To Kill A Mockingbird, Lord Of The Flies, And Ellen Foster

How would you react if you were falsely accused of a crime when all of your life you had been a good man. However, the catch was you were African American.  A white man’s word against your own. What would be running through your mind? This is exactly the kind of question that was running through Tom Robinson’s mind in this novel. During the 1930s, discrimination against targeted groups of society was prevalent, but small victories occurred to combat this issue in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. From Tom Robinson’s trial, to various stereotypes being broken, and the incidents that took place in Calpurnia’s church for colored people. All of these factors contribute to the purpose behind this novel’s meaning.

Atticus says that even though Tom is innocent, the all-white jury will find him guilty anyway because he is a black man. The people of Maycomb are livid that their best lawyer would defend a black man who “raped” a white woman. Up until now, Maycomb has been displayed as a happy little town, it’s been seen as nothing but positive. The racist and unflattering side of Maycomb has been exposed as they attack the Finches. Even some of the Finches’ family members disapproves of Atticus’s choice. The town believes that Atticus defending a black man puts the Finch name to shame. They believed that he shouldn’t have done what he

As Lemony Snicket wrote in The Blank Book, “People don’t always get what they deserve in this world.” 1930s America was fraught with racism, especially in the southern states. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a Negro man by the name of Tom Robinson was put on trial. Although he was not guilty, the jury convicted him because of the colour of his skin. During the trial, others showed injustice towards Tom and people that were on his side. As Tom’s lawyer, Atticus Finch was not admired by many of the white citizens of Maycomb, the town in which the novel takes place. Although Atticus and Jean Louise Finch (Scout) were white, they were still treated unjustly as a result of helping and supporting Tom Robinson. Scout, Atticus’

An individual’s pursuit of social justice can often bring people together in unlikely ways. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch takes on the role of an equal rights activist when he defends Tom Robinson, a black man accused of sexually assaulting a white woman, in the small-minded court of Maycomb, Alabama. Despite belonging to a different ethnic background and social class—factors which tend to dictate one’s acceptance in the small town—Atticus quickly becomes a hero to its black residents. He inspires members of the black community to unite, with one another and with members of the white community, as all struggle to cope with the disturbing events of the trial. Reverend Sykes, leader of the

Race is the dominant cause of inequality in To Kill A Mockingbird, thus Maycomb’s views on race heavily influence every aspect of life. Although racial inequality is clearly illustrated in the in the injustice, prejudice, discrimination and antagonism surrounding the Tom Robinson trial, it is also shown more subtly throughout the novel. In chapter 25 Atticus Finch is quoted disclosing that the corrupt justice system is a direct cause of a racist society. “In our courts, when it's a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins” (Pg 295). To emphasize, on the same occasion Atticus attempts to explain to his children how widely spread racism is, “As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men everyday of your life”

Maycomb's unjust beliefs on race determined the outcome of Tom Robinson's trail. Atticus´s defence was more than enough to set Tom free, but Maycomb's ignorance and narrow-minded view on African Americans set an innocent man to jail. Atticus told Jem "If you had been on that jury, son, and eleven other boys like you, Tom would be a free man" (Lee 295). The jury members had been affected by the ignorance of society. They convicted Tom because when they grow up they learned racists beliefs and they do not know any other way. In Maycomb, racism is a normal part of everyday life. When kids at Scouts school call Atticus a n***** lover. Atticus explains to Scout what it means, "Scout," said Atticus, "n*****-lover is just one of those terms that don't mean anything—like snot-nose. It's hard to explain—ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody's favoring Negroes over and above themselves.¨ (144). The racists views and attitudes determined the guilty verdict of Tom. In Atticus closing argument, he says "She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man¨(272). Society has a set of rules which are not written but known, these rules tend to be ignorant and impartial. When it comes to race and the misguided beliefs about race, there is a profusion of ignorance. The expectations on race set by society affect the actions and events of life.

The absence of courage on equality in the novel To Kill a mockingbird led to the death of Tom Robinson. In Maycomb African Americans were looked upon as second-class citizens, because of this none of them could vote or attain the same equal status. Moreover, in the novel To Kill a Mocking Bird an African American was put on trial for a crime he didn’t commit. Likewise, this was obvious to everyone present in the courtroom, however, the lack of courage to stand up for equality in this town caused Tom to be sentenced to life in prison and eventually die. According, To Kill a Mockingbird “I don’t know how they could convict Tom Robinson, but they did it. They’ve done it before and they do it tonight” (225). This quote shows how all citizens knew

Harper Lee, author of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, acknowledged the prejudice in 1930’s America. This novel won the Pulitzer Prize for its strength in upholding the prejudice in a small town in the south. To Kill a Mockingbird is set in a town called Maycomb, where a family of three and their cook lives and deals with this animosity everyday. Atticus, the father, is a well-respected lawyer and Alabama state legislator. He chooses to defend African American Tom Robinson against charges of assault against Caucasian Mayella Ewell. Although Atticus knows that he would not win the case, he still wants to defend Tom to teach his children, Jem and Scout, a valuable lesson. Harper Lee made the right decision in having Atticus Finch defend Tom Robinson; however, the decision came with consequences (Lee).

