One of the major masterpieces of American literature, To Kill A Mockingbird, author Harper Lee captures the social climate of the 1930s in the fictional small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama during the depths of the Great Depression. All members of Maycomb are confronted, at one time or another, by their community’s beliefs about race, gender, and class and must decide where their moral beliefs stand. Six-year-old Jean Louise "Scout" Finch narrates the story. Having mature tremendously, notwithstanding the rules of etiquette in her community, Scout expresses her attitudes and sees the injustice in her elders. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout’s, identity is primarily influenced by race and gender indicating what we realize about Maycomb society in terms of gender, race, and class.
Scout’s identity is shaped by race because she has encounter numerous experiences and lessons learned dealing with prejudice. Atticus leaves for a business trip, Calpurnia is left to watch after the Jem and Scout. On this Sunday in which Atticus is not home, Calpurnia chooses to take Scout and Jem to her church, First Purchase. In this experience to a “black church” for the first time Scout, Jem and Calpurnia are confronted by Lula, an African American woman confronts on Calpurnia bringing Scout and Jem into the black church, “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?’ Calpurnia said, ‘It’s the same God, ain’t
We live in a society where African Americans used to be treated with no respect. What if you had to experience the same things that they dealt with? They faced racial discrimination and injustice in court. Mostly in the Jim Crow South, certain groups of white people during this time made it impossible for African Americans to receive justice. Even if they were innocent, blacks could be brutally punished and were subjugated by violence. In court whites would generally win even if they did not have any strong evidence to support their arguments. Especially in the south, during the 1930s, African Americans had little value and basically no legal status in society. They were meant to be treated like animals and, generally, many people believed that whites were always superior to blacks.
The word courage is defined as “The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc, without fear.” In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch strongly demonstrates courage though his words and actions. He defends Tom Robinson even though doing this he puts his family at risk for discrimination due to the prejudice and racial inequity in Maycomb. In addition, Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley displays courage as he reveals himself to those who were around him such as the children after being shut away from the rumors that surround him from the people of Maycomb. Arthur displays courage as he attempts to communicate with Jem and Scout. Finally, Miss Maudie, portrays courage as she watches her house
In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee creates an amazing story, but there is one thing that is controversial in the book: Did Atticus do the right thing by taking on Tom’s case? In the book, Tom Robinson, who was a black man, was wrongly accused by Bob Ewell for raping Ewell’s daughter, and Atticus, a lawyer, decides to take on the case in a Maycomb, which was a very racist town. Bob Ewell, who is mad when Atticus makes a fool of him, goes after, and hurts, Atticus’s kids. So, the question is, did Atticus do the right thing by taking on the case, and by doing so, put his kids in danger? Most likely, the answer is yes, even though he put his kids in harm 's way, he still did the right thing, since his kids only came out of the experience with mild injuries, but a lot of knowledge and experience about how to live in the racist town of Maycomb.
Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. Jean Louise Finch, nicknamed Scout, recalls her experiences as a six-year-old from an adult perspective, describing the circumstances involving her father Atticus and his legal defense of Tom Robinson, a local African American male falsely accused of raping a white woman. This novel takes readers to the roots of human behavior and challenges the racial prejudices shown to colored folks in Maycomb, by integrating Robinson’s court case into to the plot. Atticus Finch is one of the few residents of Maycomb committed to racial equality, and with his strong convictions, wisdom, and
‘“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-…-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”’(Lee 33). Said by Atticus Finch, this is perhaps the most important line from the book because it makes Scout Finch become who she becomes. Throughout the plot of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout Finch’s views and understanding of the society that surrounds her changes very drastically. Her understanding of the good and evil in society evolves the most, due to the teachings of Atticus Finch. In the beginning of the book, Scout Finch was what every child once was; innocent and simple. As the book progressed, she became aware that life was a complex and confusing world, and she struggled to
People, especially children, often make mistakes that will either lead to great or undesirable outcomes. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the children make several mistakes that help them mature. Firstly, the children learn how courage is more than just physical strength. Likewise, they learn that if you judge someone by their race, you will never understand their true inner character. Finally, they learn that in order to understand someone, you must understand what experiences they have been through and what they are currently experiencing. Therefore, the children’s early mistakes in judgement teach them valuable lessons, which help them make more mature decisions later on.
