To Kill a Mockingbird Reflection
Written in the late 1950s to early 1960s, To Kill a Mockingbird in many ways reflects the state of its society. The Civil Rights Movement was occurring at the time, a fight for human freedom, extending the rights of full citizenship to individuals regardless of race, sex, or creed and the slowly emerging concept of equal rights for all. Although set in the 1930s, it has come to my attention that the book strongly mirrors it¡¯s context and was greatly influenced by the values and beliefs of the people at the time.
To Kill a Mockingbird in my opinion doesn¡¯t represent a true 1930s. It contains many main characters such as Calpurnia and Atticus who have morals and personalities that I felt out-step
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This can be seen through the likeness of Tom Robinson¡¯s trial and the Mississippi Burning trails. In both these cases I noted that a white person¡¯s word has prevailed over a black man¡¯s based on the notion that one race is superior than the other. This claim of ¡®superiority¡¯ I think is more or less a cover up for ignorance, and the fear of mixing with things the white people didn¡¯t understand; the African Americans. Atticus describes this fear in the novel as ¡°Maycomb¡¯s usual disease¡± where ¡°reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up.¡±
¡°Maycomb¡¯s usual disease¡± likens to the reaction of students from the University of Alabama graduate school who reacted with violence that lasted for several days to the acceptance of Autherine Lucy, a female African American into the University in 1956. I suspect that this reaction was based on the resentment and hatred of coloured people, racial prejudice. It was most likely caused by the stereotypes of coloured people at the time, stereotypes that offer the image of a somewhat less human creature that was violent, senseless and resentful. Because of segregation laws and the general ¡®stay in your place and we will in ours¡¯ sentiment of both the white and black communities, the white people don¡¯t really have the opportunity to prove stereotypes wrong and so grow up with a warped impression of the other race, they cannot be
Racism is something that most people would claim they do not believe in or support; however, as clearly shown in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, racism is a disease that spreads through a region and worsens as time goes on. Racism is an issue that is still prevalent in the American society today, and Harper Lee’s timeless novel continues to teach the lesson that one needs to look beyond the color of another man’s skin and see them for who they truly are. Mr. Raymond’s conversation with Dill after Tom Robinson’s testimony initially shows that racism is better comprehended with age. He says, “Let him get a little older and he won’t get sick and cry… Cry about the hell white people give to colored folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people too” (Lee, 1960, p. 269). Here, it becomes clear that children can be naive to racism and the evil in the world, but as they continue to grow up in an area that feels so strongly about white supremacy, they become immune to the injustice and prejudice. Further, Mr. Raymond’s words allow the reader to better understand the severity of the racism in Maycomb and the entirety of the country. It also unveils a crucial theme in the novel, namely that one must consider a person of color to be no different from oneself, as all humans are equal. Additionally, racism is repeatedly referred to as a disease in the novel, which is explained when Atticus is talking to Uncle Jack about the trial and he says “‘... I hope and pray I can get
The novel “To Kill a Mocking Bird” is based in the fictional small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. When slavery and the Civil War were still present in the people’s way of living and the civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s are far from close. The novel focuses on the Finches: Scout, her brother Jem, and their father Atticus, and the trial of Tom Robinson and how it affected them and the town. Witnessing the injustice of Tom Robinson’s trial changed Scout Finch in many ways. Scout learns that there is more than one type of courage, she learns about race and its complexity, and she also changes how she views the people around her by putting herself
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee showcases the racial injustices and tensions that were presented in the 1930s; since the 1930s the racial tensions have improved, but with improvement, there will always be a struggle and other circumstances that prevent complete equality from prevailing. Segregation, racism, and inequality have all been obstacles that were presented in the 1930s. Issues such as racial bias and profiling that occur not only in the south, but even in the U.S. Criminal Justice System have arisen. Although race relations and social injustices have improved since the 1930s, some issues such as racism towards citizens who are not considered white Americans have stayed similar since that time.
The intriguing novel, To Kill A Mockingbird is written by the prestigious author Harper Lee. Lee has utilised the lifestyle and attitudes towards African-Americans" in the 1930's to create a novel which presents the reader with Lee's attitudes and values. The dominant reading of the novel is focused on the issues of racial prejudice, but there are also a number of other alternative and oppositional readings. Examples of this are the Marxist and feminist readings which can be applied to the text.
