To Kill a Mockingbird Term Paper
Imagine having your life completely destroyed by a fraudulent charge just because of the color of your skin. There are many examples of hypocrisy in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Some of the most glaring examples of hypocrisy come from three female characters: Mrs. Dubose, Mrs. Merriweather, and Mrs. Gates. Each character said a hypocritical statement in this novel. A quote and detailed context will be used to explain to the full extent what was hypocritical with their statement.
Mrs. Dubose is prejudiced against negros, yet she has a black servant who helps her maintain her life. “But Mrs. Dubose held us: ‘Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse lawing for niggers!’”
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Mrs. Merriweather is a surprising but clear example of hypocrisy. A final surprising example of hypocrisy comes from a schoolteacher named Mrs. Gates. Mrs. Gates says all the prejudiced evil actions that Hitler did in Germany against the Jews does not happen in the democracy of America, yet she says the blacks need to be kept in their place. “‘Over here we don’t believe in persecuting anybody. Persecution
“While strongly condemning any attempt to abuse the person of Muhammad, or an insult to our holy places and prejudice against the faith we reject and strongly condemn the use of force to terrorize innocent people and the killing of innocent people” (Benghazi 11). A quote, said by Libyan Prime Minister, Mustafa Abushagar, as a result to the attack on a United States Embassy in Benghazi on September 11, 2012. This attack is considered an act of terror on the United States and as a result, four Americans were killed. Set in a post 9/11 setting, this event is one of the most controversial. Some people believe Hilary Clinton, former Secretary of State, did not do enough with security at international embassies, while others believe that she did everything she could and was supposed to. The bombing of the US
As children, people learn to never judge a book by its cover. But they are also taught other things through their societies—that all black men are violent, that all Muslims are terrorists, that all Hispanics are illegal immigrants—that a single glance can determine who a person is. So, which is it? How can a society be so contradictory? In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee used hypocrisy and characterization in the tea party scene to develop the theme that appearances do not reveal a person’s true character.
Imagine a world where evil and unjust actions are based on the color of skin; a world where some don’t even realize that they are prejudicing. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, these themes are present. People and how they commit evil, hypocritical, and unjust acts. We see these themes and great issues through the point of view of a child; the vigorous, youthful, elementary-aged Scout. Through this character Harper Lee shows the innocence of children, and what they go through in our inequitable world.
Scout also faces prejudice among the people she knows very well, but Jem, her brother also has to face prejudices from the community as well, some of these people being their neighbors. ”But Mrs. Dubose held us: “Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse lawing for niggers!” Jem stiffened. Mrs. Dubose’s shot had gone home and she knew it: “Yes indeed, what has this world come to when a Finch goes against his raising? I’ll tell you!” She put her hand to her mouth. When she drew it away, it trailed a long silver thread of saliva. “Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for”(lee 135). Mrs. Dubose, being the neighbor of Scout and Jem harasses them
Harper Lee’s novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” is set in a small, southern town, Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The story is told through the eyes of a girl named Scout about her father, Atticus, an attorney who strives to prove the innocence of a black man named Tom Robinson, who was accused of rape and Boo Radley, an enigmatic neighbor who saves Scout and her brother Jem from being killed. Atticus does his job in proving there was no way that Tom Robinson was guilty during his trial, but despite Tom Robinson’s obvious innocence, he is convicted of rape as it is his word against a white woman’s. Believing a “black man’s word” seemed absurd as segregation was a very integrated part of life in the south. The social hierarchy must be maintained at all costs and if something in the system should testify the innocence of a black man against a white woman’s word and win then what might happen next? Along with the prejudice amongst blacks and whites, the story also showed how people could be misunderstood for who they truly are such as Boo Radley. Without ever seeing Boo, Jem and the townsfolk made wild assumptions on what Boo does or looks like. Even so, while “To Kill a Mockingbird” shows the ugliness that can come from judging others, its ultimate message is that great good can result when one defers judgement until considering things from another person’s view. Walter Cunningham, Mrs. Dubose, and Boo Radley are all examples of how looking at things
“Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" (Lee, 98). Ever since its publication, Harper Lee’s novel has been read by millions worldwide. Its perspectives on racism and empathy have been reviewed, criticized, and analyzed by every demographic. But there is the ever present question: what, in essence, does Harper Lee mean when she declares it a sin to kill a mockingbird? Though she reveals that it is a sin because they are innocent, what is she truly implying? Is she discussing the events of Tom Robinson’s fictional trial, or something deeper? However one visions it, it is clear the story would not have developed and lived up to its glory without many of its characters and events that
