In “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, the plot is based on what Harper Lee herself has seen in her childhood, her family, neighbors, and the event that occurred near her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama in 1936. Racial prejudice was a major issue during this period of time and Lee incorporated this matter by displaying white men as the authoritative figures in Maycomb County. African Americans were always put down and proven guilty even if they were innocent because it was a white person’s word against a black’s. For example, “The Sheriff hadn’t the heart to put him in jail alongside Negroes, so Boo was locked in the courthouse,” (Lee, 14). Clearly, Boo was guilty of breaking the law and committing a crime but because of the fact that …show more content…
The first fact I learned form reading this novel is the most obvious one, white people were seen as superior and African American’s were put down because of their race. The unequal treatment I read in this book taught me how much black people endured during this period of time and how helpless they really were since all the laws and regulations were set against them. Another fact I learned is that if a white person accused a black person of committing a crime when they don’t even have enough evidence to support their accusation, their word will still be taken against a black person even if they are in reality, innocent. This taught me how big of a role injustice played during the Great Depression. During Tom Robinson’s testimony, although it was clear that he did not rape the white girl; he was still proven guilty with barely enough evidence for the matter to even be taken to court. This just shows me how illogical the mentality of white people were during this time and makes me feel even more sympathetic to those African American’s that suffered this kind of inequality. I also learned that even though white people were seen as superior compared to black people; some whites still remained big hearted with integrity who could still distinguish right from wrong even when pressured
To kill a mockingbird can mean many things. It’s the title of a book that has been bought 40 million times. But, it also has a definition. To kill a mockingbird means to destroy innocence. The theme of my literary analysis is mockingbirds. Mockingbirds in TKAM are innocent things tainted by the skewed society of Maycomb. Some of these mockingbirds are Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and the children. To Kill a Mockingbird is a book set in a small Alabama town in the 1930’s. The main character and narrator is Jean Louise Finch, but is almost always called by her nickname, Scout. Scout, her brother, and her summer friend Dill get into all kinds of mischief while living in the racist society of a 1930’s Alabama town. Scout’s dad, Atticus, is a prominent lawyer in Maycomb and is appointed to a controversial case, and is defending a black man. Scout and her brother, Jem go through many troubles and learn many lessons from the days leading up to, and during the trial. The trail makes their family some friends and a lot of enemies. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a story of courage and despair. Throughout TKAM, mockingbirds are used as an example of something innocent being tainted by the skewed society of TKAM. Some great examples of these are Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and the children.
The book "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a story of life in an Alabama town in the 30's. The narrator, Jean Louise Finch, or Scout, is writing of a time when she was young, and the book is in part the record of a childhood, believed to be Harper Lee’s, the author of the book..
Jem and Scout, throughout “To Kill A Mockingbird,” learn to consider things from other people’s perspectives. Atticus, Jem and Scout’s father, says “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” (Lee 39). They learn this through experiences with their neighbor Boo Radley as they mature beyond their years. At the beginning of the novel, Jem and Scout make fun of Boo and assume that all of the rumors going around about him are true. However, later on in the story the children grow an admiration for Boo and learn to understand him. As they matured, Jem and Scout naturally learned many life lessons of appreciation, respect, and courage
Harper Lee is best known for writing the Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller To Kill a Mockingbird. The novel takes place during the depression in Alabama with the main character, Scout, viewing her lawyer father, Atticus, defending a wrongly accused black man of rape. The reader gets to understand Scout’s childhood view of this controversial situation. Scout’s character in to Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is really the author’s own life playing out in the novel, which is most likely why this novel is thought to be one of the best American Novels of the 20th century.
Yet Perry’s childhood bliss was taken from him, somehow creating his current disposition, the true purpose is the falling of unity from inside the people of Holcomb, therefore; pinning every person against another. A dark curtain that falls over the children, parents, farmhands, hunting regulars, and police officials. A curtain that keeps them apart from one another because they are lost in the infinite blackness that surrounds them, an evil they let seep into their minds and imaginations.
Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” is set in a small Southern United States community called Maycomb during the Great Depression era. The whole book primarily revolves around segregation and racism and how it relates to Maycomb’s history. It eventually leads to the trial of Tom Robinson where he is accused of beating up and raping Mayella Ewell. Even though it was clear that Tom Robinson did not do anything wrong he was convicted by an all white jury simply because he was black. The trial of Tom Robinson and its verdict shows an example of how segregation in the court system prevents fair trials from occurring.
Millions of humans have suffered at the hands of racism and discriminatory events throughout history. The majority of these racial and discriminatory events are the basis of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. The novel references Jim Crow laws, mob mentality, as well as the issues of racism and discrimination in that period of time.
In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout Finch, and her brother Jem, learn the importance of seeing things through other people's eyes. At the beginning of the story, the people living in Maycomb County, can be considered "mockingbirds" because they are innocent. Their father, Atticus, leads as a strong example while defending Tom Robinson, a black man convicted for rape. The residents of Maycomb (besides the Finches) fail to see situations through other people's eyes. For example, when the trial takes place, most people do not have empathy toward Tom Robinson, resulting in some of those "mockingbirds" becoming killed. Trying to see situations through other people's eyes can keep someone from hurting somebody who is innocent.
The concept of courage is more philosophical rather than something that is real. Its a fact that can’t be substantiated, courage is a non tangible feeling that lies within one's heart and psyche. It isn’t something that you're born with, it's something you work for as you grow older. When the day comes when you have to battle the inner demons that make your life discontented you’ll need to conquer in order to overcome it once and for all.After you overcome the thing that's pains you the most you’ll have the face of courage. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, it revolves around the idea of courage but to the farthest extremity. The characters are more than just literary entities that inhabit the book, they are individuals
Harper Lee wrote in To Kill A Mockingbird, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.” His words explain how you can not judge or make a conclusion about a person until you look at a situation from their point of view, or perspective. This can lead to striking opinions, creating conflict and tension between two people. Similarly, in The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, the narrator, Ponyboy has never felt much of a connection with his oldest brother Darry, as S.E. Hinton portrays their relationship as strain. After their parents died, Darry was left to raise his two brothers by himself. Since he had to play the roles of a mother, father, and big brother; he had a lot on his
After Mrs.Dubose died in To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus explained to Jem and Scout why he admired Mrs.Dubose’s courage even though she never showed courage physically,she showed courage morally by stopping her addiction. “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”(93). Atticus is trying to teach Jem and Scout that being courageous can be illustrated in other forms other than physical courage in order to be considered a hero. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses characterization to reveal heroism is not only about showing physical courage but it is also about showing moral and intellectual courage. Mrs.Dubose showed moral courage when she stopped her
Our past influences everything we do; from day to day life, to the creative projects we share with the world. This certainly holds true for Harper Lee and Albert Camus, both of whom are authors of award winning novels. These authors allowed their backgrounds to shine through in their writing. Even though some points are more obvious than others, it is easy to find references to the authors’ lives in their stories.
Have you ever been judged for who your family is and not who you are? Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the small town of Maycomb County, and countless families in this community have been given a certain title or characteristic that they are now known by. Since Maycomb is such a small place and not many newcomers have moved in over the years, the people began to think they could tell what a certain person would be like just by who their family was. The environment in which one is placed determines one’s success more than one’s genetic makeup and born ability. Aunt Alexandra gives Scout a speech that proves this is not the mindset in Maycomb.
To Kill A Mockingbird remains one of the most produced and distributed political commentaries in America, despite its publishing over 50 years ago. The reason the book grosses such a high distribution rate can be attributed to its relevance even today
Many women must hide their identities for equality and acceptance in society. In many cases women try to hide their true identities in order to escape ridicule from those who do not believe in equality for all. A quote from a book that explains this well is in the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The quote is "Scout, I'm tellin' you for the last time, shut your trap or go home—I declare to the Lord you're gettin' more like a girl every day" (Lee 69)The previous statement is a great testimony to where thing used to be to where they are now while things aren't quite perfect times keep getting easier for women in society. Even back in WWII women were treated as animals inferior to men. A great example from a wonderful piece of literacy