The Theme Of Equality And Fairness In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, injustice is a main theme that is reflected towards many characters. To Kill a Mockingbird, is a novel written by Harper Lee and published in the nineteen-sixties. Many characters in the story are treated unfairly in society due to racial or prejudicial attitudes. Overall these characters are innocent victims of injustice. Atticus, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson are considered to be mockingbirds in the novel. A mockingbird was defined as a bird that did nothing wrong, but sang beautiful music for us to hear. These characters did nothing wrong and were treated unfairly in their town. In this different society, there are many factors that have had an influence on people’s perceptions towards others.

What is social justice? Social justice is the distribution of human rights and equality in a community. As Derrick A. Bell states, “We live in a system that espouses merit, equality, and a level playing field, but exalts those with wealth, power, and celebrity, however gained,” (Ethical Ambition: Living a Life of Meaning and Worth). Atticus Finch shows that in a society where color determines a person’s power, equality is really what matters. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the character of Atticus to reveal her ideas about social justice.

What are the rules by which one must treat another human being? The two most important rules are justice and fairness. By definition, justice is the act of rewarding the good and punishing the bad , while fairness is treatment without discrimination. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, an innocent man is tried, and because of his race, is determined guilty. In an utopian society, freedom and justice stand side by side. In the town of Maycomb Alabama however, cases that include racism and prejudice occur every day. However, these people are seen in the eyes of Atticus, Scout, and Jem as innocent “mockingbirds” who benefit the lives of others. There are many people in the world who take justice and fairness to heart, and treat

As children grow up, they open their eyes to the harsh truths in the world around them that they once did not understand or question. This is experienced by the main characters of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The story is of a girl called Scout and her older brother, Jem, who go through the trials of growing up in the fictional small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. Racism is rampant in the mindset of the townspeople, shown when the children’s lawyer father, Atticus, takes the case of an obviously innocent African-American man and they convict him in their hearts before the trial even starts. Through this all, we can see the theme of loss of innocence in the children. Lee uses characterization to portray

Injustice and judgments are well known in the world. With so many people who get out of what they deserve or are punished for nothing at all. People who are judged by how they appear or seem, and how cruel it can all be. The concept of injustice and judgments is written out in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Injustice and judgments is the theme of To Kill a Mockingbird with certain symbols that help convey it, certain examples are Mr. Raymond’s “liquor” bottle, the snowman Scout and Jem made, and the gifts from Boo Radley.

People are not born prejudiced. “It is something that is learned". It can be learned in the same way other attitudes and values are learned, primarily through association, reinforcement and modeling. For example, children may learn to associate a particular ethnic group with poverty, crime, violence and other negative things” (2006 Anti-Defamation League). Also, prejudice in “children may be reinforced by listening to derogatory ethnic jokes, especially when others laugh along or think they're cool”. Lastly, children may simply imitate the prejudices of their older family members and popular friends. Prejudice is to pre- judge. “Prejudice is a baseless and usually negative attitude toward members of a group. Common features of prejudice

Imagine a world where evil and unjust actions are based on the color of skin; a world where some don’t even realize that they are prejudicing. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, these themes are present. People and how they commit evil, hypocritical, and unjust acts. We see these themes and great issues through the point of view of a child; the vigorous, youthful, elementary-aged Scout. Through this character Harper Lee shows the innocence of children, and what they go through in our inequitable world.

'Democracy,' she said. 'Does anybody have a definition?' ... 'Equal rights for all, special privileges for none' (Lee 248).

Throughout history, people are often ranked and criticized by society. An individual's nationality, wealth and social status were closely looked over by society's eye. Thus, one's dignity would be decided based on society's opinion of them. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the theme of human dignity is portrayed by Scout, Calpurnia, and Atticus. This essay will analyze the theme of human dignity and describe how this novel proves that all people, regardless of race, social status, and family history are people of worth.

In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, many minor themes are present such as gender and age. However, the largest and therefore major theme of the book is racism. All of the events and themes in the book had only one purpose, to support the theme of racism.

Throughout the story, it is evident that the whites of Maycomb County don’t understand the blacks way. However, there has been moments where some accept these differences and realize that is doesn't make you a bad person and shows that we can be similar. Atticus constantly treacher Jerm and Scout that “You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. “ demonstrating how powerful it is to accept someone for who they are. In a time where racism is at the peak, there is nothing stronger than acceptance. Reverend sykes, calpurnia, and the majority of the black churches and community all display tolerance from the other side as well. During church, “ the men stepped back and took off their hats; the women crossed their arms at their wrists, weekday gestures of respectful attention.” This shows that they not only accepted the children, but also respected them and meant no harm. This showed how it truly was not different from their church and perhaps even more comfortable. Mr.Raymond is another man of tolerance, as he choose to live his life with a black women and live in the black community because “it’s more comfortable with them” It seems impossible or at least not likely for someone of Maycomb County to acknowledge those

“We hold these truths to be self - evident that all men are created equal, and they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” This is a famous line that Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Yet, America has failed to show social equality to every race, religion, and gender since the known article was created. Throughout the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and in society today, social equality is not demonstrated in the novel nor in the present.

In the morning of his first day in the Uncharted Forest, Equality 7-2521, realizes that he has woken up on his own for the first time in his life. The daily bell of the morning did not ring, and no one sought to wake him up. Then and there, Equality discovers himself as an individual, and not part of a whole. In that moment, he senses his past troubles, and worries are far behind him. He, for the first time in forever, is on his own.

Has America changed in regards to equality for all citizens since The Great Depression? Ethnicity, also known as racism, have been an impact in our society in the past and is probably still an impact in today’s society. As for an example, recently the Ferguson case in Ferguson, Missouri, where a black teenager, named Michael Brown, who was 18 years old was shot by a white police officer, named Darren Wilson, who is 28 years old because Brown was told to move and look at the officer, in which the police officer, Wilson, then shot him several times. To sum up if America has changed for equality, it hasn’t for the racism toward the blacks.

Inequality is a theme that runs throughout all of history. Harper Lee uses the theme of inequality in her book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Tom Robinson must deal with inequality when he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit because no one will trust a black man over a white man. The Cunningham family must face discrimination because of their lack of money. Scout even faces inequality when she tries to play with Jem and Dill. The theme of inequality is a strong one in Lee’s book, and her use of inequality doesn’t only define racism, but also discrimination based on wealth and gender.