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch states: “The evil assumption- that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women… Which, gentlemen, we know is in itself a lie as black as Tom Robinson’s skin” (pg.232). To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is the story of a lawyer’s two children growing up in Maycomb, Alabama to a world that seems more and more corrupt to them. The side plot of the Tom Robinson v. Ewell family case highlights some of the more corrupt and wicked elements of the general Maycomb views. Thus, Tom Robinson and Bob Ewell show the prejudice between whites and blacks.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a witty and well-written account of the realities of a “tired old town” (4) where there was “nothing to buy and nothing to buy it with” (4). Purposefully, it comes across not merely an innocently portrayed, yet eye-opening, story of a young girl start to grasp the inequalities of her society. Rather, it is accompanied by recollection of the unfortunate pillars of hate of the places Harper Lee matured in. We now perceive this account as an ‘archaic” and “ancient” recount of some historically frowned upon mindsets in an enthralling atmosphere upon which we pin historical quantities of prejudice, racism and most of all, bigotry. The unfortunate reality is that we look at history in a vacuum and ignore the occurrences of our own times. So although we, like Scout’s teachers teaching about the horrible acts of the Holocaust while being outspokenly racist, are able to analyze social inequalities in other places in time or the world yet refuse to open our eyes to the same prejudice, racism and bigotry today. To instance, when reading To Kill a Mockingbird , we often frown upon citizens for judging “folks” based on their family name and race, although, everyday, some member of our current society, such as police officers and employers, do the same thing and no one bats an eye. Alternatively, the issue which we definitely desperately desire to avoid, racism, is explicitly tackled in To Kill a Mockingbird to the point of viral awareness of the problem in
People judge others all the time. Just because someone does not get paid as much means they do not try hard enough, and someone who has a different skin color is automatically a bad person. These thoughts are called prejudice. People have thoughts like these everyday, every hour, every minute, every second, this does not mean it is right. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the people of Maycomb have these thoughts against people like Tom Robinson or Walter Cunningham. But there are some strong characters that go against all the discrimination against these people.Harper lee conveys that a person's income or race does not make them less of a person through the words, thoughts, and actions of Calpurnia, Dill, and Atticus.
As the United States “progresses” in economic, educational and technological advancements we still are fighting for racial equality. With more than 50 years since the brown vs. board of education case there is still incidents like Ferguson, Baton Rouge, and Phiando Castile where many questions are still unanswered. However, Harper Lee dealt with these same problems in 1960 when she wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee created an emotionally confronting story. Lee writes through the eyes of “Scout” a lawyer’s daughter in a small sleepy town of Maycomb in Alabama during the great depression. Throughout the book “Scout” learns coming of age lessons from Atticus and her own experiences. But when Atticus takes on a case defending a black man (Tom Robinson) convicted for rapping a white woman (Mayella Ewell) and is found guilty. “Scout” her brother Jem begin to understand the effects of the prejudices in society. Therefore, Lee applies the literary concepts of diction and tone to revel the truth that prejudices in society negatively affect the way people treat each other in To Kill a Mocking Bird.
For other Christian interpretations of Confirmation, see Confirmation (Christian sacrament). The Seven Sacraments Altarpiece, by Rogier van der Weyden, depicting a Latin Church bishop administering confirmation in the 14th century Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. It is the one of the three sacraments of initiation into the Catholic Church, the other two being Baptism and Holy Communion.[1] According to Catholic doctrine, the Sacrament of Confirmation enables the faithful to be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, strengthening them in their Christian life.
In Harper Lee’s historical novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the main protagonist, Atticus Finch, delivers his final argumentative response to not only prove the innocence of Tom Robinson, who was allegedly convicted of raping Mayella Ewell, but to address the inequality and immoral code of conduct against African-Americans faced in society. Finch’s purpose is to publicise the unethical treatment blacks receive from whites and to show that they should not be the culprit of society due to their race. He adopts a passionate and sincere tone in order to emphasize the discrimination African-Americans face in society to the people in the courtroom.
Amy DeLuca is a member of the Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City School Board. Although she is a registered democrat, she considers herself to be independent. I chose to interview Amy DeLuca because she is a close family friend. Also three of my relatives are teachers in the Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City School District, which only felt right to interview a person that is trying to benefit the Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City School District. Not only because it effects me, but it also impacts my entire family. This interview was conducted over the phone during Mrs. DeLuca’s office hours.
The concept of conflicting perspectives is consistently present in Harper Lees’ novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The text asks questions about current trends in society and the attitudes that cause people to ‘act like sheep” and conform while also expressing the need for individuality. It also brings into question the way the judicial system should be beyond reproach no matter what man is on trial, whether they be white or black. In a similar manner it also shows changing attitudes in regards to racism over time and in turn establish a conflicting perspective between the reader and characters of the novel.
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