Analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, was published in 1960. The story is set in the fictional area of Maycomb County, Alabama. The story is told is told in first person and follows young Scout Finch. The novel tells the story of Scout’s father, Atticus Finch, who is the defending attorney in a court case where a black man was accused of rape. It also follows Scout’s adventures with her older brother Jem, and the mysterious Boo Radley, who saves them from danger. Scout (Jean Louise) Finch is established from the start as a benevolent tomboy. As the protagonist, she tends to be more intelligent than most assume her for, and has a childlike innocence that helps her to see the good in everyone in her community. As the novel progresses, however, Scout is exposed to the prejudice and hate thrown at her father for defending an innocent black man. This ultimately causes her to develop a more mature perspective that helps her understand that not everyone comes to see the world as she does. Her positivity comes from her father, Atticus. A level-headed man who treats his kids with maturely and patiently. This type of behavior also transfers to his …show more content…
Thus the main theme is “it is a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (103) These ‘mockingbirds’ are people who are innocent and have done nothing wrong, but are still treated wrongly. The two biggest examples being Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.Both who were wrongly thought of as criminals although they were harmless and had done nothing to that extent. Despite the still ongoing conviction of the two ‘mockingbirds’, Scout still kept her faith in humanity. In my opinion, the book presents an accurate representation of racism at the time. It also embodies many excellent lessons in morality through Atticus and his teachings. I also believe that Lee had an outstanding use of symbolism with the mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird is the story of the trial of a black man, Tom Robinson for the raping of a white woman, Mayella Ewell, in racist Alabama in the 1990’s.
Chapter 1 introduces readers to the town of Maycomb, its appearance, its inhabitants, and the particular attitudes of many of its people. Find a sentence or a paragraph which illustrates each of the following attitudes/ideas. Quote at least a portion of the sentence or paragraph and give the page number.
Jordan Kwei Mrs. Vande Gutche Honors English 10B 5/13/2024. To Kill A Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee. The book was set up in the 1960’s, in Maycomb, Alabama. It follows the memories of Jean Finch, the daughter of Atticus Finch, who is a lawyer.
Matt Berman from Common Sense Media commented, “This richly textured novel, woven from the strands of small-town life, lets readers walk in the shoes of one fully realized character after another.” To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, one of the major messages is identity. Harper Lee lets the people look into the perspectives and identity of some of the characters that make it seem very life-like. In the novel, many characters possess both admirable and dislikable qualities which are shown through their actions. With the nurturing of her father, Scout contains the charming qualities of being courage and mature for her age. The father that instilled these characteristics in Scout, is Atticus Finch. While dealing with the stressful case of Tom Robinson, Atticus maintains to keep the likable aspects of sympathy and strong will. The antagonist in this novel fighting against Tom Robinson is Bob Ewell. Bob Ewell has instilled, in him, the terrible qualities of cruelty and racism. These life-like characters that Harper Lee illustrates gives people a clear vision of who the characters portray.
Lee implies that people learn lessons through life experiences that school can ever teach. Throughout this novel, Atticus taught his kids many lessons that was hard for them to hear at times, but it later on helped them in the story. Or it helped them grow up and mature. On page 40 of To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus was explaining to Scout that Miss.Caroline was new and didn’t know anyone, and she especially didn’t know the Cunningham’s story, Atticus states, “Atticus said… but if Walter and I had put ourselves in her shoes we’d have seen it was an honest mistake on her part” (40). This quote by Atticus is meant to explain to Scout that Miss. Caroline just made an honest human mistake. He tried to get Scout to realize that if he put herself in Miss.Caroline’s shoes then she might better understand the confusion. Obviously you can’t really be in her shoes, but he said it figuratively to show her why it was important to give her another chance, or at least try to be nice and listen. Atticus taught this to Scout at home later on that night. At her school after that she tried to just get by in her class. Lee also shows mainly throughout that the school system doesn’t help when it comes to teaching children life lessons. As shown in the earlier quote Atticus, had told Scout to jump in Walter’s shoes, and walk around in it. This other quote shows how Scout actually takes into consideration of Atticus’ words, and chooses to not bother Jem because she tried to imagine what it had
Scout Finch is the narrator of the book; she is very mature in her opinions and actions. She is a tomboy, which leads her to be very competitive and to get in fights with her male classmates. However, Scout is a very good kid; she always has the best intentions for her actions. Scout's primary role model is her father, Atticus who's main concerns while raising her was for her to become an intelligent, conscientious, individual while also being innocent to the social pressures of her town as a child.
‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is a novel written by Harper Lee. It is set during the early 20th Century in the fictional town of Maycomb. Lee has decided to write the novel from a child’s point of view because a child is innocent but as the novel progresses the narrator, Scout, loses her innocence as she deals with the complications of her father being a lawyer. The novel revolves around racism and Scout sees discrimination wherever she goes whether it is racial or social prejudice. The town’s people agree with the idea that whites are superior to blacks. An example of this is when Atticus, Scout’s father, has to defend a black man who is accused of raping Bob Ewell’s daughter.
Harper lee wrote the book To Kill a Mockingbird reflecting on events throughout her childhood in an adult perspective. To Kill a Mockingbird was published in 1960, became a bestseller and won the Pulitzer Prize. In this book the theme Morality and Justification symbolize on a lot of events that happened. This book takes place in a small county Maycomb, Alabama in 1930 where everyone knows each other. Harper Lee refers to herself as Scout Finch in the book who narrates the story.
To Kill A Mockingbird is a novel written by Harper Lee and it was published in 1960. It won the Pulitzer Prize, and has become a classic of modern American literature. Taking place during the early 1930s in Maycomb, Alabama, the story is narrated by a young girl named Scout Finch and expresses the destruction of innocence while she is growing up. Amidst the corruption and nepotism in the story, there is one true hero in Scout’s life. Atticus Finch, Scout’s father, is a central hero in To Kill A Mockingbird.
In Chapter 15 of To Kill a Mockingbird,Scout’s compassionate actions eliminate the tension of the Lynch mob. Earlier Scout learns from her father to put herself in other people's shoes and see thing from their perspective so in the scene with the lynching mob she tries to apply this lesson by connecting with one of the members of the mob. Through friendly conversation she reminds the mob in an indirect way, of the humanity of the people that are not in the mob as well as how much Atticus has done for the town and its citizens. Scout uses this compassion to better situations, several other times like how she goes with jem to read to miss Dubose after he messed up her garden. Even though she doesn’t have to go she does anyway to calm Jem,she
As Stephen King once said, “The trust of the innocent is the liar’s most useful tool.” In the book "To Kill a Mockingbird", by Harper Lee, Jean Louise Finch, a young girl who also goes by Scout, experiences many things such as racism, friends, and family. Her father, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer who is sacrificing his reputation to defend a black man, Tom Robinson. Scout and her friends take it upon themselves to uncover the mystery of Boo Radley. In this book the mockingbirds represent innocence. Many characters take on the role of the “mockingbird". Exploring Lee’s title, to kill a mockingbird is to kill innocence.
The ambition of oneself to pursue justice and righteousness may result in prosecution. In the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, and movie "A Time to Kill" by Joel Schumacher, each demonstrate one’s open-mindedness and forward thinking leads to penalization through protagonists Atticus Finch and Jake Brigance. Both egalitarians take the position as an attorney for an African American and are prosecuted in the process.
"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 sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" (pg. 119.) Miss Maudie spoke the previous quote with deep thought going into each and every word. She wasn't just trying to teach Scout a lesson, but she wanted there to be a powerful meaning behind it. Miss Maudie's main purpose was to stress that you shouldn't kill something that is doing no harm. Everyday "mockingbirds" are killed, broke down, and mistreated by society.
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.
The story, in the eyes of two innocent children Scout and her brother Jem, of the discrimination and hypocrisy throughout the town. Maycomb County, Alabama, faces an African American’s injustice while the children learn valuable lessons from their father, Atticus and their housemaid Calpurnia, during the Great Depression. All the while, we are learning from it. To Kill a Mockingbird teaches us the lessons of morale, justice and equality.