In a small town like Maycomb, one may never ponder of what could go wrong. However, the area provides a lesson to many curious readers. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee demonstrates the themes of courage, community, and prejudice through the racial views of Maycomb County and Atticus in the setting of the Courthouse. The theme of courage is represented when Atticus goes against society in order to defend a Negro in court. Because of his stance on Tom Robinson, Atticus had many offensive titles thrown behind his back by people he doesn’t know, and even relatives. When Scout was talking to her cousin Francis at a holiday get-together, Francis informed Scout that her father is “nothin’ but a nigger-lover” for taking on the case of Tom Robinson (Lee 94). Because the entire community of Maycomb turned on Atticus simply because of racial views, he demonstrated the theme of courage as he ignored these remarks. Later in the novel, Atticus expressed trust in …show more content…
Before the court case, people demanded that Tom Robinson needed to be killed before any proof of him being guilty was presented. At the entrance of the town jail, a mob came to Atticus demanding him to “get [Tom Robinson] outa [the jail]” so that he could be slaughtered (173). Such cruel acts towards an innocent man introduces the splitting of the community due to racial beliefs. Even after justice was provided by the jury, the debates over race and Tom Robinson still occurred. During the jail’s exercise period, Tom tried to escape but the guards “fired a few shots… then [killed him]” (268). The death of this harmless man casted frowns on Tom’s supporters, but smiles on his enemies. This scene further portrays the separation of Maycomb County because of racial beliefs. Harper Lee utilized controversy in a Southern Town to create a community that struggled to agree with one another in terms of views on
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird tells of a town in Alabama, called Maycomb. In this deeply-rooted racist town, there is a trial against an African American man, accused of raping a white woman. One man, however, Atticus Finch, has the opportunity to help the the man on trial. Although he knows he will lose the trial, he takes the case anyway. Atticus is respected in Maycomb, and known for his wisdom and experience. He is a good-hearted, egalitarian man who is always there and willing to provide guidance to his children and to the town of Maycomb, with his years of practice and experience.
The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, tells the story of Jem and Scout Finch and their adventures in Maycomb county in the 1930s, and Atticus their father who takes a brave step to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who everyone is against, over a white woman who accuses him of rape. Lee reveals that fighting for justice in an unjust society requires the courage to stand up against the majority. This theme appears in the novel when they introduce Maycomb county and show that the society they are living in is difficult, when Atticus takes a brave step to defend a black man in a rape case and has to deal with the consequences of it, and when Scout and Jem also have to deal with the hate from Atticus’s choice but keep their head up
Harper Lee’s coming-of-age story reminds readers how far society has come. In the time period in which the novel is set, society faced many issues involving racism and discrimination. Now in the 2000’s the world doesn't focus on the colour of one’s skin but the person it carries. Harper Lee effectively represents African-American history in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Throughout the novel Lee shows how racism negatively affected Maycomb County’s population by utilizing major themes including racial discrimination and the right to a fair trial. Lee’s novel has a similar story to multiple cases in the early 1900’s as well as showing links to the troubles the town faced with the Great Depression and social standings.
Atticus’ bravery inspired his child to do the right thing and have a positive impact. During the trial, Atticus’ efforts to prove Tom’s innocence and address the jury set racial stereotypes, exposing the racism behind Maycomb’s southern ways. Such actions gave voice to the feelings of injustice and helped people see beyond skin color, treating each other as human beings. This paved the way for civil rights to happen and consequently reformed the 20th century. Having been a beloved classic novel, recognized for its themes of moral bravery and racial injustice, Harper Lee’s
In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, demonstrates the courage of people standing up for their ideas even when the world around them defy their beliefs. The story takes place in a small town, Maycomb, Alabama, where racism is quite prominent. The novel includes the characters Atticus Finch, Mrs. Maudie, and Aunt Alexandra, who show the courage and strength to stand up for themselves. Atticus Finch continues to stay
In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus refuses to racism as the usual Maycomb disease. Atticus made his opinion clear when he told Uncle Jack about the Maycomb disease. In page 100 of the book Atticus addresses his concern,“why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don't pretend to understand ” (Lee ). The usual Maycomb disease is racism and discrimination, Atticus is becoming concerned about Scout because she keeps saying the n-word instead of negro. Atticus also states that he has no idea why everyone goes mad in the head when a negro is involved.
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.
