Justice In To Kill A Mockingbird

What are the rules by which one must treat another human being? The two most important rules are justice and fairness. By definition, justice is the act of rewarding the good and punishing the bad , while fairness is treatment without discrimination. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, an innocent man is tried, and because of his race, is determined guilty. In an utopian society, freedom and justice stand side by side. In the town of Maycomb Alabama however, cases that include racism and prejudice occur every day. However, these people are seen in the eyes of Atticus, Scout, and Jem as innocent “mockingbirds” who benefit the lives of others. There are many people in the world who take justice and fairness to heart, and treat

What is justice? Is it a fitting punishment for a crime? Or a court or officer of the law? Is it the law itself? It has many definitions and interpretations, depending on various people. Some interpret it very simply, saying that it is fairness in every situation. Others give the word more complication, saying that it is doing what is morally right and fair. Oxford Dictionary defines it as many things, including, “Just behaviour or treatment...The quality of being fair and reasonable.” Black’s Law Dictionary defines justice as, “The constant and perpetual disposition to render every man his due.” All are various meanings and interpretations of one, single, word, that has been explored in many books and novels, including one by Harper Lee. In her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the characters of Atticus and Mr. Raymond to show the meaning of true justice and how it transcends prejudicial divisions.

Through the study this term of the central text, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and related texts, films Rabbit Proof Fence by Phillip Noyce and In the Name of the Father by Jim Sheridan, my understanding of the concept of justice, or what constitutes justice, has altered considerably. We all think we know what justice is, or what it should be. In Australian colloquial terms, it is the principle of a “fair go” for everyone. In a perfect world, everyone is treated fairly. No-one is subjected to discrimination on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, sex or disability. But the reality is that the world we inhabit is far from perfect, human beings are by their very natures

Racial prejudice existed in the 1930’s and still exists today. Due to small minded, arrogant people it has come to affect millions of innocent people like a fictional character named Tom Robinson. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, racial tensions run high in Maycomb county when Atticus Finch decides to defend a black man whose name is Tom Robinson. Throughout the story Lee wants to show how racial prejudice affects judgement, facts, and stereotypes.

Atticus explains to Jem that, “...when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins,” (Lee, 252). Atticus says this because in the 1930s racism isn’t like it is today, at peace. In those days, no matter what, a white man was always considered innocent and the black man was always considered guilty, with or without proof. Atticus knows he won’t win the case because Bob Ewell is a white man and Tom Robinson is a black man, but he knows he will not win the case because of the simple

In the beginning of the novel, Scout’s belief of justice is immature. When Scout stood up for Walter about his lunch situation she got in trouble, this lead her to “catching Walter” and “rubbing his nose in the dirt.” Scout’s concept is proven here to be immature due to her fighting to settle her situations that have turned for the worst. Normally, when disastrous situations have arose they are solved in a justful manner, not by fighting individuals in an immature manner.

What would stop you from executing justice? Laziness? Biased? Judgement? Atticus had to make this very decision, would he pursue justice considering he might loose his respect from the people of Maycomb?

Throughout the world there are many examples of racism, from bullying in school to White Sepremacy organizations against colored races. In the past racism against African-Americans was not questioned or doubted because racism was the norm. In To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee a character by the name of Tom Robinson never receives justice because he was accused unlawfully with a racist jury and just being a black man is already a disadvantage which will be clearly shown why. Another reason why justice was not served was because he was killed without having a retrial. Although the man who couldn't admit his daughter fell in love with an African American was killed, justice for Tom Robinson is never served.

This is an example of fairness conflicting with justice. To give Tom a trial is just, but to have the whole court be white is unfair. On page 220 Atticus informed Jem that, "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 facts of life.”

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Racism and injustice usually coincide with each other in the world. Most forms of injustice are conceived by racism, which has derived from a long past of prejudice among humans. Racism has been found in literature for years now but it is more for education and a hope for evading racism in the future rather than for entertainment. Harper Lee shows racism in her book “To Kill A Mockingbird” by leading to the eventual death of a seemingly innocent man who was wrongfully convicted guilty by a biased jury.

Shouldn’t everyone be justified the same way? Why should someone else get different treatment than someone else? Do some people think they are better than the next, why do they think that way? The justice in To Kill A Mockingbird was corrupt and the people knew it like, Atticus Finch.

Throughout the story, Harper Lee (the author) heavily expresses the state of the justice system in Maycomb. In the book, justice is taken for granted and overlooked by the people of Maycomb. But that is not the only point stated in the book. There are many key points supporting this statement, but I’d like to discuss about some of these points scattered across the book. I’m going to discuss about how the justice system is conflicting with the protagonist’s actions as well as how easily justice can be manipulated into supporting one man’s evil intentions.

Racism in this country has been prevalent over centuries now, and still a huge hindrance in the United States of America. Racism has a huge history with scholars documenting the long illustrious reasons and root causes as to why this has become such a major topic of issue in the United States and its psychological and social obliterations in the society.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is a very revered book for students and adults alike. The book shows plenty of teachings, one such is justice. There are many cases of the novel that the main thought was about justice. In one such case at the very end of the novel is where I believe is the most obvious and blunt case of justice shows itself to the readers. It consists of Boo Radley and his actions against Bob Ewell to save the children that have a purposeful and incidental meaning to serve justice.

“To what extent do or should a suspect’s circumstances and motives excuse the commission of a crime? What are the limits of sympathy and understanding when it comes to enforcing the law? Is it really true to understand is to forgive?” Jean Louise Finch(Scout Finch), and her brother Jeremy Finch(Jem Finch), live in an old town called Maycomb County with Atticus Finch, their widowed father and respected lawyer. Every summer, Jem, Scout and their friend Dill set out to explore the notorious Boo Radley house in an attempt to get their mysterious neighbor, Arthur Boo Radley, to come out of the house. Meanwhile, Atticus Finch defends an African-American man in court(Tom Robinson) from fabricated rape accusations. In A Jury of her Peers a woman’s husband is mysteriously murdered while he is asleep. Based on an actual case in Iowa, Law Enforcement officials and key witnesses search the woman’s home to find evidence that could point to her husband’s murder, which could be the woman herself. Harper Lee brings up the theme of justice when Boo Radley murders Bob Ewell and Atticus and Heck Tate do not tell the rest of the town. Susan Glaspell brings up the theme of justice when Minnie Foster murdered her husband and her two friends cover for her. Based on the information above this proves the thesis that what Harper Lee and Susan Glaspell are saying in To Kill A Mockingbird and A Jury to her Peers is that justice is different for