In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee explores the consequences of a societal structure founded on bigotry, racism, prejudice, and the hunger for power. Lee employs a variety of literary techniques to portray the consequences of Maycomb’s errant societal structure or even social hierarchy. Thus, Lee uses 1930s Maycomb to critique and evaluate the flaws in her own 1960s America. A particular incident which is central to Lee’s underlying message is the trial of Tom Robinson. Robinson’s trial serves
Sin to Kill Tom Robinson"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. That's why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird." (90) This quote is stated by Miss Maudie, underscoring the point of view of Atticus, who is a lawyer given an uphill job of substantiating a black man's innocence who is accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewells. To Kill a Mockingbird is an inspirational
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee portrays the lives of three children, Jem Finch, Scout Finch and Dill Harris, and their experiences growing up in the 1930s south. At the beginning of the book, the three children give off the sense of innocence and are naive to the facts of their society. Major perspective changes are noticeably made to these three children as the story progresses. These alterations are mainly made by the influence of prejudice in their town Maycomb revolved around a black man
In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout Finch, the main character, goes through many situations that shape her values and her personality. Scout develops from a young, innocent girl, to a mature and morally developed young lady as she experiences important Maycomb matters, such as Tom Robinson’s trial and Maycomb’s racism. Scout learns important lessons in life from Maycomb’s prejudice and racism, which contributes to the moral development of Scout as as well as the readers. Jonathan Gottschall’s
The dictionary's definition of prejudice is, “preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience; biased.” The book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee tells the story of a small town, Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s. We follow the story of two kids, Jem and Scout Finch. Jem and Scout and the kids of Atticus, who is a lawyer in town and is on Tom Robinson's case, he is a black man that is accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. Their eyes are opened when they see the true
Harper Lee's ‘To kill a Mockingbird’ explores the prejudicial issues which plague over the town Maycomb. Harper Lee uses the trial of Tom Robinson a black man accused of rape on a young white girl, Mayella as a central theme to portray the prominence of racial discrimination in Maycomb. The racial prejudice is also widely shown through the characterisation of Atticus. Having Scout as the narrator allows Harper Lee to highlight the gender inequity through a youthful unbiased perspective. The chauvinistic
Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is recounted by Scout, who at the time was six years old. This book follows her journey in growing up and eventually losing her innocence through realising the evil in the world, mostly portrayed by the racism and prejudice surrounding her. A mockingbird is a metaphor for the destruction of innocence. There are three mockingbirds in the text: Boo Radley, Scout Finch and Tom Robinson. Boo has done nothing wrong except sit in his house and 'mind his own business'
To Kill A Mockingbird is an acclaimed novel that provides a meritorious exploration on the subject of human nature and distinctively regards several themes with great importance. Discussed through recollections from a child’s perspective, the novel provides a variety of portrayals and wholehearted messages, creating an illustration with a consequential meaning once the indications are interpreted. It is also worthwhile to acknowledge the themes that coexist within the book that are introduced through
An Analysis of Prejudice Prejudice is defined as a preconceived judgement, or as an adverse opinion formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird explores many themes, one of them being prejudice. The story takes place in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s, an era commonly remembered for the intense racism and sexism that dominated the time. To Kill a Mockingbird centers around the mystery of Arthur Radley, also known as Boo, and the trial of a black
In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates that “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” throughout the novel by writing innocent characters that have been harmed by evil. Tom Robinson’s persecution is a symbol for the death of a mockingbird. The hunters shooting the bird would in this case be the Maycomb County folk. Lee sets the time in the story in the early 1950s, when the Great Depression was going on and there was poverty everywhere. The mindset of people back then was that black