To Kill A Mockingbird Essays: Personal Experiences

In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird a major theme is the loss of innocence. Whether from emotional abuse, racial prejudice or learning, Boo, Tom, and Scout all lose their innocence in one sense or another. The prejudice that each character endures leads to their loss. Through the responses of Boo, Tom, and Scout, Harper Lee shows how each character responded differently to their loss of innocence.

Children look up to their elders for wisdom and advice. They rely on someone experienced and with authority for guidance on how to live their lives. However, sometimes the people who are accountable for youth mislead them; they may have good intentions, but are not mature enough to exemplify their values and morals, or they simply are ignorant. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Aunt Alexandra plays a negative role: she is a proper, southern lady with a strict code of behaviour and etiquette, but is too closed-minded and obstreperous to change her ways or view the world from others’ perspectives. Calpurnia takes on the position of a positive role model by disciplining the children in the Finch household. Miss Maudie takes on the role of a

Ewell wrote on the back of the envelope and looked up complacently to see Judge Taylor looking at him as if he were some fragrant gardenia in full bloom on the witness stand, to see Mr. Gilmer half-sitting, half standing at his table. The jury was watching him, one man leaning over with his hands over the railing. 'What's so intrestin'?' he question. 'You're left handed Mr. Ewell,' said Judge Taylor.” (Lee 117). This scene not only brings out Atticus’s intelligence, but proves to the audience that they cannot trust a single word Bob Ewell speaks.

“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”. Discuss this quote from Atticus in relation to 3 characters from the novel.

Perspectives can change beliefs in many ways. In Harper Lee’s novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, Bob Ewell hears and sees Atticus defending Tom Robinson who is black, therefore, he believes Atticus ‘loves niggers’. Jem, Scout, and Dill have never seen Boo Radley come out at day and they hear rumors that Boo only comes out at night. People believe rumors and their perspectives until they get the truth and change their beliefs.

The novel To Kill A Mockingbird is successful in delivering the story in a manner that captivates the audience. The story began by setting the scene, mood and also by introducing each character, which familiarized the reader with the environment. The author wrote the story in a manner that flowed with real life events of a time relative to the story, such as the segregation, racism and any financial struggles. It also did well to give each character a realistic mindset and reactions based on each person’s respective characterization. In a similar way, the story was written from the perspective of Scout, and the story was effectively narrated with the innocence and a lesser knowledge coming from someone of her age. Additionally, the story did a particularly good job at introducing details that were important to the story as it progressed so there were no surprises based on a sudden law change, for example. This aided in building the story to its climax, and other peaks of action. Each element to the story worked in sync to maneuver easily through the plot in a well thought out and executed story.

Harper Lee once wrote, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.” In Harper Lee’s book, To Kill A Mockingbird, she develops a definition of a lady or gentlemen. According to Harper Lee a lady or gentlemen is someone who is empathetic, and someone who doesn’t judge what people do when they don’t know the full story. In the book, Atticus is trying to teach his two children lessons like, walking in someone else’s shoes helps understand their perspective, and, don’t take advantage of things that are innocent. From these lessons the kids will grow up to become true ladies and gentlemen.

I grew up in a home where my parents taught us to serve our country, community and those around us. They taught me through example, my father was a scout leader when I was a child. He often took me camping and to merit badge Pow Wow’s. As a boy I began to dream about becoming a boy scout. When I became old enough I joined the cub scouts. While in Cub scouts I learned about being part of the pack, about working together to accomplish large projects, to work together to accomplish a larger goal. Then when I was older I was able to join the boy scouts they taught me about being a citizen in the community, about being a good neighbor. They taught me about doing a good turn daily, and being prepared. When I was 13, I became a life scout. Being a life scout is not anything special, other than I was able to start working on my eagle project.

Courage is shown within the characters of To Kill A Mockingbird in several situations.  The characters are challenged to face danger or pain without fear.  The courage they display gives them strength and deepens their self-understanding as the novel progresses.

To Kill a Mockingbird was a very influential book in the eyes of a growing young woman in America in the 1930’s from the eyes of Jean Louise as a child and Jean reminiscing or reflecting as an adult about the past. Mayella Ewell was a white woman who was looked down upon by her own race and the African Americans were too scared to talk to her. Mayella was looked at to be powerless over her own life and others. If she is, then why does she win the case against Tom Robinson? In the town of Maycomb race, class, and gender played larger roles than some may think let's determine how.

I have made the town of Cresco a better community by showing my traits or characteristics of an Eagle Scout. Every day I look for an opportunity to help someone in any way I can. The boy scout slogan is to do a good turn daily. This is something I do or try to do every day. Weather it is opening a door for someone or helping an elderly person carrying something. To me doing things like this is what brings our community together as one and makes it strong. Being an Eagle Scout I have high expectations. These expectations are what I hold myself to every day along with the boy scout slogan. With that being said, for my Eagle Scout project I replaced the horse shoe pits at the parks in town with permanent bean bag boards. I, along with the assistant

During your confrontations with Scout in Maycomb, you bring up the various points about Scout’s actions and how they are not pleasing to you, such as being friends with Walter Cunningham, and wearing breeches and overalls. During all of this, you bring up the problematic assumption of how she should dress and behave because of the gender roles which surround society. You first make this assumption when you are with Scout during christmas, when you said that Scout could never hope to be a lady because she wears breeches. This caused Scout to be more volatile, which led to Scout fighting Francis. Another time when you make this assumption is when you talk to Scout about Walter. You assume that Scout will pick up Walters bad habits which will ruin the Finch family name. This led to Scout resenting you even more than before. The last time you made the assumption is when Atticus talks to Scout and Jem about acting better because the Finches were created from generations of breeding. This led to Scout again resenting you, and even taking some of it out on Jem through fighting.

Fear. Not the kind of figure that gives you goosebumps and makes your frayed of the dark. No, the fear that makes a man stomach churn and make some ways she could have a second chance. This so was the case of our dear friend well. His story is quite the scare if I may say so myself. But enough of this for a long introduction. Let’s begin with a story, if you

The grown up Scout, narrates her retrospective story of one life changing summer, as seen through her eyes, as a six-year-old tomboy. Scout (Mary Badham), her brother Jem, and their summer time friend, Dill, spend their days gallivanting through town, playing with tires as toys, telling exaggerated stories, and challenging each other to approach the dilapidated and gloomy house of the neighborhood “bogeyman”, a recluse named Boo Radley (Robert Duval), who was rumored to be a vicious and scary creature. The focus on Boo is quickly overshadowed when Scouts widowed Father, lawyer Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), takes the insurmountable case, of a black man accused of raping a white woman. In a time before desegregation was even a thought, black

If the term common sense were to be looked up in the dictionary, the definition would state the ability to think and behave in a reasonable way as well as make good decisions. This raises a lot of questions and diversity in society due to the question; how does one gain common sense? I believe it is a blind instinct, which cannot be studied; it is a second nature that expands throughout the stages of life.