To Kill A Mockingbird Analysis

Author uses Atticus teach these lessons through his wise words. Atticus teaches these lessons to not only the audience, but Jem and Scout too. Some of the main things he teaches his kids about are understanding people, using the mind instead of the body, the cruel reality of stereotypes, and true

The intriguing novel, To Kill A Mockingbird is written by the prestigious author Harper Lee. Lee has utilised the lifestyle and attitudes towards ‘African-Americans" in the 1930's to create a novel which presents the reader with Lee's attitudes and values. The dominant reading of the novel is focused on the issues of racial prejudice, but there are also a number of other alternative and oppositional readings. Examples of this are the Marxist and feminist readings which can be applied to the text.

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.

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

"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.

In Chapter 25, Mr. Underwood writes an editorial about Tom Robinson’s death. “How could this be so, I wondered, as I read Mr. Underwood’s editorial. Senseless killing -- Tom had been given due process of law to the day of his death; he had been tried openly and convicted by twelve good men and true; my father had fought for him all the way. Then Mr. Underwood’s meaning became clear: Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” (275-276). At first, Scout thought that Tom Robinson would be found innocent with Atticus as his lawyer. However, she realizes that Tom had no chance of winning due to the prejudiced jury. She is able to see how Maycomb is filled with narrow-minded

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 will only sing their hearts, not cause any damage or give their lives to pleasing others. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird great examples are shown of different types of mockingbirds. Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Arthur (Boo) Radley are great examples of representing a mockingbird.

Growing up is a difficult task, especially when the town around you doesn’t offer to help you understand what’s going on around you. Using many examples of the loss of childhood innocence, Harper Lee shows us that a corrupted society leads to growing up faster and one’s childhood is stripped away. Through Jem, the eldest of the Finch children, and Scout, the youngest, the readers see how a trial in 1930 Alabama takes a toll of young minds. In Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, she implies that growing up leads to loss of innocence, especially in troubling times.

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, shows how life was for those in the southern part of the United States, during a time when racism ran rampant throughout the land. Many injustices were committed to those of “Negro” descent, and it was up to those behind the law to protect them as well as those who lived by the law. Atticus, attorney at law, defender of the people, and father to Scout and brother Jem is safeguarding Tom Robinson, accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. As the story continues though, Mayella’s accounts of the facts aren’t quite as how they actually happened. Together, Scout (Jean Louise Finch), Jem and Atticus show courage to stand up for what is right, defend the innocent until proven guilty, and how to remain

The lack of justice between black and white people and the mistreatment of Atticus’s family were the first few moments in which Scout and Jem’s were introduced to an evil Maycomb. The realization that Tom Robinson has been accused of raping a white girl with no real evidence and only because he is black, completely shocked Scout and Jem, especially when in reality, Bob Ewell was hurting his own daughter and made her purposely accuse Tom. Although Scout was sure that Atticus is a great lawyer and that Tom will be set free, she is dumbfounded and filled with hatred when the verdict was that Tom is guilty. When Scout asked Atticus explain everything and why happened, he said, “I don’t know but they did it. They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it—seems only the children weep,” (Lee, 213), meaning that the only one’s that actually care about how Tom was found guilty is children like Scout, Jem, and Dill and not the other people of Maycomb. After seeing Tom Robinson wrongly convicted, Jem and Scout discover that their nation is completely prejudiced and cruel, making them lose their

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird was an influential study of race relations in America in the mid 20th century. The development of the main character, Scout, is closely tied to what she learns from Atticus, her father, and what she learns from watching the unjust treatment of Tom Robinson, who is a black gentleman accused of rape that Atticus decides to defend in a court case. As Scout grows up, she is forced to deal with prejudice that every person living in Maycomb, Alabama seems to demonstrate in their everyday life. When Atticus agreed to represent Tom Robinson, he likely knew that many town people would resent any attempt to prove Tom Robinson was innocent. In this novel, Scout learns that there are right and wrong times when one should

Scout is the narrator of the book however, as a young child she doesn’t understand a lot of the things that were going on. When Calpurnia brought Jem and Scout to her church, Scout asked Calpurnia‘ “ Well, if everybody in Maycomb knows what kind of folks the Ewells are they’d be glad to hire Helen… what’s rape, Cal” ‘ (165). You can clearly see that Scout still has her innocence because she didn’t understand what rape, a very negative word meant. However her innocence was lost later when Atticus explained to her what the definition of the word rape is. Another example is through Scout’s brother Jem, when Tom Robinson’s Trial ended Jem wept in tears because he couldn’t believe that Tom got convicted for the crime. As Scout had said, “ His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd” (284). Jem cried because he knew that Tom, an innocent man, had been committed of crime because of racism. His innocence is lost because now he understood what the world and the place he lived in was actually like. Being of white descendent, Jem was never treated badly and discriminated against by people of Maycomb County. He had always thought that everyone got treated the same way that he does but Tom’s trail is like a hammer that broke the ice covering his innocent

In both the text “To Kill a Mockingbird” written by Harper Lee and the film “A Time to Kill” directed by Joel Schumacher, similar ideas are presented using language devices and stylistic features in differing ways to appeal to their target audience. Each have very similar storylines in which a white lawyer defends a an African-American in a prejudiced court case. Racism is a key idea presented strongly in each due to the eras they are set in. The era and country set in each story provide a strong base for the prominent issue. With the unpleasant happenings in each text and through the racist acts the idea of compassion shines through. As well as compassion being a significant idea, forgiveness is also presented through the racists acts.

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.