Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has been banned and/or challenged over thirty times since its publication in 1960. Effectively preventing many students from enjoying the novel and benefitting from its message. To ignore racism is no different than denying it ever existed. To Kill a Mockingbird is appropriate for mature adolescence/students and should not be banned from schools. Despite its sexual related content, or profanity, a valuable lesson remains that should be taught to students.

Harper Lee’s novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” is set in a small, southern town, Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The story is told through the eyes of a girl named Scout about her father, Atticus, an attorney who strives to prove the innocence of a black man named Tom Robinson, who was accused of rape and Boo Radley, an enigmatic neighbor who saves Scout and her brother Jem from being killed. Atticus does his job in proving there was no way that Tom Robinson was guilty during his trial, but despite Tom Robinson’s obvious innocence, he is convicted of rape as it is his word against a white woman’s. Believing a “black man’s word” seemed absurd as segregation was a very integrated part of life in the south. The social hierarchy must be maintained at all costs and if something in the system should testify the innocence of a black man against a white woman’s word and win then what might happen next? Along with the prejudice amongst blacks and whites, the story also showed how people could be misunderstood for who they truly are such as Boo Radley. Without ever seeing Boo, Jem and the townsfolk made wild assumptions on what Boo does or looks like. Even so, while “To Kill a Mockingbird” shows the ugliness that can come from judging others, its ultimate message is that great good can result when one defers judgement until considering things from another person’s view. Walter Cunningham, Mrs. Dubose, and Boo Radley are all examples of how looking at things

Everyday, people of all ages lose their innocence and develop morally through their daily experiences. Children deal with mishaps on the playground, conflicts with friends and family, and trouble in school. Similarly, Adults deal with conflicts within their own families, problems at work, and the loss of a loved one. In each situation, the person is learning important lessons that impact the way a person thinks, acts, approaches situations, and treats others. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Jem loses his innocence and grows morally through his daily experiences in three stages of understanding in Maycomb, Alabama.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, losing one's innocence is a major factor in shaping each of the characters personalities and beliefs in the story. By looking at The Inevitably of the Loss of Innocence, we can see that as each of the characters are growing up, they get more shocked by the reality of the harsh world because they have not yet learned hatred in their peers and community and because of the realization that not everybody is kind and has good morals. This is important because Lee displays this theme in the story by creating conflicts such as Tom Robinson's trial and the children's reaction to the verdict. Lee uses characterization for Boo Radley by giving the audience an overview about people's view on him and the horrifying

He takes the case solely because of his belief that “...whenever a white man [cheats] 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”(295). Atticus’s quote highlights his views that all people no matter what race, no matter how wealthy should be treated equally. Atticus’ dealing with Tom Robinson, who Scout seems to think of as less is very important to Scout learning empathy. Atticus shows that if he had thought of Tom as inferior and not worthy of his time, Atticus would have never shaken the racism that the Maycomb community and white men of his time attempt to engrave in him. By seeing Atticus take the case and fighting his “heart out” for Tom, Scout learns that she should never just follow the “crowd” and not be racist. When Atticus first takes the case Scout is curious as to why he would defend a man that the whole town thinks of as inferior. Scout asks: “If you shouldn’t be defendin him, then why are you doin’ it?...The main [reason] is, if I didn’t I couldn't hold my head up in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again(100). Atticus’ quote is a great demonstration of his strong morals and character. Atticus seems to believe that his whole town knows that it was Bob Ewell who raped Mayella Ewell, and that deep, deep down they think that it is the right

“Everybody sees what you appear to be ... few people know who you really are.” This saying illustrates that if you appear one way, no one can see who you really are inside. When someone appears one way, you do not really get to know them but when they truly become themselves you can really see who they are and not just who they appear to be. However, they may only reveal their true selves to some people and keep acting like a different person to everyone else, or keep everything to themselves and do not show anyone their true self. Dolphus Raymond, Boo Radley and Atticus Finch in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, all show themselves in a different way. Dolphus reveals himself to Scout and Dill during the trial at the court.

In the courtroom, where the jury is deciding who is truly guilty of beating Mayella Ewell, Scout begins to change her viewpoint and views the case from an adult’s perspective. In the early stages of the trial, Atticus Finch is having a conversation with his brother, Jack, involving the negativity to come. He says, "It couldn 't be worse, Jack. The only thing we 've got is a black man 's word against the Ewells’” (100). The entire town assumes Tom Robinson beat Mayella simply based on the color of his skin. Maycomb is filled with racism; it runs through the town’s veins. However, Scout chooses to look beyond the given facts and discover the truth. Alongside her brother, she decides to dig deeper into the case after meeting Dolphus Raymond. The man inspires her to never give up and keep fighting for what she believes in. Later on, Scout and her friends hear the news concerning the trial. Bob Ewell, Mayella’s father, proves to be the culprit, but Robinson is found guilty. Scout’s opinion on racism evolves during the trial, and she learns that the world is not as perfect as children assume it to be.

