Through the Glass
What does it mean to tear apart our past for the sake of a new beginning? The answer is simple, really. It means to look through a new pair of glasses, ones that are not scratched and foggy, in order to see the world clearly. Abandon the wrongs that have plagued society and strive instead for peace and equality. The novel To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, took place during the Civil Rights Movement In the 1930’s. At the time, a lot of racism and prejudice was integrated into life as blacks became segregated from whites. Various stereotypes were formed, such as saying that blacks were dangerous, liars, and perverts, lusting for white women. In addition, they had entirely separate drinking fountains, restrooms,
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Both Jem and Scout question these narrow mindsets of the people in Maycomb and whether or not it is acceptable to judge people right from the start. Slowly, Jem and Scout choose to adapt to their father, Atticus’s, noble ways of thinking to not judge people on rumors and appearances. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee, addresses the social inequity by showing the readers that it is important to look past differences in race, reputation, and isolation and look at one another through pure, fair, and understanding eyes; only then can we finally realize what makes us equal to each other in our hearts. We should see each other for who we really are instead of believing rumors and by doing this, create a more fair society to overcome prejudice.
During chapter 12 of the story, Scout and Jem go to an African American church for the first time with their maid Calpurnia. Calpurnia lives with the Finch family at home and often acts as an influence for Scout and Jem to be more open-minded as they become more exposed to racism. When they leave the church later that day, Scout asks Calpurnia why she acts so polite around whites but talks in “her nigger-talk” when she is around other colored people. Calpurnia explains to them that often times, racism inhibits black people from expressing their true emotions:
Suppose you and Scout talked
“Human beings are poor examiners, subject to superstition, bias, prejudice, and a profound tendency to see what they want to see rather than what is really there” ~ Scott Peck. Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird abounds with the injustice produced by social, gender, and racial prejudice. The setting of the book takes place in the 1930s, where racism is a big deal in society. In the novel Harper Lee uses a mockingbird as an analogy to the characters. The Mockingbird is a symbol for Three Characters in the book, Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley. The people of Maycomb only know Boo Radley and Tom Robinson by what others say about them. These Characters are then characterized by other people 's viewpoints. In the novel there are many themes that are adjacent to our lives, the one that is found in To Kill A Mockingbird is Human Conflict comes from the inability for one to understand another. “ You never understand a person until you consider things from his point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (39)
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.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has many ongoing themes such as Walking in Someone Else 's Shoes, Social Classes, Scout 's Maturity, and Boo Radley. These themes contribute to the story in many ways.
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
Based on the first six chapter of the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, we can see that it moves at a rapid pace. It starts off as the beginning of summer and by the end of the sixth chapter an entire year has passed by. Throughout this year, we see Scout 's, Dill 's, and Jem 's adventures during the summers and Scout going to school for the first time. We also receive some additional background information on the mysterious Arthur "Boo" Radley.
In To Kill a Mockingbird by harper Lee, The story of a southern life in Maycomb during the mid-1930s you begin an exploration of human morality. Each character has morals on how to treat some one of the other race. Atticus and Bob Ewell are two characters with contrasting morals. Tom Robertson an African American male is court between both of them and is dependent the towns social morals in a court case.
Despite living in Alabama in the 1930s, Atticus Finch expects his children to treat everyone- regardless of race or class- with respect and dignity. There are many opportunities for Jem and Scout to concede to the Southern stereotypes of the 1930s, but with the guidance of Atticus and their housekeeper, Calpurnia, the children challenge the common stereotypes of the South- with some lessons learned. These stereotypes are based principally on race and social class. Several cases of these stereotypes arise throughout To Kill a Mockingbird. Many racial and social class stereotypes come out during Tom Robinson’s trial as well as during the children’s everyday lives.