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.
In the novel of To Kill a Mockingbird, we learn about the Finch family and also a few other characters that all play pivotal roles in how the story plays out. Scout, the main protagonist in the story, learns about a character named “Boo” Radley from her friend Dill. Scout, Dill, and her brother Jem set out to lure Boo Radley out of hiding and into the open. All of the rumors consisted of grotesque descriptions describing the facial features of Boo. They were trying to get the monster out of the dark. Through the time they are investigating Boo, they find that Boo has been leaving them presents in a hole in a tree on Boo Radley’s property. The children get a little out of hand when they begin to act out the story of Boo Radley. Atticus
In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by harper lee, the setting is based on a little town, Maycomb, as scout grows up she sees the changes in her society, role of women, and courage. Scout learns more about the world as she grows up and she starts to see the discrimination between the blacks and the whites. Scout hears a lot about Boo Radley but never sees him. She knows how her society is bad from the day Tom Robinson’s trial and from all the rumours that were made of Boo Radley.
To Kill a Mockingbird is concentrated on showing a child’s point of view in a time where many events were happening like the Crow Laws, Great Depression and very much segregation. Scout goes through this time frame believing that everyone is equal and should get equal opportunities. Even through the hard times like Tom Robinson’s case she keeps moving with a positive attitude that everyone is people ,not labeled black or white just people. This would be told very differently if told by Atticus because it is a much more mature viewpoint of Mr. Bob Ewell that doesn’t believe in equality, These events have definitely impacted how Scout tells the story and the parts that are incorporated into the story to show the impact Civil Rights leaders
Everyone grows up hearing elders saying how “back in their day”, things were done differently. Although it often makes people roll their eyes when they hear that saying, it tends to be true. Each generation has its own pros and cons, and each time period is unlike the previous one. This is especially true for the 1930s, where discrimination was at its peak since the Civil War, and the majority of the United States was in extreme poverty. This sets the scene for the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, where the young narrator, Scout, tells the events that happen in the small town of Maycomb. The plot of the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, has a more profound effect since it is set in the 1930s.
“Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” ~ Atticus Finch. Atticus, a major character in Harper Lee 's classic novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” says this after giving the children rifles. Atticus indicates they can shoot at any kind of bird besides the mockingbird, because unlike other birds who will eat peoples plants and ruin their gardens, the mockingbird will just sing. The mockingbird exemplifies one who is weak, or defenseless. To kill a mockingbird is equivalent to one who takes advantage of any who are weak. “To Kill a Mockingbird”, written by Harper Lee, is often considered a direct influence from her own life in 1936.Published July 11th, 1960, Lee was 30 years old. She died February 19, 2016 at 89 years old.
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, was published in 1960 and is read by ninth graders all across the country because of its Pulitzer-Prize-winning writing. To Kill a Mockingbird parallels Harper Lee’s life in the sense that like the main character, her father was a lawyer and she had a best friend similar to the one of her main characters. She used this real life experience to tell the fictional story of Scout, a young girl living in the prejudiced community of Maycomb, Alabama. Scout and her brother, Jem, encounter a young boy, Dill, and quickly befriend him. They become interested in the suspicious story of Boo Radley and his family. However, the story’s plot is centered around her
In a book “to kill a mockingbird,” which was written by Harper Lee. the main character in the book was Atticus Finch, who is a lawyer in Maycomb, Alabama. he has two children, who are Scout and Jem. the symbol of Mockingbird in the book title and the story related to the innocent and oppressed people, which the people judge them without knowing them right, in another world take advantage of someone weaker than you. there are many Mockingbirds in the book, but I want to focus on the most Mockingbirds who are Tom Robinson and Boo Radley in this essay.