In, To Kill A Mockingbird, all the children have an innocent frame of mind when it comes to their views of the world. They seem to believe that everyone in the world is equal and that the color of your skin shouldn’t matter. On the other hand, as seen in the book, the innocence was soon lost as they discover all the evils that are within this world.

The main characters of both, Reginald Rose’s play 12 Angry Men and Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, stand up for what is right even in the face of opposition. 12 Angry Men focuses on a jury 's deliberations concerning a homicide trial of which the accused, a sixteen-year-old boy, will be sentenced to death if found guilty. To Kill A mockingbird, on the other hand, is narrated by a six-year-old girl named Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch who lives in the southern American town of Maycomb. The plot primarily revolves around her father, the attorney Atticus Finch, striving to prove the innocence of a black man unjustly accused of rape, to a town steeped in prejudice. Throughout both narratives, the main characters, Juror Eight in Rose’s play and Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s novel, display similar characteristics and stand up for what they believe is right. They share many character traits and emphasise justice. Although they are both are confronted by disapproval, they manage to resist external influences with grace, though their methods may diverge at times. Ultimately both defend the accused of their respective trials, even though it is an unpopular and degraded position in the eyes of their fellows.

Not only have the adult characters in the book To Kill A Mockingbird set a solid ground of good morals and beliefs for the children in the book but also young readers decades later. Children are often influenced by adults in their life whether it has been a positive or negative moral aspect. Children often receive advice and encouragement from their guardians or adult figures. In author; Harper Lee 's novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, readers observe three parents who have influenced their children heavily, in this essay readers will look further into Atticus Finch, Mr. Radley and Bob Ewell.

Everyone is biased. That is the truth that no one can deny. However, it is how we react to the biases fed to us by society that truly exemplifies how much sympathy, compassion and intelligence we possess. Scout, the protagonist of Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”, lived in Maycomb County, Alabama as a child. Maycomb’s predominantly Caucasian populace always trusted the words of the trashiest white man above the words of the kindest black man. Scout bluntly states to her older brother, Jem, that, “I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks” (Lee 304). She believes that whether they are black or white, rich or poor, people are all people and they are created equal. Scout displayed multiple times throughout the book that she did not agree with the townspeople on the subjects of race and class; she befriended individuals that were of lower status, she was raised and influenced by people who also disagreed with the townspeople, and she trusted African Americans.

Imagine making 95 cents a week, and not even being able to use the bathroom that everyone else uses. At this time period black people were treated like dirt, and they were basically slaves that did whatever a white person said. Well this is exactly what

The ability to learn a lesson is one of the most valuable capabilities a human being possesses. As Vernon Law once said; “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward”. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, the children learn extremely beneficial lessons through their experiences that are relevant throughout the course of the story. First of all, the children learn it is inappropriate to base an opinion on someone without taking the time to get to know them. Next, Jem and Scout are educated about the socio-economic situation, and the different types of wealth classes in Maycomb. Finally, the duo find out they should take caution when they complete an action, as all actions have a consequence. Through their interactions with others, the children learn valuable lessons that they relate to new experiences.

One of many themes that is evidently present throughout the book is prejudice. The main action is of Atticus defending the innocent ‘Tom Robinson’ who is falsely accused of the rape of a white girl. Tom is discriminated because of the colour of his skin and 99% of the population of Maycomb see nothing wrong with thinking in this way. All except the Finches really. Being

The 1960’s text To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a classic novel in modern American literature. In the novel Lee addresses many key issues in our past society but many of those are still occurring today such as racism, inhumanity, violence, gender inequality and justice. The story is told through the eyes of a 6 year old girl, Scout Finch. Scout lives with her father, Atticus, a lawyer; her older brother Jem; and their Negro cook, Calpurnia. Lee uses Scout to express the story in a way that allows the reader to connect with the story. The audience becomes close to Scout. Her innocence, loyalty and forgiveness of the world’s injustices make her character endearing and easy to relate too. Lee uses Scout to view the text in a relatable way. This is an effective way to draw the reader to this novel.