Similarities Between Good And Evil In To Kill A Mockingbird

The novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee talks about the childhood of the protagonist Jean Louis Finch (Scout) as she grows up in the fictional county of Maycomb in Alabama. Soon after, Scout’s father, Atticus, gets a case of a black man falsely accused of rape, as Scout and her brother, Jem, bear witness to the case as they finally come to realize the prejudice and stereotyping in their own county. Stereotypes are destructive and prevent or discourage individual growth because it can cause violence and harm, it can create barriers within a society and it can change one’s views about something.

Even though this innocent would most likely represent Tom Robinson, another good person to represent a mockingbird would be Boo Radley. Boo Radley was found out to be an innocent person as the story continued, even though thought to be a crazy person at the beginning. This character Boo Radley, appearing only in some situations, helps develop the theme in this novel of not judging a book by its cover. Boo helps develop this theme because of the rumors that sound very odd and silly about him that were said by some of the people in the town of Maycomb. He also shows that since his name has a negative connotation, it is assumed he is a bad person, but in reality, it’s the opposite. After saving the children from the murderous Bob Ewell, they realized Boo wasn’t crazy and looked like a monster, but he was actually a kind, innocent, and friendly

Racism has the power to change anybody’s life. Jem Finch is a young teen character from To Kill a Mockingbird who longed for the warm summer days when he could just play on the lawn and not care about the future. However, as the novel progresses, it becomes clear that he cannot just play around when he knows what is going on around him and what is happening to the black community of Maycomb, Alabama. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a success in the world of literature. Set in the 1930’s down south where racism was rampant, Harper Lee shows us the challenges of growing up in a community of inequality through the characters Jem and Scout Finch. Jem is older than Scout by 3 years so he understands how serious the nature of racism is and

The world we live in contains people, people that are evil. Within the world throughout history and even today people show themselves to be more good than evil. In To Kill A Mockingbird, The Emmett Till trial, and the recent rape/sexual battery and other sex acts against 4 teenage girls in Mentor, Ohio the evil prevails. People have been treated like property since the world began. The world can not be trusted to be full of good. People are more evil than good.

When being morally courageous you have the ability to overcome barriers created by society and others. One fictional character who demonstrates moral courage is Atticus Finch. Atticus welcomes Walter Cunningham into his home for that night’s supper as he would any other house guest. He does not treat him differently just because he comes from a financially struggling family. Atticus respects Walter for who he is and does not let their differences get in the way. As a result of Atticus’s equal treatment to all, he engages in conversations as he would with any other adult. “While Walter piled food on his plate, he and Atticus talked like two men to the wonderment of Jem and me. Atticus was expounding on farm problems” (Lee, 27). One of the most important characteristics of morally courageous person is that they remain with their beliefs despite consequences. In this case, treating all maycomb members equally including the cunninghams is a small act that shows much morality. Atticus puts aside what maycomb county members think about the cunninghams such as walter, but treats him like any other adult maycomb county member. Atticus’s behaviour in conversations, help reflect his primary character trait, such as

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.

Citizens in Maycomb show heroism and the good in themselves by helping others. Atticus is doing the good by defending Tom Robinson when most were against him. Scout asks him why he is on Tom’s side, and he replies, “I’m simply defending a Negro- his name’s Tom Robinson. He lives in that little settlement beyond the town dump. He’s a member of Calpurnia’s church, and Cal knows his family well. She says they’re clean-living folks.”(Lee, 100) Atticus believes that everyone is created equal and that everyone deserves a chance. People were making fun of his family because it was not normal in this time to do this. Atticus showed courage and hope when he stood up for Tom Robinson.

Humans can be rational and generally wonderful people. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird we see this in one of the main characters Atticus Finch. Atticus plays into a lot of the book. He not only plays a huge part in Scout’s coming of age but also in tolerance vs. intolerance and justice vs. injustice.

Maturity often goes hand in hand with change. Whether it is just growing up or learning from one’s mistakes, change brings new perspective that helps people for the better. The main characters in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird go through a series of such changes throughout the story such as losing their innocence, growing up, and coming to the realization of their town’s unfair prejudices. The transition from being innocent and oblivious to more mature and aware is extremely evident in several identities in the novel. The novel approaches the question of whether or not the people of Maycomb need some change and new perspective by dramatizing Scout, Jem, and Dill’s transition from a perspective of childhood innocence.

To Kill A Mockingbird is a universally beloved book that perfectly encapsulates being a child and growing up in the south. Though the times have changed, many of the experiences that Scout and Jem have are shared by children today, from an overactive imagination to playing with the neighborhood kids during the summer to a universal dislike of school shared by most young children. Not everything in TKAM is pretty; though Maycomb might seem like a sweet innocent town from the outside, on the inside however, anger, hatred, and racism run rampant. The town where everyone goes to church sunday is the same town that formed a lynch mob and would have killed Tom Robinson had it not been for Atticus and Scout. Race relations and social justice take

The main concept of good and evil is extremely prominent in 'To Kill a Mockingbird', as well as the real world today. Many are faced with the challenge of determining what "side" they occupy in certain situations or beliefs, such as when the men and women of Maycomb County are faced with the topic of racism during Tom Robinson's trial in the mid 1930's. Like most concepts, philosophies, and situations, there is always the "gray" area. When we focus on good and evil, we tend to only look at the absolute good and absolute evil, when, in turn, there is also neutral good and neutral evil. These aren't looked at as much because we tend to ignore the gray areas of every aspect in life unless we are forced to see it, and in 'To Kill a Mockingbird', we are.

Tom Robinson is a black man accused of beating and raping a white woman. He’s an innocent man voted guilty by a jury of people who know no other way than being prejudiced and racist towards people of color. Tom is brought to court by Mayella Ewell, who isn’t completely innocent, but nor is she completely guilty. She lies to the people and says that Tom was the one who beat her and took advantage of her, when in reality she was just covering up her father’s crime to save herself from more beatings of his (178). The jury

What can one say about the relationship between good and evil? It is the coexistence of what is pure and innocent and what is dark and vile. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the thin line of this theme is shown throughout the novel and is hard to miss. Such as, when Boo protects Scout from a fire and Bob Ewell, mockingbirds as a symbol of purity and innocence, and Atticus defending Tom as a black man in a predominately white community.

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is a story that revolves around a small family of three; Atticus Finch, a lawyer, and his two children, Scout and Jem. It tells a dramatic story of racism, wisdom and values. The book shows this by exaggerating Scout and Jem’s transition from a perception of a childlike innocence, in which they assume that all people are good because they have never come across real evil. Real evil in the book is prejudiced, racist and cruel to both Tom Robinson and Arthur Radley, which

To Kill A Mockingbird explores human morality, showing individuals inherent perception of good and evil. Atticus Finch, father of Scout and Finch, is a strong believer that good will usually prevail when people contain aspects of both good and evil. Atticus is evidence of inherent good, and attempts to instill this in a troubled and corrupt town filled with racism and drug fueled violence. He works to defend Tom Robinson, and an innocent black man accused of