To Kill A Mockingbird Moral Analysis

Throughout the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, author Harper Lee challenges the societal norms of gender roles, within the character “Jean Louise,” also referred to as her tomboy name “Scout.” Scout battles the society-defined roles in many ways throughout the text. Many factors lead to Scout redefining femininity, including Jem and Dill’s coming-of-age dilemma. An exploration of gender roles and inequality throughout the text and this time period will allow one to understand how Scout was able to overcome gender stereotyping.

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.

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.

“It's right hard to say," she said. "Suppose you and Scout talked colored-folks' talk at home it'd be out of place, wouldn't it? Now what if I talked white-folks' talk at church, and with my neighbors? They'd think I was puttin' on airs to beat Moses, "But Cal, you know better," I said. “It's not necessary to tell all you know. It's not ladylike—in the second place, folks don't like to have somebody around knowing more than they do. It aggravates 'em. You're not gonna change

Harper Lee’s Novel To Kill a Mockingbird details the life of young Scout Finch and brother Jem Finch, who is growing up in a time of racial uniqueness. Jem and Scout Finch are what most would call a typical family growing up in the small Alabama town of Maycomb. They encounter many different obstacles during their childhood missions with many characters making the novel an interesting read. Throughout the book, Lee is showing Jem and Scout grow up and become mature young adults. This novel, written by Harper Lee, demonstrates the themes of growing up, Innocence and most importantly, racism.

For my paper I have chosen to analyze the movie “To Kill a Mockingbird.” This movie is based on the novel – by the same name – written by Harper Lee. The story has two major plotlines. One follows Jem, Scout, and Dill as they try to uncover the secrets behind the infamous “Boo” Radley. It’s only at the end of the movie that we learn “Boo’s” real name to be Arthur, and that we discover he actually tries to protect people, as he saved Jem and Scout’s lives. The other major plotline, and the one more relevant to this class, follows Atticus Finch, Jem and Scout’s father, as he tries to represent Tom Robinson. Mr. Robinson is an African American man who has been charged with raping Mayella Ewell. The movie then

“Shoot all the Bluejays you want, if you can hit’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee pg. 90). The bird, mentioned nearly twice, seems to show little importance to the story. Nonetheless, it resembles the perception of some characters. The one time Scout had ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do anything was when referring to the mockingbird. He advised his children when hunting to never shoot a mockingbird. Miss Maudie followed with further detail by explaining that “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” (Lee pg.90).

In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses Jem, Scout, and Dill to help the reader view certain aspects of society in a different way by using social class, being a woman, and racism. Children are more open minded than adults, so they view the world in a distinct way compared to them. Most of society is stuck in their ways and are only able to see the world in one perspective, while the kids are are trying to develop their own view of the world . The kids morals are unlike many people’s in the town, so this gives the reader a different perspective of Maycomb/society.

Harper Lee demonstrates the gender inequity In to Kill a Mockingbird through the description and words of the female narrator, Scout. The prejudice of Maycomb is shown so clearly, even an innocent child like Scout can see the raging extent of gender prejudice that surrounds her. Scout having traits that are more masculine in quality automatically makes her an outcast and disliked by Maycomb's many conforming ideals. Scouts innocence allows the novel to develop through an unbiased perspective. Women had little to serve in juries and there was the constant expectation all women had to act and dress like a Lady. Aunt Alexandra an evident example of having strong beliefs on how separate genders should behave, constantly scolding Scout for wearing her overalls and behaving too tomboyish." I was not so sure, but Jem told me i was being a girl, that girls always imagined things, thats why other people hated them so, and if i started behaving like one i could just go off and find some to play with. (4.119) Scout is raised to believe boys were better than girls, raised in a bigoted and heavily bias community, scout finds it a difficult and unfair experience trying to understand the unjust perceptions of the adults around her. Having Scout narrate the whole novel allows Harper lee to highlight the gender inequity in Maycomb.

Lawrence Kohlberg was an American phycologist who also was the author of the three stages of moral development. Kohlberg graduated from the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts in 1945 after serving in the merchants marines. Lawrence was also working on a ship owned by Zionist military organization which would try to smuggle Jewish refugees into Palestine past the British blockades (Doorey). Once Kohlberg was done serving in the military organization he came back to the U.S and went to the University of Chicago. He then began teaching in different place and settled in Harvard where he started to become interested in Jean Piaget’s moral developments for children. He got inspired from this and began to develop his moral

Charles Lamb once said, “Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.” The author of To Kill

In the article, “Why teenagers can't see your point of view” by Ewen Callaway, it becomes clear “that a teenage mind toils harder when inferring the outlook of others, compared to adults” (2). Children and teenagers have a harder time understanding the points of view of others. However, this does not mean that their views are inaccurate. Children formulate their own opinions about certain aspects of life without acknowledging the thoughts of others. Nevertheless, they do not think too hard about situations, but instead go with their gut instinct, while adults tend to settle with their opinions, and see things for how they appear on the surface.

Various people believe that, in order to coexist with others, you must be able to see situations from other points of view. This culminates the main idea of the passage. One quote in particular from this excerpt from To Kill a Mockingbird is, “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.” Atticus told this to Scout after she had a misunderstanding with her teacher; thus, Scout realized this seemingly simple trick may remain the key to getting along with all people. However, I believe in the impossibility of ever fully understanding a person.

Do not judge a book by its cover, or a person by their appearance, gossip, or social status. Throughout "To Kill a Mocking Bird", the people of Maycomb, Alabama make many assumptions of others based on town gossip and their appearances. Scout's perception of Arthur Radley evolves from a monster to a kind and neighborly man as the novel progresses.

For as long as humans have thrived in a society, the diversity and variety within ourselves is the main culprit of our international division. As humans, we tend to try and separate from those who are different from ourselves in expectancy of a better world to live in. The division will not bring this tranquil idea into reality, but rather prejudice and destruction among ourselves. The key to a world of positivity and peace is through the act of accepting others and their differences. People should almost always accept others and their differences in order to create a unified community and strengthen their relationships with one another. However, the only exception is when acceptance will result in harm towards others.