Valentina Moreno
Mrs. Greenlee
English Honors III
01 June 2015
Independent Novel Project
To Kill A Mocking Bird
Knowledge Section
Significance of Title The title of the book is “To Kill a Mocking Bird” which is a bird that Atticus told Jem not to shoot at, and Ms. Maudie has described as the one type of bird that shouldn’t be killed because it sings beautifully (119). Also Atticus told Jem that it’s a sin to shoot a mockingbird, and so the title “To Kill A Mockingbird” means to kill innocence (119). There are several characters in the book that are often referred to be innocent. For example one innocent character that is hurt by evil is Jem, whose arm is broken by Bob Ewell. Other innocent characters are Tom Robinson, who Mr. Underwood compared Robinson’s death to a “senseless slaughter of songbirds…” on page 323, Boo Radley since on page 370 Scout tells Atticus that Boo would not have hurt anyone because thinking that he did is “like shootin’ a mockingbird,” and Dill who is abused by his new father on page 186.
Genre and Setting The genre of the story is historical fiction and the setting is the 1930’s southern America in a town called Maycomb, in Alabama. The story is narrated by Scout Finch, a young girl whose innocent heart has been exposed to the evils of southern United States in the 1930’s. This setting is vital to the plot of the summary because during that time was the great depression and racism was especially common in the south, where lynching rose from 8 in
Characters can make or break a story. The way an author uses them decides whether the book will be a good book, or if it flops instead. Some great characters are Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby, Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series, and Jem Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. Each is used in a strategic way by the author to make their story seem whole. They affect themes, plots, and overall feelings in a book. In “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Harper Lee uses the character Jem Finch to demonstrate the themes of innocence and maturity. Lee creates such a personality for him that it has shaped his role in the story. Through Jem’s trust in the goodness of people, he shows his childhood innocence, while his experiences and new understandings help him mature.
When people think of heroes, they will likely think of Superman, Spiderman, or the Hulk, but Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, has created a new hero. His name is Atticus Finch. Scout, Atticus’s daughter, says, “Our father didn’t do anything. He worked in an office, not a drug store. Atticus did not drive a dump truck for the county, he was not the sheriff, he did not farm, work in a garage, or do anything that could possibly arouse the admiration of anyone” (Lee 118). Although Scout does not consider her father to be neither youthful nor energetic, he does what all heroes do- he protects the innocent. The main theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is destroyed and preserved innocence, and without Atticus protecting the innocent, all innocence would be destroyed. Atticus embodies the theme of To Kill a Mockingbird and shows heroism by setting a good example for the children and the townspeople, giving insightful advice to his children, and protecting an innocent African American man before the civil rights era had even begun.
In today's society, courage is defined as the ability to succeed without changing who we are as a person or what we believe in hoot courage, justice is weak and society is corrupt. In Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize winning novel "To Kill a Mockingbird', courage is presented through the characters Atticus Finch and Mrs Henry Lafayette Dubose as they confront their issues and embrace life regardless of what others think. Harper Lee constructed her narrative during a time of prejudice and injustice against Black Americans; hence courage was vital to overcome the racial discrimination many faced Both Atticus and Mrs Dubose along with the crucial events in the novel teach Jean Louise Finch, as well as the audience, the significance of courage and create an understanding that courage exists in several forms, Courage is often seen as the physical bravery an individual can display in a fearful H ever, it is also when an individual knows there is no chance of winning, but continues to fight for what they believe in. Harper Lee constructs a masculine image of this type of courage through Atticus and his handling of the mad dog incident. When comparing Atticus to the other fathers in Maycomb, Jam and Scout think of him as old and feeble' though the mad dog occurrence reveals a side of him that had not yet been discovered by his children; that he was once the best marksman the town with the name of one shot Finch'. Heck Tate insists that Atticus should kill the diseased animal even though
A remarkable American soldier and author named William T. Sherman once stated, “Courage, a perfect sensibility of the measure of danger, and a mental willingness to endure It.” Going against what society says and sticking to your beliefs is an act of courage. In the realistic fiction novel, ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee, an average southern family, the Finches, fights against the racism of a small town. Harper Lee’s message is expressed by symbolism through the two characters Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, the bildungsroman of Scout, and the hero archetype of Atticus .Harper Lee portrays that courage should be shown through loyalty not popularity.
