Harper Lee’s “to Kill a Mockingbird Seeks to Focus Upon the Hypocrisy of the ‘American Dream’. Discuss.

What it Means to Kill a Mocking Bird: an in depth analysis of the morals in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird

In 2012, Stephen Brighton gave a speech at the American Anthropological Association annual meeting explaining that the term “The American Dream”. It was coined by a writer named J.T. Adams and is defined as the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity. The idea behind the American Dream was that it was available to anyone who came to America (Brighton 4). “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus illustrates how the American dream and the statue of liberty welcome immigrants from across the world. Although, in Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s “Declaration of Sentiments” the author discusses the inequality of men and women and how the American dream was not being fulfilled to women. The theme of the American dream is present in both “Declaration of Sentiments” and “The New Colossus” by discussing the liberties to which Americans should be entitled, presenting the idea that opportunity exist in America for anybody to make a living, and that everybody is welcomed into American to experience the freedom, equality and opportunity of the American dream.

The American dream is an example of a national spirit that represents different ideologies. The set of ideas may be of democracy, equality matters, liberty, rights, and opportunities. The American dream believes in freedom for prosperity and success for its citizens. The idea suggests that upward social mobility for individuals can be achieved only through hard work. In a story done by George Saunders, the American dream is exemplified in several instances. The author, George, tells the story of contemporary America through a diary. The main character in the story is a father to three daughters. The family’s struggles are examples of how individuals will go extra miles just to provide for their families and also

While many people view the achievement of the American Dream as the highest form of success, it is really a false reality built on an ongoing history of white supremacy and superiority. “The Dream” is one that is held by the willfully ignorant, those believing themselves to be white, and people who do not wish to reflect on the issues of race and discrimination transpiring in modern day society. As a result, “The Dream” is consequentially detrimental to the African American race.

Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, has won many awards and has created a significant spot in the history of literature. Lee was brought up in the South, and that became a motivator for her to write this novel. In the book, the author navigates us around the unjust world in the racially biased Southern USA in the 1900’s, through the eyes of Jean Louise Finch, or as one may know her, Scout. The book is a virtual portal to the world Scout lives in. Lee takes the readers on a journey in which Scout, a naive but curious girl, discovers and fights many different kinds of discriminations which are based on race, gender, family status and class. These aspects put one in a state of mind in which they experience a clash of opposing feelings between

The so-called American Dream is one of the most time-honored and cliché phrases used to describe the conception of the United States. It is commonly used to refer to the notion that anyone can come to this country and, through hard work and sheer will, change his or her fortune and lot in life in a way that other countries simply do not allow people to do. However, it is interesting to see that this popular idea of the American Dream does not necessarily correlate to the perceptions of two authors who wrote about this subject both directly and indirectly, Martin Luther King Jr. in his "I Have A Dream Speech" and J.B. Priestley in "Wrong Isms". In fact, both of these authors view the American Dream through respective lenses in which they do not believe that the promise of the American Dream is coming to fruition. Still, they both utilize similar rhetorical devices to attempt to change their view of what the American Dream has become, which they believe is negative, to what they hope the American Dream will come to be, which is positive, by using an abundance of metaphors, anaphora, and

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.

Throughout history, individuals have strived to achieve the “American Dream.” Whether they worked endless hours to achieve financial stability or fought infinite amounts of people for their equality, their drive came from the understanding that if they tried hard enough, they would be prosperous and successful. The different viewpoints of the “American Dream” are depicted in the books, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, as told by Alex Haley, and Ragged Dick, Or, Street Life In New York With The Boot-Blacks, written by Horatio Alger. Malcolm X was known to challenge the notion of the “American Dream”; however, his life, alongside Ragged Dick, can be depicted as a model of the “American Dream.” Struggling with discrimination, beginning their lives in poverty, and pursing a better life through education are key components that helped Malcolm X and Ragged Dick discover their own “American Dream.”

The American Dream, the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative, is a dream that many people both living in and migrating to the United States desire. Like many dreams, the reality is sometimes much different than the image developed in those hopeful minds. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, depicts the struggle of a strong character’s journey in search of independence and yet to live cohesively with those around her.

To Kill A Mockingbird is an infamous novel in relation to the ideas of social justice and anti-racism, which the author conceptualised throughout the text. Through the use of symbolism, character vocabulary, and setting, as representation of the deprivation of the four key points of social justice; equity, equality, freedom, and human rights, the author, Harper Lee, positions the reader of To Kill A Mockingbird to question what is ethically right or wrong according to personal values and how they are contrasted or contradicted by persons according to the race of others. This illuminates the complexities associated with racism and positions the reader towards re-evaluating right and wrong regardless of colour, to come to the socially just conclusion of ‘anti-racism’, the main idea of the text.

Inequality is a theme that runs throughout all of history. Harper Lee uses the theme of inequality in her book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Tom Robinson must deal with inequality when he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit because no one will trust a black man over a white man. The Cunningham family must face discrimination because of their lack of money. Scout even faces inequality when she tries to play with Jem and Dill. The theme of inequality is a strong one in Lee’s book, and her use of inequality doesn’t only define racism, but also discrimination based on wealth and gender.

The American Dream exists in the hearts of all Americans and is a concept that drives many people from all over the world to want to come to America. It holds the promise of infinite possibilities and allows them to escape a society of poverty and racism. This Dream also exists in the hearts of many Americans already living in America. However, this dream primarily exists in the minds of minority populations, such as African Americans, whose past is full of discrimination based on their race. The American Dream not only offers success in the form of economic stability but also acceptance from society regardless of an individual’s race or religion. Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, shows how the American Dream is not often available to

The American dream has always been a significant national element in the spirit of the United States. It is an idea that “has been attached to everything from religious freedom to a home in the suburbs, and has inspired emotions ranging from deep satisfaction to disillusioned fury” (Hochschild 1995, 17). However, the American dream resembles a national anthem sang by different voices who don’t agree on the lyrics. If we were to ask people about their idea on this abstract concept, we would get various opinions; nevertheless, the theme is quite similar: “the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” Years before the use of the phrase "American

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 a term often used as motivation for people who are seeking a better life outside of their torrid country. According to James Truslow, who coined the term American Dream, the definition is, “a dream of a social order in which each man and woman shall be able to attain to their fullest stature of which they are innately capable.” (68) The American Dream is sought out by many, but they are often denied the privilege of prevailing in a predominantly successful society run by the top 1% who care more about a person’s last name and economic status. For many, the American Dream is trading in the impoverished life they once lived in a second or third world country for financially stable and secure life to provide their family with a steady foundation for when they reach adulthood. Throughout history, influential figures have preached about the importance of the American Dream for the people of America, but in reality the American Dream is merely fiction. For hundreds of years, minorities who arrive in America looking for a better life are waking up to the truth—the American Dream does not exist. While there are plenty of people who find success within America, more times than not they are already privileged white elites. The American Dream is just a dream for most because America in recent years has imposed a lot of obstacles: hardships relating to an inflated economy, no jobs, and a uniform system with no change is damaging the possibility of the American