“But now he’s turned out a nigger-lover we’ll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb again. He’s ruining’ the family, that’s what he’s doing’.” (Lee 110). The power of hatred is one so strong, that it imprisons the Finches and African Americans of Maycomb County. In Alabama of 1920 to 1930, segregation is an established action of the Southerners, it’s a lifestyle. The slurs passed from the mouths of white Southerners and ending with the shooting of a black man, the ways of Maycomb County are ones seen as either shocking or common in today’s eyes. To Kill A Mockingbird is an eminent novel by Harper Lee that illustrates the aspects of discrimination and prejudice, tolerance and courage during a time in America where racial inequality

Racism causes people to lose all compassion and sympathy for their fellows. Being a southern town during the Great Depression, Maycomb is a society where racism against African-Americans is still goes on. Atticus proves this when he says, “Why people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don’t pretend to understand” (117). The citizens of Maycomb shocked by this behavior when Atticus is asked to defend Tom Robinson, an African-American who has been accused of raping a white girl. Unfortunately, there is only one possible solution for this trial, and Tom Robinson is convicted. Even though the prosecution has no credible evidence, Robinson’s race is enough for the jury to convict him, because he is an African American and they lie. Atticus even states that a colored man’s word is useless against the word of a white man (295). To make matters even worse, Tom attempts to escape from prison because he can’t keep this guilt inside of him of raping a white girl; unfortunately, the decision ends up taking his

While numerous citizens in Maycomb express how “Atticus[‘s] aim to defend him. [Is] what [we] don’t like about it”(Lee, 218) and that he has “got everything to lose from this... I mean everything.”(Lee, 195) Atticus full heartedly stands behind the fact that if he didn’t defend the Tom Robinson case he “couldn’t hold up [his] head in town... [and] couldn’t represent this county in the legislature.”(Lee, 100) This reveals the moral importance this trial means to Atticus, as he believes that everyone should be treated equally, regardless of their skin colour as “men are not to be trusted around women—black or white... a truth that applies to...no particular race of men.”(Lee, 273) Atticus’s personal definition of courage is revealed to Jem after he is forced to read to Mrs Dubose for an entire month. As defined by Atticus, real courage is “when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.”(Lee, 149) Similarly, Atticus’s raw motives concerning the Tom Robinson trial run on the evident fact that he knew he was “licked a hundred years before start[ing]”(Lee, 101) Mr Robinson’s trial, but nonetheless defended him to his last breath. Atticus’s definition and actions correspond and show the reader how his values are congruent, no matter the situation. All in all, Atticus’s personal beliefs and values suggest to the reader

Through the use of Tom Robinson’s trial, Harper Lee suggests that a society founded on principles of hate both alienates and persecutes innocents and those who do not conform to its prejudicial constitution. In sum, this incident reveals the consequences of being a mockingbird in Maycomb, while also conveying Lee’s underlying message of the defects of a society founded on a systemic and institutionalised doctrine of hate. In doing so, Lee criticizes the existing systemic prejudice in the 1960s-social structure of America.

In Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird”, there are many examples of racial profiling, prejudice, and most importantly, social injustice. For example, the poor Cunninghams are often the easy targets of prejudice, the Ewell clan is constantly being judged, and most importantly, the black society is always being racially profiled. The largest example of social injustice in Lee’s novel is the Tom Robinson case. Despite his innocence, Tom Robinson finds himself in a helpless position with little to none hope of being deemed not guilty. He was convicted of strangling, beating, and raping Mayella Ewell, though we all know that it was untrue.

The book “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee was set in 1933, in a tired old town called Maycomb, Alabama. The story is centered around Tom Robinson's case, a man who was accused of raping and beating a girl named Mayella Ewell. The most important thing about this case is that Tom Robinson is black and back in 1933 people harshly discriminated against colored people. Atticus Finch is the lawyer defending Tom Robinson he was presented his case and choose not to refuse it even through the chances of winning were slim. This is because people back then always took a white mans word over a colored mans word because well they thought that colored people were uncivilized and uncouth. Atticus also decided to take the case because unlike most of the people in Maycomb he is not racist. He felt if he didn't he would lose his sense of justice and self-respect. Tom Robinson pleaded not guilty in the case which made it harder for Atticus but despite the difficulties Atticus really made a good case and brought a lot of good points to light like; Mayella’s father Bob Ewell was a drunk, Bob was also ambidextrous and Tom only had one good arm leading to Bob most likely beating her, and why she never went to the doctor after such an event. Despite all the evidence pointing Mayella’s father Tom still got convicted. This was most likely because the jury was racist and back in those days it could not matter how much evidence you had. If, a white person was against a colored person on trial the white person would always win. In the end Atticus did everything he could to prove Tom was innocent. Despite him losing he was still able to walk out of the courtroom with his head held high and was able to say he tried.

This world is full of inspiring, thoughtful, and hardworking people. Its full of crises and hard life decisions people make everyday. The books Ellen Foster, Lord of the Flies, and To Kill a Mockingbird all capture these qualities of humankind. They are full of savagery, plane crashes, racial issues, child abuse, and perseverance. All three novels connect by how tenacious people are when they are required to overcome adversity.