Jean Louise's Settings

This novel takes place in the South in the 1930s, a time and place where racial prejudice is very strong. Mayella is a poor white woman, but her race gives her power to manipulate Tom Robinson, since he is a negro. Her word is given precedence over Tom Robinson’s in court simply because of her skin color. In this time period, women,

Being a Finch in the small Southern town of Maycomb, affords Jean Louise and the rest of her family special privileges and freedoms but the privileges come with strict expectations and responsibilities. Jean Louise does not realize that she comes from a respected family and she has certain privileges that she can, and often does, take for granted. This invisibility of privilege becomes evident later in the book when Hank points out to her that, “‘You’re a Finch… you can parade around town in your dungarees with your shirttail out and barefooted if you want to” (Lee 231). Jean Louise has freedoms that other people don’t get to enjoy because if somebody of a lower status, such as Hank, were to drift from the ‘norm’ Maycomb would say “‘ That’s

By observing Scout’s reaction, readers see that social injustice happens daily, worldwide. Through Scout’s eyes, readers are allowed a vision of the world around us as it truly is. The fact that people learn the social injustice of racism is totally unacceptable.

I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ‘em” (Lee 125). A member of the supposed inferior race sympathizes for a Caucasian girl, the alleged dominant race, an African American empathizing for a Caucasian was unheard of at the time. Ma’am, or Miss Mayella were names not prominent in Mayella’s life, “I wondered if anybody had ever called her ma’am or Miss Mayella’ in her life; probably not, as she took offense to routine courtesy. What on earth was her life like? I soon found out” (Lee 182). Everyone in Maycomb considered the Ewells as trash, the Ewells were living as if they were Oscar the Grouch. Mayella inhabited a poor home without a mother and with an alcoholic and abusive father, she was lonelier than Boo Radley, sympathy should be produced for Mayella

The characters in, To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel by Harper Lee, often use prejudice against people of controversial issues. Many of the townspeople of Maycomb use prejudice on the families who are on the less wealthy end of the spectrum. Issues are still displayed because of the racial prejudice used against African Americans and those of other races. Lastly, gender is a clear issue in Maycomb because of women’s and girl’s rights and lack of respect towards them because they are female. All of the types of prejudice show that Maycomb has many problems all throughout the town between other families and townspeople.

The social setting in Maycomb County has a profound effect on the expectations in the novel. Initially, all individuals of Maycomb know about each other’s background and upbringing for

Life is like a thrill ride; one never knows what will be in store for them. Many characters in the story To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee feel the same way about life, having experienced many surprising and unexpected turns of events. This story is about a sleepy southern town filled with prejudice, and a lawyer’s quest, along with his children Scout and Jem, to take steps in ridding the town of its prejudiced attitude. Despite being a white man, a lawyer named Atticus, defends an innocent black man accused of raping a white woman. However, everything does not go as was hoped, and the mindset of the society overpowered Atticus’s fair-minded argument. From this emerges a theme regarding the bigotry and bias overwhelming Maycomb: A

Next, as Jean Louise returns back to home years later, she is devastated by the changes she sees in her Maycomb. Although as a reader, we question has it really been notable changes in Maycomb Society between the time Scout was a child, and now as an adult? In Go Set a Watchman, we see some locational changes such as Scout’s beloved childhood home becoming an Ice cream shop, but we are also brought back to the courtroom where Atticus’s memorable and perhaps most influential experiences for Jean Louise in To Kill a Mockingbird takes place. So there are some locational changes, some of which, are extremely special places that contribute to the special lessons Jean Louise learned from her dear father Atticus.

The character Dolphus Raymond shows the readers inequality Whites show towards African Americans throughout the Great Depression. Dolphus Raymond’s life shows the reader that him and his family are discriminated from the other families in Maycomb. In Dolphus’ earlier life, he married an African American woman and had “mixed” children; in the book it stated his children have no true home, “Colored folks won’t have ‘em because they’re half white; white folks won’t have ‘em because they’re colored,” (Lee, 1960, 214). The discrimination in Maycomb is highlighted by the creation of Dolphus Raymond’s kids; they do not belong in any community during this time period. Neither Dolphus or his family can fit into a perfect way of life. The

Scout is a young girl who’s growing and trying to understand the world around her. Growing up can be difficult when the community around her are discriminating and providing a hostile environment for a child. The influential decisions made the people are taken into consideration of how the child is influenced. Scout is an exception to this belief because she has a guardian that's highly respected and influential to scout. This is shown as a positive influence that contrast the highly racial discrimination in Maycomb.

The Struggles in the Face of Racism “Parents and schools should place great emphasis on the idea that it is all right to be different. ... You are a lucky child if your parents taught you to accept diversity” by Roger Ebert. In “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, racism was rapidly spreading across the United States; however in certain places in the US racism was already prominent, one of those places was Maycomb County. When faced with the adversity aimed at Jean Louise (Scout) Finch’s family when her father, Atticus Finch, takes on defending Tom Robinson, Scout learns a thing or two about her character and about the real world that surrounds her.

Discuss Harper Lee’s Presentation of Maycomb Society in to Kill a Mockingbird Maycomb is described as a “tired old town” where the inhabitants had “nowhere to go”. Maycomb is very similar to any small southern town in the 1930’s, sexism, racism and other prejudices are at a peak, and old traditions are carried out regularly. To Kill a Mockingbird revolves solely around family, community and society, the focus point of the book, the rape trial, would not have occurred if society had not looked down upon the black community.

It is very evident that Maycomb is a small town in which there is much racism, and social status greatly determines what kind of life you will lead. The different types of social inequality are an important theme in the novel, and Harper Lee

“Calm down, miss.” Alexandra’s voice was cold. “Jean Louise, nobody in Maycomb goes to see Negroes anymore, not after they’ve been doing to us. Besides being shiftless now they look at you sometimes with open insolence, and as far as depending on them goes, why that’s out. (Page 116)

To begin with, the main way Scout, Jem, and Dill instill change in maycomb is through creating conflicts by not accepting or going along with the norm. One of the conflicts within this essay was when Jem & Scout go to Calpurnia’s colored church. While they are there one of the women in the church named Lula does not like white children being there. “ ‘You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here- they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain’t it, Miss Cal?’ ”(Lee 158). This reflects on how the Finch children were affecting the Maycomb community, not necessarily in a negative way, but in a way by injecting conflict in Maycomb because they are two white children at an all colored church on the outskirts of town. Lula does not like the Finches being there because the colored people of Calpurnia’s church feel they have been outcast and isolated by the “white folk” so that is what they