Who Is The Boy In To Kill A Mockingbird

As children grow up, they open their eyes to the harsh truths in the world around them that they once did not understand or question. This is experienced by the main characters of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The story is of a girl called Scout and her older brother, Jem, who go through the trials of growing up in the fictional small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. Racism is rampant in the mindset of the townspeople, shown when the children’s lawyer father, Atticus, takes the case of an obviously innocent African-American man and they convict him in their hearts before the trial even starts. Through this all, we can see the theme of loss of innocence in the children. Lee uses characterization to portray

In the book, "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, there are many people who respect Atticus for his act of defending a black man, but something else he has done is raise his children very well. He has taught his children what courage is, how to respect people, and

Social Class in To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is about two children, Jem and Scout, and their relationships with their father, Atticus. The children raise themselves growing up, many people would say they were irresponsible, but they are both appear to be intelligent individuals. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird the novel demonstrates a rigid class structure and social stratification in the County of Maycomb. People should not be judged by their social class, they should be judged on their personality.

The novel “To kill a mockingbird” demonstrates the theme of racism through the various situations that occur within the book. Atticus’s decision to defend Tom Robinson begins to have a deep effect on the Finch family. This is demonstrated by the Finch family receiving many racist comments from various people. The next example of racism is demonstrated when Calpurnia, Scout, and Jem go to a church where only “black” people attend, and the Finch family gets discriminated. Later, when Calpurnia, Scout and Jem got home, Scout asked Atticus if she could go to Calpurnia’s house, but Scout’s aunt said “no”. This is because Calpurnia’s neighborhood has too many “black people” which is a “bad influence” on Scout. Through these situations, it is clear

Also, even the children of the county view the blacks as lower class. They know that they are above them, and sometimes the children act like it. Scout says during the trial, “Well, Dill, after all he’s just a Negro,” (Lee 226). This shows that even innocent Scout can just act like she’s better than Tom.

In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee chooses to narrate the book from the perspective of Scout, who is a child. One of the themes of the book is growing up, and questioning the ways of the people in Maycomb. Scout always thought that the people in Maycomb were the best until she started to realize that a lot of them were very racist when the trial gets closer. Because she is a kid, her opinions can change more easily than those of an adult. Because she hasn’t known the people in Maycomb for as long as the adults, she can more easily accept that they have bad views, while people who have known them for a while would deny that because they’ve always thought they were a good person.

“I thought Mr. Cunningham was a friend of ours...You told me a long time ago that he was...He still is. But last night he wanted to hurt you… He might have hurt me a little,” Atticus conceded, “but son, you’ll understand folks a little better when you’re older. A mob’s always made of people, no matter what. Mr. Cunningham was part of a mob last night, but he was still a man. Every mob in every little southern town is always made of people you know…” (pg. 157). Though this discussion Scout began to learn about the unbending prejudice of people who have been raised in a racist environment. Through this event she learned that people in groups are capable of doing things that they wouldn’t ordinarily do on their own.

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is a highly regarded work of American fiction. The story of the novel teaches us many lessons that should last any reader for a lifetime. The messages that Harper Lee relays to the reader are exemplified throughout the book using various methods. One of

To Kill a Mockingbird taught viewers a lot of lessons about racial prejudice, prejudice, and bravery, and that caused the critics to praise the film. An example of racial prejudice in the film is when Atticus is sitting outside the jail protecting Tom Robinson because there was a concern of

Harper Lee continually utilizes topics of classism and racism to frame the way the children are being taught from many influential interactions in this novel. Aunt Alexandra reinforces classism as the ideal world when she disapproves of Scout’s convening with Walter. Referencing the Cunninghams, Aunt Alexandra replies, “Because he is trash… I’ll not have you around him, picking up his habits and learning Lord knows what…there is no doubt in my mind that they’re good folks, but they’re not our kind of folks.” (299-301) Scout is faced with a moral dilemma when these conflicting perspectives arise as she begins to realize that judging someone as good or bad is an incomplete assessment as shades of grey exist. This idea of separation is also held by Lula, a black woman, which is made apparent when Calpurnia brings Scout and Jem to her church. Calpurnia defends the children’s right to worship in the African church when Lula approaches them, “You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillum here—they got their church. We got our’n…” This showed the kids that black people, whom carried most of the weight of discrimination, could also encourage and uphold this division.

