To Kill A Mockingbird: A Timeless Classic

To have courage is to be brave in the face of adversity. After the death of Mrs Dubose, Atticus uses the fact to show Jem how she had influenced him in her lifetime. When Jem returns from tearing up Mrs Dubose’s camellias in a fit of rage, Atticus sends him straight back over to apologize to the old lady for his actions. In return to her for his mistakes, Jem was to make it up to her, by coming over and reading to her everyday for a month. As Jem makes his way through the long days, he finds it very hard to cope.

An event in the novel in which courage is displayed is when Mrs Dubose fights to overcome her morphine addiction. Her decision to quit morphine despite the pain it would cause her to do what she thought was the right thing to do was very brave of her. "when you’re as sick as she was, it’s all right to take anything to make it easier, but it wasn’t all right for her”. This quote demonstrates Mrs Dubose’s determination to stay true to her beliefs and achieve her goal. Nobody would have judged her for continuing her use of the drug but she felt that she had to and so did what conformed to her moral standards. Mrs Dubose was a Christian and believed in heaven and when she arrived there she wanted to be free from sin. This incident in the book is a great learning point for both Jem and Scout as it shows them that although courage is not always obvious doesn't mean it isn't important. Mrs Dubose didn’t have to stop to taking morphine, but chose to and her dedication to see it through to the end is a good way for Lee to portray

Characterize Miss Maudie Atkinson (characterization = personality traits, actions, thoughts/feelings, other people’s points of view). How typical is she of Maycomb’s women? What do the children think of her?

To Kill A Mockingbird is a prime example classic modern literature, having won the Pulitzer Prize. Elements that have helped deem worthy of such classification, consists of its exploration of universal themes, the memorable and relatable characters who help define the story, and its addressing of issues that even now are common in today’s society, being able to evoke thoughts and emotional responses from its audience, helping them to define the world around them. It truly is a masterpiece.

From Star Wars to the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn timeless classics exist in multiple contrasting formats and outlines. They all come in with their own unique stories and differences that make each one a must read. However, there are many things that make one timeless classic similar to another. Two important criteria that make a timeless classic include the kind of experiences it presents and the well-rounded symbols it uses to enhance the theme. These two criteria are important for a timeless classic to be relevant because they can directly correlate with the life of a reader or send them a valuable message; this is exactly what Harper Lee presents in To Kill A Mockingbird. To Kill a Mockingbird is undoubtedly a timeless classic as depicted through the vivid and well rounded symbols it presents to enhance themes and the relevant, relatable experiences the protagonist Scout undergoes, which can directly be applied to any person even in the present day.

From her front porch, Jem just sees her as a bitter old lady however, once he gets close up to her he realizes what bad condition she is in and how frail she is. The fact that Jem does not know about Mrs. Dubose’s illness also shows her courage because she is fighting her horrible illness without the support of her community. After Mrs. Dubose dies, Atticus reveals that Mrs. Dubose wanted to die free and that she is the bravest person he has ever known. During a conversation between Atticus and Jem, Atticus says “I wanted you to see what real courage is... It’s when you know you’re licked but you begin anyway...

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird events and conflicts take place causing changes in characters. Some of the characters that are changed include Mrs. Dubose, Jem, Scout, and even Mr. Arthur Radley. Each of these events has a background to help change the characters. Mrs. Dubose is helped to change her charter in the novel by Jem reading to her, Aunt Alexandra comes to live with Atticus, Jem, and Scout changing Scout’s character, and Arthur Radley’s character is changed by the event of Jem and Scout being attacked by Bob Ewell.

The tiny, sleepy, worn-out, dingy, slow-moving town of Maycomb, Alabama is where the novel takes place. The novel takes place in the early 1930s, during the Great Depression.

