In my opinion theme with the most impact in 'To Kill a Mockingbird" is Hypocrisy as shown in three main incidents . These are the teachings of Ms Gates about the atrocities of Adolf Hitler whilst she hated blacks ; the missionary circle trying to show how Christian they are while believing that to be a brother of Christ you must be white and finally the hypocrisy of the American court system in the 30's by saying they stand for justice.
Man in Black- “Well, there’s things that will never be right I know. And things need changin’ everywhere you go.”
The 1960’s was the height of racial issues during the 20th century. Even under these circumstances, Harper Lee, a white, female author, wrote her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Not only does To Kill a Mockingbird go against society’s opinions at that time, but it addresses themes that apply to everyday life. One main theme is ‘People tend to take risks for the people they care for’. To Kill a Mockingbird is about a girl named Scout and the problems her family faces. Her dad, Atticus, is lawyer who is currently defending a black man in court. Tom Robinson, the black man, was accused of raping a white girl. The story illustrates how society treats people who are different from them and how those people stick together. One example that supports
“At all times, day by day, we have to continue fighting for freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of want- for these are things that must be gained in peace as well as in war.” - Eleanor Roosevelt. Just because laws say we have freedom, doesn’t mean people are treated equally. The laws that speak of equality take away freedoms of others. Ever since the first time civilization had a ruler or gave power to an individual, there has been a struggle for freedom. Utterly showing that freedom in all forms, must be worked for in some way, the well known texts, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, “I Have A Dream Speech” by Martin Luther King, and Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi, press one cannot just stand by, waiting for what
The conductors who contributed to the Underground Railroad sacrificed a great deal to help other slaves escape to freedom; that showed ample amounts of bravery. Martin Luther King Jr. stood by what he believed in to make a difference for this generation. He was remembered as a great man of bravery, he wanted change for blacks and whites to be equal. However, bravery does not come naturally to some people. To be brave means possessing or exhibiting courage or courageous endurance. Bravery is the ability to allow a person to be appearing bigger than the crisis. In James McBride’s novel, Song Yet Sung, he describes three characters that exemplify in bravery who
Childhood years are a very impressionable time. This is no different for the fictional characters Scout and Jem Finch. Growing up in southern Alabama, they learned many lessons from the people around them and the circumstances they faced. Some of these important lessons learned are courage, empathy, and prejudice.
Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is recounted by Scout, who at the time was six years old. This book follows her journey in growing up and eventually losing her innocence through realising the evil in the world, mostly portrayed by the racism and prejudice surrounding her. A mockingbird is a metaphor for the destruction of innocence. There are three mockingbirds in the text: Boo Radley, Scout Finch and Tom Robinson. Boo has done nothing wrong except sit in his house and 'mind his own business', and has done nothing to hurt anyone else. All that has happened is he has been accused once again of crimes he did not commit. Scout is a mockingbird because she is thrust in the middle of all of the adults and their prejudices. Tom has done
This year, we read four great works of literature. Each piece is so different from each other, yet all writing demonstrates that everybody is human and experiences harsh circumstances. At the point when life gets difficult, people read books to realize that they are not the only one. In each great piece of writing, we see and feel the characters' battles and feelings of anguish that makes it so relatable for the readers. The characters show the genuine unpredictability of life. In the pieces we read we see death, tragedy, and courage portrayed magnificently.
There are many different types of symbols in our world today; in English literature as well as all around us on a day-to-day basis. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird we follow a little girl, Scout, as she faces the truth about the world and its injustice. The central and most obvious symbol of this novel, as well as the title of the book, is the mockingbird. It represents the innocence and injustice in this story, represented by Tom Robinson and the events surrounding the trial, but also sets the theme of racial prejudice.
Southerners are known to be proud of their traditional beliefs. To Kill A Mockingbird allows its readers to question and consider those beliefs. Maycomb represents a typical old southern town. Not many people move into Maycomb and not many people who live there journey beyond its boundaries. As a result, the opinions held by many of the citizens of Maycomb are left to grow and foster in the same families for many generations. The circumstances in Maycomb are less than ideal for generating change and more prone to sustaining traditionally accepted codes. Two codes embedded within southern social beliefs are class and race.
The valuable lessons that Atticus teaches and demonstrates to his children (Jem and Scout) in the novel To Kill a Mocking Bird are very crucial. Atticus teaches Jem and Scout to put themselves into other people’s skin before they pre-judge a person. Atticus also teaches the two children compassion and forgiveness. The children learn an important lesson not to kill a mocking bird during the novel from Atticus. Throughout the novel several incidents happen where Atticus teaches Scout and Jem these very valuable lessons.
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.
All humans are born innocent. Innocence is a time when a person has never done something, it is the first step of a human beings existence. The second step is experience. This step happens after a person has done something he or she has never done before or learns something he or she has never know before. The motif of innocence and experience occurs many times in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”. The process of this growth is especially obvious in Jem and Scout’s journey through out the book.
“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.
Some may say that without a written language, literature cannot exist. However, to deny the oral traditions and songs of cultures prior to the existence of their written languages would deny the world some of the earliest literature of humankind. Whether passed down through oral or written means, literature consists of all stories, songs, and poetry every generation loves, inspires, and passes on.