The American Dream is a concept that has been instilled in the minds of citizens for much of America’s history. The Dream is the idea that everyone is equal and that anyone can start with nothing and become successful through hard work and perseverance. Unfortunately, due to prejudices and discrimination, the American Dream has not been attainable for all races and ethnicities that have immigrated to this country in search of a better life. Instead, it has been quite the opposite: no matter how much hard work and perseverance one puts forth, he/she is always beaten down by those in a higher social class. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird explores the concept of the failing American Dream by examining discrimination, prejudice, and social hierarchy in 1930’s Maycomb, Alabama. The American Dream is tarnished by discrimination for many characters inTo Kill a Mockingbird. To begin, Tom Robinson faces injustices simply because he is an African American. For example, though Atticus clearly proves Tom’s innocence during the trial, Tom is still found ‘guilty’ by the jury. This ruling only occurred because of Maycomb’s unwillingness to accept equality for all. What’s more, this case reveals the failure of the American Dream for Tom and his wife, Helen. As illustrated in the text, though Tom willingly aided Mayella Ewell because of her inadequate living situation …show more content…
Harper Lee highlighted America’s discrimination, prejudices, and social hierarchal issues and created To Kill a Mockingbird, a semi-biographical novel. Even though the novel is set in the fictitious town of Maycomb, Alabama, it addresses some very real issues that are, unfortunately, still present in modern society. America has made many positive strides since 1930 to ensure equality and freedom for all, making the Dream more attainable for citizens, but we still have more improvements to make before the Dream is available to
The act of prejudice is one that everyone experiences. Whether it be, a person who is distributing hate, or a person who is receiving hate, everyone has contact with it. Although it is present all over the globe, it is prominent in the United States. Both in the present and the past, endless acts of discrimination have taken place and left a monumental impact on the country. The effect that it leaves can be seen in the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. In this story, sexism, racism, and isolation, are demonstrated in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930’s. As the story progresses, Lee compares these concepts to one another and uses them to make a statement about the problematic nature in America.
Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, is a realistic story that deeply discusses issues involved with the 1930’s that still resonate today. The struggles of life are evident within the believable characters of Maycomb County which is a microcosm, reflective of universal issues. Along with the authentic characters, setting and style also helps to convey Lee’s controversial notions of racial and gender prejudice, and persecution of the innocent, discussing many other ideas within.
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is a complex literary work exploring several aspects of the human condition. Lee’s story is one based in the 1930’s, shortly before the Civil Rights Movement. Her novel ventures into the societal issues, such as racism and gender stereotyping, in their fictional town, Maycomb. One recurring theme throughout the narrative is the social adjustment of the citizens of Maycomb and the human race as a whole. Lee showcases the progress in social justice matters by using symbolism and motifs.
Mockingbirds will only sing their hearts, not cause any damage or give their lives to pleasing others. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird great examples are shown of different types of mockingbirds. Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Arthur (Boo) Radley are great examples of representing a mockingbird.
To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee's only novel, is a fictional story of racial oppression, set in Maycomb, A.L. in 1925 to 1935, loosely based on the events of the Scottsboro trials. Unlike the story however, the racial discrimination and oppression in the novel very accurately portrays what it was like in the 1920's and 1930's in the south. Tom Robinson, the black man accused of raping a poor low class white girl of 19, never stood a chance of getting a fair trial. This can be supported by giving examples of racially discriminatory and
For many years, America has struggled with equality. Through all the assumptions and stereotypes, America has been beaten. The amount of inequality in America has dramatically decreased throughout the years. Social equality is something that everyone has always wanted. One of the biggest inequalities is African American rights. Constantly there is always a change being made that has made African American rights much better. Within Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the audience is introduced to social equality by Scout Finch in Maycomb, Alabama. Consequently, since she is so young, she struggles to understand why there is inequality in the 1930s. Through all the harsh comments and assumptions of character interaction in the novel and
In the segregated American south of the 1930s, America did not value equality as it does today. This is the case in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, which depicts such injustice in Scout Finch’s fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama. Though Scout narrates the story as an adult, the difficult events she shares are from her childhood. As Scout lives through the events of the unfair trial of an African American man falsely accused of raping a white woman, Scout comes more aware of the evils of her society. Maycomb County is just a section of the south where many central issues like racism, classism, and sexism are plagued all throughout the south in the early 20th century.