The theme that courage is persevering through every challenge is shown when Mrs. Dubose dies free from her addiction to morphine. Jem Finch had been reading to Mrs. Dubose, a mean, old neighbor of his, to make up for ruining her garden. Jem had always thought of Mrs. Dubose as a sick, scary lady, but Atticus Finch, Jem’s father, informs him that Mrs. Dubose was actually a very brave and strong person. During her life, she became addicted to morphine; Mrs. Dubose promised herself she would die clean. When Mrs. Dubose did pass away, she was no longer taking morphine. Atticus explains Mrs. Dubose’s courage when he states, “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” (Lee, 61). Atticus is explaining that courage isn’t just “a man with a gun in his hand”. Courage is much more than that. Atticus is stating that courage is never giving up even if you encounter struggles and difficulties. Atticus’s words prove that courage is when you know you might not succeed but you don’t stop trying. Mrs. Dubose knew it would be difficult for her to stop using morphine, but she swore she would. She ended up dying clean from the drug because no matter what, she never gave up and never stopped trying. Through it

Dubose to teach a lesson of courage and strength in a form that is not immediately clear to the reader. While most of the town sees Mrs. Dubose as a crotchety old woman it later becomes clear to the reader that she was never a truly bad lady. After her death Atticus explains to his children, “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… She was the bravest person I ever knew” (128). Mrs. Dubose’s addiction affects only her temporary behavior. While she does not approve of Atticus, most of the insults said to his children are not sincere. If she truly believes her words, she will not allow them into her life. Atticus does not want his children referring to his shooting of the mad dog as a courageous act. The “real courage” he is speaking of is facing a situation with knowledge that negative consequences will occur. Mrs. Dubose knows that ending her addiction will cause pain in her life, but she continues to do what she believes is right. As a result, her fortitude is passed on to Jem and Scout. She was born as a good person, and she died as a good person. Additionally, Mrs. Dubose is an example of determination and tenacity. Atticus explains to Jem, “She meant to break herself of it before she died, and that’s what she did” (127). When she realizes she is addicted to morphine, it is Mrs. Dubose’s intention to free herself of it before her death. She recognizes a flaw in her life that needs to be fixed. Jem and Scout provide distraction to help achieve this. With their assistance, she is able to survive longer periods of time between each administration of her addictive painkiller. Most people would choose to surrender and die relatively free of suffering, but Mrs. Dubose continues to fight until she reaches her end goal. She pays little attention to her physical pain, but more to following her moral values and overcoming something she believes

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it" (Lee 30). Atticus Finch says these words to his daughter, Scout, after he elucidates to her why it is important to not be quick to judge a book by its cover . In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mocking Bird, the main conflicts are centered around prejudice. In the tiny town of Maycomb, everybody is set on tradition and there is no room for oddity. Atticus Finch breaks down the walls that everybody else builds up about first and lasting impressions, slowly but surely. Atticus Finch is a discreet example of practicing equality because he espouses the outcasts of Maycomb.

Atticus Finch belongs to a very, very small minority. He is one of the very few human beings who does not hate Hitler. Of course, he does not like the universally hated historical figure, but merely dislikes him. This is a major theme of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird. One can never, without exception, hate a man. Harper Lee promotes the idea that hatred is never acceptable by creating situations with literary devices like characters, settings, and plots that demand empathy.

8. Why won’t Walter Cunningham, Jr. take Miss Caroline’s quarter? Because he doesn’t want everyone to know that he can’t afford lunch

“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you” (Ralph Waldo Emerson). To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a novel about people in the 30’s who show a number of different themes. Firstly, maturity is shown a lot near the end of the novel and during Tom Robinson’s trial. Secondly, racism is a huge part of this novel because a lot of people were judgemental and didn’t approve other races. Lastly, loyalty appears throughout the novel, especially during the trial. Many people in have really grown to be much better people as a result in these challenging times.

The text type of To Kill a Mockingbird is a fiction novel which deals with the racism the author observed as a child in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. To Kill a Mockingbird was written by Harper Lee, who wrote her novel in a retrospective point of view. There were numerous aspects of historical, personal, cultural and social context in To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee was born on the 28th of April, 1926, in Monroeville Alabama. Monroeville was a close-knit community that has many similarities with Maycomb, which is the setting of To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee’s father was a prominent lawyer, whom she drew inspiration for the protagonists father, Atticus Finch. Among Lee’s childhood friends was Truman Capote, from whom she drew inspiration to the character Dill. These personal details help portray Harper Lee’s own childhood home, where racism and segregation was highly evident. Another example of context which helped shape To Kill a Mockingbird were the events that occurred during Harper Lee’s childhood. In 1931, when Harper Lee was five years old, nine African-American men were accused of raping two white women near Scottsboro, Alabama. After a series of lengthy, highly publicised, and often bitter trials, five of the nine men were sentenced to long term imprisonment. Many prominent lawyers and various members of the general public saw the sentences as spurious and believed that it was motivated by racial prejudice.