Courage, as defined by Collins Dictionary, is “the quality shown by someone who decides to do something difficult or dangerous, even though they may be afraid”. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee has created many characters who exhibit such courage, even in the face of adversity, and develops this into a major theme. Atticus Finch, Arthur Radley, and other members of the Finch household and Maycomb community, display amazing courage in the things they say, but more importantly in the way they act. These characters all contribute to the novel’s theme of showing courage through adversity.
Courage is the ability to do something that frightens someone, it is what makes ordinary people extraordinary. The strength in the face of pain or grief, but most importantly “Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and, see it throughout no matter what”- Harper Lee. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, the theme of courage is well shown throughout. In a small town of Maycomb, Alabama, Jem and Scout experience growing up in an unfair world affected with racism. Atticus is the town’s finest lawyer, having two children Jem and Scout who show courage with one another and towards each other. Boo Radley is known as an evil person in the town. Harper Lee displays courage as standing up for what one believes in, even when it means getting into trouble. The display of courage in To Kill a Mockingbird is shown through many of the main characters such as Atticus Finch, Boo Radley and Jem and Scout
To kill a mockingbird written by Harper Lee. Themes are the subject of a talk, a piece of writing or a person's thoughts. There are many themes present in this great American classic such as courage, racism, prejudice, morality and of course coming of age. Lee communicates these themes with characters, events that unfold and the scenarios that Jem and Scout have to face.
Childhood years are a very impressionable time. This is no different for the fictional characters Scout and Jem Finch. Growing up in southern Alabama, they learned many lessons from the people around them and the circumstances they faced. Some of these important lessons learned are courage, empathy, and prejudice.
In the novel ‘to kill a mockingbird’ Atticus Finch is seen as the true hero of the story, but is this necessarily true?
Writer Oscar Wilde once said “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life” Novels are often prime examples of life imitating art, in many novels a reader can draw a parallel between the novel and their lives. This comparison becomes even more astounding when themes found in everyday life and modern culture can be found in novels written over 60 years ago. A prime example of this is in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. The novel tells the story of Jem and Scout Finch two children who are forced to grow up and face the harsh realities of the world when their dad is chosen to represent a man in one of the biggest cases their small town of Maycomb, Alabama has ever seen. The themes present in To Kill A Mockingbird were relevant when the novel was written and are still relevant today. Themes such as Prejudice, Love and coming of age are present in To Kill A Mockingbird and can still be found today through other novels or just simply through other people's experiences.
“I wanted you to see something about her—I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.” (112). Atticus emphasizes to his kids. Harper Lee, who wrote To Kill A MockingBird, writes about a black man raping a white woman while Atticus Finch, father of Scout (Jean Louise) and Jem, defends the black man in court. In the coming of age scene where Atticus stands up to the men at the jail, Scout comes of age as she begins to understand courage. The theme of courage is developed by Lee’s use of characterization and point-of-view in the novel.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place in Maycomb, Alabama in 1903. This novel is basically a coming of age story for a young girl named Scout and her older brother named Jem. Who grows up in a time where racism is normal. They soon learn to stand up for what is right, just like their dad, Atticus.
In the Pulitzer Prize winning novel,To Kill a Mockingbird, world reknowned author Harper Lee uses Atticus,a dedicated lawyer and father to the Finch children to develop multiple signficant themes throughout the book.Atticus,a morally upright character,is one of the only charecters in the book to believe in racial equality,he sets an example to follow for the extremly prejiduce South.
The circumstances in which Violet and Finch met can be classified as many things, but mostly fate. When the two disband from the bell tower, rumors spread about who saved who. As Violet is living life, happy to be off the roads and out of work, Finch is trying to stay awake. A project arises where Violet and Finch have to team up to travel the dusty, barren landscapes of Indiana, and find incredible miracles in their plain, middle-of-nowhere
The idea of mockingbirds in this text carries great symbolic weight, mockingbirds are considered the innocents in the novel. It is considered a sin to kill a mockingbird, which symbolizes the destruction innocence. Tom Robinson, Arthur “Boo” Radley, Jem and Mr. Raymond can all be identified as mockingbirds - innocents who have been injured or destroyed through contact with evil.