Scout has to deal with becoming prejudiced to Walter Cunningham, she does not want him to come for dinner, but Jem still invited him over. Scout is talking to Calpurnia; Walter is in the dining room eating dinner when he pours syrup all over his plate. “‘He ain’t company, Cal, he’s just a Cunningham—’‘Hush your mouth! Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo’ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you was so high and mighty!’” (24). This shows how Scout is being taught to treat all people equal no matter what their race, religion, or social class. Scout had been going around calling black people niggers, but Atticus tells here that it is degrading and that she should not say that because she is just acting “common” even if she is not. “Of course I do. Don’t say nigger, Scout. That’s common.” “‘s what everybody at school says.” “From now on it’ll be everybody less one” (75). Although Scout is acting “common” by saying these words, she is being taught by the kids in her school that it is okay to speak like this. Atticus quickly corrects her teaching her that it is wrong to say such things; he is teaching her to be a respectful young lady. Scout is learning to be respectful like her father and all of the people raising her.

Though Calpurnia and the people involved in Calpurnia’s life are greatly impacted, Jean Louise Finch, a.k.a. Scout, deals with more confusion and frustration brought on by racial discrimination. During a day at school, Scout encountered Cecil Jacobs and his ignorant mind. “Atticus had promised me he would wear me out if he ever heard of me fighting any more… I soon forgot. Cecil Jacobs made me forget. He had announced in the schoolyard the day before that Scout Finch’s daddy defends niggers”(Lee 99). Scout did not realize what this meant, but she was hurt by it any way. Scout is affected by a copious amount of racism, she just has no clue what is zipping around her. When she confronted Atticus about him defending Negroes, he said of course he does, and to not use

These people we call “Mockingbirds” are often times shot down. Innocence is not even considered. People can be flat out rude to others and this disrespect can take a toll on the innocent. For example, Mrs. Dubose declares, ‘“Don’t you say hey to me, you ugly girl! You say good afternoon, Mrs. Dubose!”’ (133). Here, Scout gets scared from this. Mrs. Dubose is so mean. It’s bizarre how someone could be so austere to such a little mistake a little girl made.

Scout is a very judgmental girl who is quick to judge people if she feels they are different or not what Scout is used to. Growing up as an African-American woman in the 1900’s Calpurnia is used to the harsh judgments of many. Calpurnia makes sure that Scout is accepting of all people no matter their ethnic background. She enforces the importance of being accepting to all on their visit to the black church, “"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." (pg. 114). Calpurnia is aware that it is hard for young girls not to be judgmental because they are still learning. She makes note of it early in the book after Scout threatens a boy in school. The Finch’s invite, Walter Cunningham, to dinner as an attempt to apologize for Scout’s threat. Walter Cunningham is a young boy in a very poor family who are not able to eat as much as the Finch’s. At dinner, Walter shows poor manners and begins to drench his food in molasses. Although this is not how a guest should act it is still wrong for Scout to judge him and Calpurnia scolds her for it. She strictly tells Scout, “...There's some folks who don't eat like us," she whispered fiercely, "but you ain't called on to contradict 'em at the table when they don't. That boy's yo' comp'ny and if he wants to eat up the tablecloth you let him, you hear?" (pg. 24). In this case, the excuse was the condition the boy was in but Calpurnia makes sure that Scout is never quick to judge someone no matter what the case

The American actress Goldie Hawn once said that “the biggest lesson you can learn in life, or teach your children, is that life is not castles in the skies, happily ever after. The biggest lesson we have to give our children is truth” (Safire 99). In Harper Lee’s novel,