, and important or invisible are the different categories society imposes on people. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the narrator Scout is a part of the Finch family. They are white people with good morals due to Atticus Finch, Scout’s father. He guides his children to seek equality and treat others equally regardless of their class, gender, or race. Atticus tries to enforce his beliefs by taking on the Tom Robinson case. Tom Robinson is an honest, hard working black man accused of raping a white woman known as Mayella Ewell. Although there was evidence to prove his innocence, Mayella’s dirty lies were placed above his innocence. This situation is clearly an example of the ideals society

As Lemony Snicket wrote in The Blank Book, “People don’t always get what they deserve in this world.” 1930s America was fraught with racism, especially in the southern states. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a Negro man by the name of Tom Robinson was put on trial. Although he was not guilty, the jury convicted him because of the colour of his skin. During the trial, others showed injustice towards Tom and people that were on his side. As Tom’s lawyer, Atticus Finch was not admired by many of the white citizens of Maycomb, the town in which the novel takes place. Although Atticus and Jean Louise Finch (Scout) were white, they were still treated unjustly as a result of helping and supporting Tom Robinson. Scout, Atticus’

Race is the dominant cause of inequality in To Kill A Mockingbird, thus Maycomb’s views on race heavily influence every aspect of life. Although racial inequality is clearly illustrated in the in the injustice, prejudice, discrimination and antagonism surrounding the Tom Robinson trial, it is also shown more subtly throughout the novel. In chapter 25 Atticus Finch is quoted disclosing that the corrupt justice system is a direct cause of a racist society. “In our courts, when it's a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins” (Pg 295). To emphasize, on the same occasion Atticus attempts to explain to his children how widely spread racism is, “As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men everyday of your life”

As it was mentioned earlier, Atticus has a very demanding career. Tom Robinson, the young man Atticus defends, pays for the ignorant and hurtful stereotypes that are made in Maycomb every day. There is the fear of black male sexuality, brought about by stories of white women being raped and beaten by black men. "As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it- whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash" (220). When the Ewell's charge Tom with rape, his decisions come not from facts of life, but the general classification and stereotypes of Maycomb. "The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box" (220). Others don't take the time to understand Tom, instead fearing and distrusting him. Tom isn't the only race in Maycomb that is victimized, however.

Tom Robinson’s role in this book shows a lot of prejudice. He is a black man convicted of raping a white women. This book is set in the 1930s, during this time period the Jim Crow Laws were still in place and racism was big. ‘You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?’ Mr. Gilmer seemed ready to rise to the ceiling” (Lee, pg 197). Tom Robinson is talking about how he felt sorry for Miss Mayella, who is white. Mr Gilmer gets very upset stating that a nigger should not feel sorry for a white woman. "There's something in our world that makes men lose their heads -- they couldn't be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the fact of life.” (Lee, pg.220) Atticus is talking to the kids about how Tom Robinson will get the death sentence because of the color of his skin and how the jury looks at him. He talks about there is no court in Alabama that would’ve gave him something less. Basically it was Tom against a town full of white folks. Tom is a big symbol of prejudice in the book.

Maycomb's unjust beliefs on race determined the outcome of Tom Robinson's trail. Atticus´s defence was more than enough to set Tom free, but Maycomb's ignorance and narrow-minded view on African Americans set an innocent man to jail. Atticus told Jem "If you had been on that jury, son, and eleven other boys like you, Tom would be a free man" (Lee 295). The jury members had been affected by the ignorance of society. They convicted Tom because when they grow up they learned racists beliefs and they do not know any other way. In Maycomb, racism is a normal part of everyday life. When kids at Scouts school call Atticus a n***** lover. Atticus explains to Scout what it means, "Scout," said Atticus, "n*****-lover is just one of those terms that don't mean anything—like snot-nose. It's hard to explain—ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody's favoring Negroes over and above themselves.¨ (144). The racists views and attitudes determined the guilty verdict of Tom. In Atticus closing argument, he says "She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man¨(272). Society has a set of rules which are not written but known, these rules tend to be ignorant and impartial. When it comes to race and the misguided beliefs about race, there is a profusion of ignorance. The expectations on race set by society affect the actions and events of life.

In the novel, it states “ Scout you aren't old enough to understand some things yet, but there been some high talk around town to the effect that I shouldn't do much about defending this man”(Lee,100). Atticus discusses to Scout that many people in Maycomb County now, despise him for taking Tom robinson's case. “Harper Lee's effective use of racial symbolism can be seen by studying various examples from the book this includes the actions of the children, the racist whites, and the actions of Atticus Finch” (Hunter). The actions of Atticus finch helped Tom Robinson but Atticus Finch was hated and despised for

Prejudice and discrimination is looked down upon, yet people still continue to be judgmental and have preconceived assumptions about others. It is a common thing that still happens in today’s society. To be particular, racial discrimination is one example of prejudice and is based solely on the color of one’s skin. In the story To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson is a caring individual who tries his hardest to treat everyone he meets with appreciation and respect. However, he is African American, which influences him and the other characters' lives in different ways. All he wants to do is help out another character, Mayella, which inevitably costs him his life in the end. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the character of Tom Robinson to illustrate the fact that innocent people are sometimes victimized to a racist society.

This can be shown from Scout’s awareness of Atticus’s morals, Dill’s discontent with the treatment of African Americans, and Atticus’s final speech towards the end of Tom Robinson’s trial. When Scout acknowledges that Atticus knows how to use a gun, she wonders why he doesn't shoot more often. However, Miss Maudie, her neighbor, tells her that Atticus “Put his gun down when he realized God had given him an unfair advantage over most living things… He wouldn't shoot until he had to” (130). Scout learns that Atticus does not wish to feel superior and therefore strives for equality among Maycomb’s residents, in order to create a balanced society. Thus, the readers learn to set aside their advantages in order to promote equality and peace. To Kill a Mockingbird also causes a change in the attitudes of readers from the unfair and prejudiced treatment of African Americans, After the trial, Dill exclaims, “It ain’t right, somehow it ain’t right to do em that way- Hasn’t anybody got any business talkin’ like that- it just makes me sick!” (226). Readers learn of the biased treatment of whites over blacks present in Maycomb, which causes them to rethink the way they treat other people and oppose those who act superior towards others. Readers do not want to be known as a cruel person, which leads them to treat everyone equally, like the unprejudiced people in Maycomb. Lastly, To Kill a Mockingbird shifts the reader's’ attitude from Atticus’s final thoughts about Maycomb’s unfaltering racism. At the conclusion of Tom Robinson’s trial, Atticus states that, “This cause should have never came to trial. This case is as simple as black and white - I say guilt,l gentlemen, because it was guilt that motivated her [Mayella Ewell]... she has merely broken a rigid and time-honored code of

Justice plays a major role in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. In a perfect world, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation and other differences would not matter in the eyes of justice, but as it can be seen in this book, it does and the readers discover that justice is not served. Atticus Finch, being the hero of the story, told his son that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because all they do is create music and therefore are innocent creatures who mean no harm. Within the book, innocent characters are subjected to their own injustices by being victims of prejudice and racism, and are eventually destroyed themselves. Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, Jem Finch and Mayella Ewell represented the mockingbirds within the book. The only voice of justice within Maycomb is Atticus who tried to teach lessons of morality to his children and also tried to spread his views of justice

You're walking down the street, coming home from school, and all of a sudden you hear a shrill voice calling "Help! Help!" You run toward the voice and when you run about a block up the street you smell smoke. You look up and see a house totally engulfed in flames. You see a woman on the lawn of the burning building crying, "Help! Help! My baby's inside!"