Although Scout does not understand what is all happening during her childhood, Lee’s usage of her innocent and immature viewpoint express the significance of prejudice and racism between classes and races in the 1930’s time period. Scout has respectful morals; therefore, she loves Calpurnia and is not prejudice against African Americans. She attended church with Calpurnia, and even sat in the balcony with the African Americans during the Tom Robinson trial. Her morals exemplify the innocence that she has during her childhood viewpoint while also showing the wicked ways of the people in
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
Scout and Jem were taught by Atticus to respect black people and the reader sees this through the children’s relationship with their black house maid, Calpurnia. They listen to and obey Calpurnia and they treat her as if she is part of the
“‘...Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 119). After having read most of the book, I now see that this is a significant and meaningful symbol in the novel. It represents innocence, like that of Tom Robinson 's. In Harper Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird, which is based upon a true story, Tom Robinson, a man accused of rape, Scout Finch, a tomboy and lawyer’s daughter that observes occurrences in Maycomb, resists racist comments, and does not always understand things, who is also the narrator of the publication, both in a childish fashion and in an adult like fashion, and Atticus, a lawyer who is intelligent, respected and respecting, and defends Tom Robinson in his time
The power of childhood innocence reveals the true incompetence of the world around us in a brutal yet fanciful way. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee creates the unjust rape trial of Tom Robinson to shed light upon how the power of childhood innocence reveals the true racially-based corruption of the time period. Through the eyes of a child named Scout and the focus on two other child protagonists, Dill and Jean, Lee highlights the way a child views the world versus those jaded by the depravity of humanity. Harper Lee focuses upon the characterization of Scout, Dill, and Jean to present the idea that childhood innocence is blinded from the true evils of society.
Throughout the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee conveys the concept of courage through differing individual’s perspectives. In the racially segregated community of Maycomb, the existence and genuine form of valour is misinterpreted by the citizens. Audacity is associated with physical strength and will; one’s engagements and victories. However, Harper Lee explores its disparate forms through opposing individuals, defining the presence of authentic courage. Readers are exposed to several forms of courage, from individuals who acquire diverse values and beliefs. Lee discovers intellectual courage through the maturation of youthful Jem Finch’s into an adult. In the life of a principled lawyer, Atticus Finch’s moral fortitude is vividly illustrated as he continues to defy all social conventions when defending Tom Robinson. Through the eyes of a morphine addict, Lee introduces emotional courage in Mrs. Dubose’s when suppressing her unprincipled habits. By imbedding the quality of “courage” in the lives’ of various characters, Lee effectively illustrates the numerous forms of the motif ‘courage’ and its genuine definition: intellectual, social and spiritual.
The text type of To Kill a Mockingbird is a fiction novel which deals with the racism the author observed as a child in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. To Kill a Mockingbird was written by Harper Lee, who wrote her novel in a retrospective point of view. There were numerous aspects of historical, personal, cultural and social context in To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee was born on the 28th of April, 1926, in Monroeville Alabama. Monroeville was a close-knit community that has many similarities with Maycomb, which is the setting of To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee’s father was a prominent lawyer, whom she drew inspiration for the protagonists father, Atticus Finch. Among Lee’s childhood friends was Truman Capote, from whom she drew inspiration to the character Dill. These personal details help portray Harper Lee’s own childhood home, where racism and segregation was highly evident. Another example of context which helped shape To Kill a Mockingbird were the events that occurred during Harper Lee’s childhood. In 1931, when Harper Lee was five years old, nine African-American men were accused of raping two white women near Scottsboro, Alabama. After a series of lengthy, highly publicised, and often bitter trials, five of the nine men were sentenced to long term imprisonment. Many prominent lawyers and various members of the general public saw the sentences as spurious and believed that it was motivated by racial prejudice.
Harper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird during a rough period in American history, also known as the Civil Rights Movement. This plot dives into the social issues faced by African-Americans in the south, like Tom Robinson. Lee felt that the unfair treatment towards blacks were persistent, not coming to an end any time in the foreseeable future. This dark movement drove her to publish this novel hopeful that it would encourage the society to realize that the harsh racism must stop. Lee effectively fashions her characters to help further drive this point to the reader. Atticus Finch, and his children, Jem and Scout, play a pivotal role in this story. Atticus makes a very honorable name for himself, while Jem and Scout 's innocence is exposed to the real world and unacceptable behavior there is throughout society. Harper Lee eloquently portrays a theme of good overcoming evil during the Civil Rights Movement in her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, through the beliefs of Atticus ' honorable actions, Jem and Scout 's innocence, and Tom Robinson 's trial.