'To Kill a Mockingbird' is a novel that was written in the 1960s, but Harper Lee decided to set the novel in the Depression era of the 1930s in a small town in Alabama. Lee provided her readers with a historical background for the affairs of that time and in doing so she exposed the deeply entrenched history of the civil rights in South America. Like the main characters in this novel, Lee grew up in Alabama; this made it easier for her to relate to the characters in the novel as she would have understood what they would have experienced during the period when racism, discrimination and inequality was on the increase within the American society.
Few people can imagine living during the time of racial segregation or the great depression. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird takes place from the year 1933 to 1995. During this time, two siblings named Scout and Jem Finch are living in the town of Maycomb, Alabama. While growing up, they go through many events and learn numerous lessons from their father, Atticus Finch. Throughout the novel, Jem goes through many experiences that change the way he perceives the town of Maycomb and it’s people.
The beginning of the Civil Rights Movement era corresponds with the time that Harper Lee was writing about Scout Finch and her brother Jem. They live in the very state that events like the Montgomery Bus boycott would take place. The fictional town of Maycomb is in Alabama, the same state where Martin Luther King Jr. would rise to be the voice of African Americans aching for equality. The actual movement may have started in 1960 but that is the same year that To Kill a Mockingbird was published and huge events were rupturing the south, throughout the novel readers can see the attitude of a want and need for equality in characters and some events.
To Kill A Mockingbird takes place in the 1930’s Alabama during the great depression. From reading the book, we get taken into the roots of human behaviour and find out some of the experiences that people had back in 1930's Alabama. The book centres around the main character Scout Finch, and through her narration, she shows us how people thought, and what racism looks like at that time. The small town of Maycomb is a place where everyone knows each other and expects everyone to act a certain way. When Atticus, a man who is respected by the entire town, decides to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, the whole town turns on him because he did not do what society thought was right. Societal expectations have a major impact on an individual's actions. An example society expects you to do could be as simple as holding the door for someone else or . It’s a social norm, individuals who have to make a decision will tend to do what society thinks is right even if they have to go against what
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a multi-faceted novel which explores the principles and morals of people in the South during the 1930s. Mockingbirds are symbolic of the people that society abuse. Lee narrates the events of the novel using Scout’s voice and uses this technique to add emotional context and develop themes. Themes of racial and classist prejudice are developed by Lee to challenge the reader. These techniques are all powerful ways to alter the views of the reader.
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.
“To Kill a Mocking Bird” is not only a great book but also a book that portrays a clear and concise message. This book is about the murder, immense persecution, and hatred towards an innocent man, Tom Robinson. This book Written by Harper lee is about a rape case against an African American man during the years of 1932 to 1935 in Maycomb, Alabama. These years were filled with racism, hatred, and segregation. A rape charge against a black man, Tom Robinson, with the victim being a white woman, Mayella Ewell, was ultimately a death sentence during these times no matter the actual truth to the incident or if it even occurred in the first place. This story portrays the truth of racism and the extreme level of tyranny directed towards African Americans. Lee lays out in detail the entirety of Tom Robinson’s case from the
Decades ago, in the 1930s, people of color were not treated fairly. Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird took place in the 1930s in the fictional place of Macomb County, Alabama. It was narrated through a young girl named Scout Finch. Throughout the novel, Scout, her older brother, Jem, and their good friend Dill discover realities of society. Scout and Jem’s father, Atticus, was appointed to be the attorney of a black man. Because of the time period, the case was almost hopeless, but Atticus fought anyway. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird displays universal themes such as racial intolerance and innocence of youth.
To Kill A Mockingbird took place in the 1930’s, a time that was enormously charged with racial tension. One example of this is the existence of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Even though the KKK was in a time of decline in the 1930’s, it had been very prominent in the 1920’s and had still not completely died out. The KKK had rallies and
The book To Kill a Mockingbird is historical novel that takes place in the 1930’s. In the book the author, Harper Lee, uses three characters to show how many hateful and racist people are in the town of Maycomb, Alabama. These three characters show how the town is racist and hateful towards them or their way of life. Tom Robinson is one of the three characters that was treated hatefully because he was african american.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has become a mainstay in American high-schools. This is a classic novel that has inspired many people of all ages. It had a big impact on how people viewed and treated each other. This is a story that teaches everyone about the value of honesty, love, friendship and trust. Every word written in this book has a truly deep meaning to it. The time period that the book was written in was during the Great Depression in the 1930’s. This setting was in a small town in Maycomb, Alabama with people who did not get along. During this time there was a lot of segregation within America and different races. To Kill a Mockingbird is about a family who believes in doing the right thing and being honest. There was a