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the audience is introduced to the Maycomb where the characters face differing treatment as a result of the widespread inequality. The inequality of the characters is explored through the social hierarchy of the Maycomb community and the gender inequity that prevails due to longstanding stereotypes. Racism is also a major factor that concerns the inequality of the characters, where black people are disrespected and heavily discriminated against. The injustice of the characters is apparent throughout the entirety of the novel.
America is the land of the free where everyone has been created equal... or is it? It becomes evident through this book that this idea cannot be true unless prejudice is completely overlooked. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee depicts the prejudice of 1930’s Alabama through racism, sexism, and social status, which plays a major role in how people are treated and expected to act. Through race, gender, and economic status the citizens of Maycomb marginalize certain groups of people making them seem inferior to them.
In the segregated American south of the 1930s, America did not value equality as it does today. This is the case in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, which depicts such injustice in Scout Finch’s fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama. Though Scout narrates the story as an adult, the difficult events she shares are from her childhood. As Scout lives through the events of the unfair trial of an African American man falsely accused of raping a white woman, Scout comes more aware of the evils of her society such as racism, sexism, and classism.
In Harper Lee's very fruitful novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, the creator investigates the issue of equity utilizing the image of the mockingbird. Set in the 1930s Deep South - a period of extraordinary narrow mindedness and racial disparity - the novel unravels as a record of bad form to the most generous yet unreasonably blamed subjects for the town of Maycomb. The kind hearted, however African-American Tom Robinson is unjustifiably put on trial for the charged assault of youthful Mayella Ewell. In spite of racial treacheries, Boo Radley is defrauded by the group taking into account the unfair town legends the Maycombians have made about him, driving him to live in a state of banishment inside his home. Atticus Finch, in spite of the fact that
In the story To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, There are various forms of discrimination. The Harper Lee novel shows an interesting viewpoint of 1930’s discrimination in Maycomb, Alabama. It really captures how different things were then compared to now. It’s somewhat shocking the way things happened in that time period.
The American Dream is an idea which usually includes something along the lines of anyone who does things right can be successful in America if they work hard enough regardless of their race, class, gender, or nationality. The only problem is that the American Dream does not account for issues in America like systematic racism, xenophobia, etc.; giving people a false sense of hope, or a misconstrued one. In addition, the issues presented were strongly visible during the 1920-1940’s eras; to find them one only has to look at the various issues going on at that time. The authors, John Steinbeck and Scott Fitzgerald offer the same negative point of view of the American Dream, as they both display through their characters the different ways in which it is unachievable or fictitious.
Since the birth of the United States racism and sexism are leading issues in American values. The unfairness or injustice that happened during this time period affected one’s life from child to senior. The real meaning of injustice; the violation of the rights of others, unjust or unfair action or treatment. This is exactly how the U.S was in the 1930’s, and what Harper Lee focuses on during the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The characters they focus on the most are Tom Robinson an African American accused of rape. Mayella Ewell a white woman beaten by her father because of relations with a black man. Lastly a boy, Jem Finch the son of a lawyer. He is petrified of the thought of his father being in danger defending black men. The worst is fearing her little sister be treated unfairly in society because she’s female. All these
It is the dream of many to achieve equality for all. Often, however, opposition to this cause is found closer to home than expected. In her eye-opening novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee sets her scene in 1930’s Maycomb, Alabama a tiny, rural town where three children, Scout, Dill, and Jem learn that issues of social discrimination are found daily in their hometown on a massive scale. The story is not only an entertaining tale, but a coming-of-age story as the children learn one of the the harshest realities associated with growing up: that not everyone is equal. In the book, these social inequalities and divisions are best brought to light through the community’s unfair treatment of Tom Robinson, a negro falsely accused of rape; Mayella Ewell, a poor girl from a large family with an abusive father; and Dolphus Raymond, a white man who loves a black woman.