Being at the top of the social hierarchy has been a must for every American of past generations, but can lead to fatal damages for some trying to obtain that goal and a cause to ruin people’s lives. In a remarkably triumphant story on compassion, Harper Lee explored the horrors of racial prejudice in the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Set in the 1930’s, the poor town of Maycomb, Alabama has been hit by the depression hard, which created a vast, complex social pyramid, with distinct families and lifestyles. At the Finch household, composed of a little nine year old girl, Scout, a twelve year old boy Jem, and their father Atticus, proceed through a whirlwind of events throughout the next few years. Atticus, a lawyer who is a hardworking, honest man at the top of the social hierarchy of Maycomb, has to defend a colored man by the name of Tom Robinson. This happened to be very unusual for the time period, as the family has to transcend through the struggles in a racial prejudice town and learn the raw nature of the worst in humans, thus trying to overcome these events through compassion. The author utilizes metaphor, characterization, and mood to describe the situation of Maycomb, it soon then becomes very clear that the dangers of ruining innocence can lead to a vast road of horrors and evils.
Near the end of the trial Atticus walks out. When Scout was watching her father leave she said, “I looked around; they were standing, all around us in the balcony on the opposite wall, the Negroes were getting to their feet” (283). This shows that the black people respect what Atticus has done for one of their own kind. Mr. Underwood wrote about Tom Robinson’s death. Scout says, “He likened Toms death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children, and Maycomb thought he was trying to write an editorial poetical” (323).
The characters in, To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel by Harper Lee, often use prejudice against people of controversial issues. Many of the townspeople of Maycomb use prejudice on the families who are on the less wealthy end of the spectrum. Issues are still displayed because of the racial prejudice used against African Americans and those of other races. Lastly, gender is a clear issue in Maycomb because of women’s and girl’s rights and lack of respect towards them because they are female. All of the types of prejudice show that Maycomb has many problems all throughout the town between other families and townspeople.
Life is like a thrill ride; one never knows what will be in store for them. Many characters in the story To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee feel the same way about life, having experienced many surprising and unexpected turns of events. This story is about a sleepy southern town filled with prejudice, and a lawyer’s quest, along with his children Scout and Jem, to take steps in ridding the town of its prejudiced attitude. Despite being a white man, a lawyer named Atticus, defends an innocent black man accused of raping a white woman. However, everything does not go as was hoped, and the mindset of the society overpowered Atticus’s fair-minded argument. From this emerges a theme regarding the bigotry and bias overwhelming Maycomb: A
Maycomb County is a small, divided town where, in this story, danger is no stranger. Everyone in Maycomb is faced with personal and difficulties, but everyone perseveres and faces the difficulties with courage. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout, a young girl grows up in Maycomb County, Alabama during the Great Depression; this town is very divided in many ways and Scout is always finding ways to slip between the dividers. Throughout the story we hear rumors, court trials, and we see children maturing. By the end, we have a deeper understanding of the people in Maycomb County and what they are capable of. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the theme that courage is perseverance can be seen when Scout walks away from a fight, Mrs. Dubose dies free from her morphine addiction, and when Atticus defends an African American man in court.
To be calm even when faced with an angry mob willing to hurt you to get what they want is what makes Atticus the courageous and loving father he is to the characters Scout and Jem. In the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird By Harper Lee Atticus Finch is a lawyer in a racist town in Alabama called Maycomb. Atticus is faced with criticism and even violence when given the task to defend a black man named Tom Robinson who was accused of raping a white woman. Atticus believes that even if Tom was a different race than him (Atticus being a white male) that he must do his utmost best to defend Tom just as Atticus would defend a white man. And yes, It would be worth the troubles Atticus would face in the novel because of his strong sense of Integrity
Harper Lee's ‘To kill a Mockingbird’ explores the prejudicial issues which plague over the town Maycomb. Harper Lee uses the trial of Tom Robinson a black man accused of rape on a young white girl, Mayella as a central theme to portray the prominence of racial discrimination in Maycomb. The racial prejudice is also widely shown through the characterisation of Atticus. Having Scout as the narrator allows Harper Lee to highlight the gender inequity through a youthful unbiased perspective. The chauvinistic attitudes and prejudiced views of most of the town’s folk leaves Maycombs social hierarchy in an unfair order, victimising many of the town’s people due to their socially non-conforming habits some ‘socially unaccepted people’ including Boo
Discuss Harper Lee’s Presentation of Maycomb Society in to Kill a Mockingbird Maycomb is described as a “tired old town” where the inhabitants had “nowhere to go”. Maycomb is very similar to any small southern town in the 1930’s, sexism, racism and other prejudices are at a peak, and old traditions are carried out regularly. To Kill a Mockingbird revolves solely around family, community and society, the focus point of the book, the rape trial, would not have occurred if society had not looked down upon the black community.