Theme Of Corruption In To Kill A Mockingbird

Miss Maudie's nut grass is a representation of how bits of gossip in Maycomb District are effortlessly spread, gossip is heard by practically every citizen, it seems. "If she found a block of nut grass in her yard, it was like the second Battle of the Marne: she swooped down upon it with a poisonous substance she said was so powerful it'd kill us all if we didn't stand out of the way."( To kill a mockingbird 47) "Why, one spring of nut grass can ruin a whole yard. Look here. When it comes fall this dries up & the wind blows it all over Maycomb county!"( To kill a mockingbird 47).The nut grass is, for the most part, coordinated towards how the town sees Boo Radley, as many rumors circulate around the house of the Radley's in general. Nobody seems to really know Boo Radley, so stories continue on and on until people like the Finch's can venture into Arthur Radley's shoes, in a manner of speaking. The knothole symbolizes the entrance of correspondence between Boo, Scout, and Jem. It furnishes Boo with a ‘window' into their life. They communicate only through the knothole. The soap children symbolize the purity and virtue that Boo finds in Scout and Jem which demonstrates that Boo knows more about Scout and Jem then they think. The tarnished medal represents Boo's childish side. Boo's way of bragging to the children to pick up their regard and to motivate them to identify with him. The pocket watch that wouldn't run symbolizes how time halted for Boo since his youth was stolen,

It is very evident that Maycomb is a small town in which there is much racism, and social status greatly determines what kind of life you will lead. The different types of social inequality are an important theme in the novel, and Harper Lee

Everything stays within the town. Generations of families would have to have lived in Maycomb for quite some time before being considered to be a part of the town. By staying within the family and living its history it requires the new generation of family to take on outdated patterns of thoughts and lifestyle. Their system and norms become relevant and necessary in order to continue to keep alive the family legacy. This gives power to the people of Maycomb as Atticus stated, "You never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." The power structures and institutions are not interested in individual feelings and experiences, only interested in their own motivations of keeping their controlled world they want and need. The towns people need to protect their status quo causing the newer times and generation to challenge the powers that be. Being outdated leads to the power of choice for better or for worse. In the movie, the only way the Mayor and city were liberated is when the Mayor's skin changed to color and he had to literally "walk around in it." We see Scout retell the story in “To Kill a Mockingbird” from an adults perspective. Just as retelling a story in history from a “readers’” perspective. Passed down through people and told as stories today. Also just as reactions to MLK’s “I Have A Dream” speech, the new

In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, the town of Maycomb is suffering through the Great

Maycomb was a slow poor town. Harper Lee made it seem like this was a town full of nothing, people move slow and just mumbled around everywhere. At this time everyone was struggling with the great depression and racism colored people were referred to as niggers because people didn't know better they thought it was weird that they weren't the same as everyone else and i think that scared them. Maycomb county had nothing to fear but itself (pg7). Kids didn't go to school back then they had to stay home and help their families survive the long summer days on the farm. Most kids went to school the first day so the sheriff wouldn't come to the front door of their homes. But that is the setting of Maycomb county. My name is Dawson Creasey and im currently reading To Kill A Mockingbird. I think it’s a wonderful adventure book and you can learn many things from

What is justice? Is it a fitting punishment for a crime? Or a court or officer of the law? Is it the law itself? It has many definitions and interpretations, depending on various people. Some interpret it very simply, saying that it is fairness in every situation. Others give the word more complication, saying that it is doing what is morally right and fair. Oxford Dictionary defines it as many things, including, “Just behaviour or treatment...The quality of being fair and reasonable.” Black’s Law Dictionary defines justice as, “The constant and perpetual disposition to render every man his due.” All are various meanings and interpretations of one, single, word, that has been explored in many books and novels, including one by Harper Lee. In her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the characters of Atticus and Mr. Raymond to show the meaning of true justice and how it transcends prejudicial divisions.

Maycomb was a small town like many others in the south following The Great Depression. Times were very troubling during this period. All Americans were suffering, but many believe that southerners had it the worst. The south had barely gotten back on its feet following the civil war. There were certainly still too many prejudices against African Americans. However, southern blacks were beginning to own their own farms and businesses. Things were looking up in the south during the roaring 20’s until the stock market crash of 1929. Following the depression, in the mid 1930s, Maycomb was a tired old town. There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with. Not much to see here at all.

Boo Radley is labeled an outcast and an outsider by the society of Maycomb because of the rumors and myths that have surrounded him through the years of being confined to his brother’s home. For over twenty-five years, Boo Radley has been restricted to the indoor limits of the Radley house suppressing him further from the Maycomb community. Arthur “Boo” Radley was a troublesome child who sadly continued to make wrong choices once he became

Discuss Harper Lee’s Presentation of Maycomb Society in to Kill a Mockingbird Maycomb is described as a “tired old town” where the inhabitants had “nowhere to go”. Maycomb is very similar to any small southern town in the 1930’s, sexism, racism and other prejudices are at a peak, and old traditions are carried out regularly. To Kill a Mockingbird revolves solely around family, community and society, the focus point of the book, the rape trial, would not have occurred if society had not looked down upon the black community.

The characters in, To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel by Harper Lee, often use prejudice against people of controversial issues. Many of the townspeople of Maycomb use prejudice on the families who are on the less wealthy end of the spectrum. Issues are still displayed because of the racial prejudice used against African Americans and those of other races. Lastly, gender is a clear issue in Maycomb because of women’s and girl’s rights and lack of respect towards them because they are female. All of the types of prejudice show that Maycomb has many problems all throughout the town between other families and townspeople.

Page 127 of “To Kill a Mockingbird” is at a superficial level a passage about the main character’s father killing a dog that has rabies. However, by looking beneath the surface, we see Harper Lee conveying a sense of non-conformity against one specific social norm.

Southern Gothic is classic genre, with themes like coming of age and outcasts. In To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, it consists of the large variety of themes, such as the power of manipulation. Since manipulation is a powerful topic, many authors include manipulation in their stories, as victims of manipulation are prejudged. Common characters in this book utilized by society are Boo Radley and Adolphus Raymond. Tom Robinson is a colored man; therefore, he is different around whites. Boo, Adolphus, and Tom are victims of prejudice for not following stereotypical roles in a hypocritical town. Judged by something that is odd to the town, as disappearance, marriage, and color. With that, it becomes obvious that the town is a

Life is like a thrill ride; one never knows what will be in store for them. Many characters in the story To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee feel the same way about life, having experienced many surprising and unexpected turns of events. This story is about a sleepy southern town filled with prejudice, and a lawyer’s quest, along with his children Scout and Jem, to take steps in ridding the town of its prejudiced attitude. Despite being a white man, a lawyer named Atticus, defends an innocent black man accused of raping a white woman. However, everything does not go as was hoped, and the mindset of the society overpowered Atticus’s fair-minded argument. From this emerges a theme regarding the bigotry and bias overwhelming Maycomb: A

A small city nestled in the state of Alabama, Maycomb has got its faults, just like any other place in the world, but one of its main faults or (pg.88) “Maycomb's usual disease,” as Atticus calls it in the book is prejudice.

Maycomb represents a typical old southern town. Not many people move into Maycomb and not many people who live there journey beyond its boundaries. As a result, the opinions held by many of the citizens of Maycomb are left to grow and foster in the same families for many generations. The circumstances in Maycomb are less than ideal for generating change and more prone to sustaining traditionally accepted codes. Two codes embedded within southern social beliefs are class and race.