In Chapter 10 of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, conflicts involving the mad dog and the actions of the inhabitants of Maycomb portray the gothic theme that it takes courage to realize the truth of racism and prejudice. From the time Calpurnia saw Tim Johnson, the pet of Maycomb, he was deemed a mad dog. Once warned, everyone except Atticus, Calpurnia, and the sheriff hid in their homes, unwilling to address the problem, but only worrying about their personal safety. Tim might not have been a mad dog but through irrational, but traditional views, the villagers immediately demonize the creature as a threat. Also, the dog’s name, Tim Johnson, is similar to the Atticus’ African American client’s name, Tom Robinson. The similarity between the names relation to the racial prejudice of the town. The residents are unwilling to accept that their perspective towards others are not always the person’s true self, but what others perceive of them. Without giving them a chance, people will always …show more content…
He symbolizes the hope for change to African Americans when he is the one person to acknowledge the problem. Even after the mad dog was dealt with, Atticus refused to let others discuss his accomplishments. Atticus only shoots when necessary because his talent would give him a sense of superiority over those who are not as gifted. At the beginning, Scout feels that Atticus is “feeble… nearly fifty… and did not do the things” her schoolmates’ fathers did (89) because he was always reading or in his office. Even when the children receive air rifles, Atticus is not the one to teach them how to shoot. On the surface, Scout views Atticus as an ordinary father, but “people in their right minds never take pride in their talents” (98). Similarly, the white residents of Maycomb feel superior over the colored through racist thoughts and
Crazy; a term used frequently in this essay. Crazy is something people try to avoid. When people try to avoid going crazy, it will chew them from the inside and eventually take over, for Atticus not so much. He doesn’t care what people think. Atticus is like the mad dog. Tim Johnson, The Mad Dog, is a small character in To Kill a Mockingbird. He is a dog with rabies. Everybody in town tell people to stay away from. He is no good, and the disease will spread to you. You could the disease from him. Sound like another person? Atticus is looked at like the dog by a lot of people in town, why wouldn’t they at him in a different way he is different, who are thinking of him the way they think of the dog, that is diseased for liking black people. This topic could connect to, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, this book is about a black family owning land the 1930’s. They are threatened by local white poles. The main girl, Cassie, in the book, who is also the narrator, is trying to understand why the white people are being so rude. Eventually she finds out it’s because she is different, like Atticus. The Dog, Atticus, Cassie are all the same because everyone hates them though they did nothing. They use nonviolence, Cassie’s doesn’t do it very
The judgmental attitude of Maycomb goes beyond racism. The old ways of Maycomb refuse change and when Scout goes against social norms, she is bombarded with judgmental
The black characters act justly throughout the novel by treating every one with equality and respect. In Chapter 12, when Jem and Scout visit Calpurnia’s Negro church for the Sunday service, Lula, a hostile Negro woman tells them impolitely to leave. Calpurnia defends the children and contradicts Lula by saying, “It’s the same God, ain’t it?” Amidst an argument over the antagonistic rifts between black and white regimes, Calpurnia acknowledges that all people, no matter the race, worship the same God, and are therefore equal. During Chapter 12, after the church service, Reverend Sykes takes up an extra collection of money that is collected towards Tom Robinson's wife, who has not been able to find work since her husband is sent to jail since he allegedly rapes a white woman. Reverend Sykes tells the attendees of the service, “I want all of you with no children to make a sacrifice and give one more dime a piece.” The Revenant shows justice by being equal and respectful towards everyone. In order to be fair he asks those who don’t have a family to feed and shelter to donate an extra dime, and not forcing those who have a family to donate extra money. During his testimony in Chapter 19, Tom Robinson states a different story than that of Mayalla’s; he is then questioned on whether he is accusing Mayella of being a liar. Tom refuses to accuse Mayella of lying, but persistently says that she is "mistaken in her mind." This shows Tom’s unrelenting respect and honest living; even though Mayella is unjust to him, he continues to treat her with justice and respect because he knows that she is just a little girl who is lonely and even though she sent him
Atticus, a man of virtue, educates his children that the color of someone’s skin shouldn’t determine how you treat them. His teachings are reflected in the way Scout
The racism and prejudice of the town is being compared to the dog when it had rabies because the disease will spread until someone stops it. When Atticus shot the dog, “Atticus’s hand yanked a ball-tipped lever as he brought the gun to his shoulder (127). Atticus is trying to stop the amount of judgment that people have against blacks in the town which is seen when he gives Tom Robinson a fair trial. The town of Maycomb judgment and unfairness facing black will not be stopped until someone does what atticus did with the dog shot it to keep it from spreading more throughout the
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.
To kill a mocking bird is one of the most renowned books of its time and still to this today a revolutionary piece of modern literature. Harper lee’s extensive use of cleverly incorporated symbols are used to represent significant themes in the novel such as racial prejudice, courage and innocence. It is also an underlying reference to the racism that was present in South America during the early 20th century, To kill a mocking bird touches on many controversial issues with racial prejudice a dominant feature that can be traced in almost every event that formulates the story line. Harper Lee uses symbols such as the rabid dog (Tim Johnson) to convey the entrenchment of racism that is found in the fictional town of Maycomb, frequently referred to as “Maycomb’s disease.” Within the novel Tim Johnson is seen as disgusting and a danger if he were to spread his disease throughout the town, this symbolises how just like Tim racism is a repulsive normality
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.
Many people have experienced racism or prejudice at least once in their lives, but they are not aware of the different ways it could take place. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee demonstrates how racism and prejudice presents itself in many ways in the town of Maycomb. This is shown in the characters Tom Robinson, Walter Cunningham Jr, and Scout, who are all victims of prejudice or racism. These characters are subjected to all kinds of prejudice and from all kinds of people, sometimes so much it would change their lives.
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
Harper Lee’s fictional construct of lawyer Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird is portrayed as a potential racial hero and advocate for equality. In the text, Atticus was one of the only characters that take action against racism in the Southern American town of Maycomb –a representation reflective of a time during which Jim Crow segregation was prevalent. His actions during these times can be perceived by other characters and readers of the novel as heroic, in particular by Scout as the narrator, Miss Maudie and the Ewells who offer differing perspectives of Atticus’s heroism.
“Race prejudice is not only a shadow over the colored it is a shadow over all of us, and the shadow is darkest over those who feel it least and allow its evil effects to go on.” One of the major themes of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is that prejudice and racism can greatly corrupt a person and cause them to do evil things. In Harper Lee’s novel, Atticus Finch is a lawyer in Maycomb County, a small Southern town where racism and prejudice is common. Atticus is charged with defending a colored man, Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a white woman. Atticus also has two kids, Jem and Scout, and is a single father.
Lee’s theme of non-conformity in the society is portrayed by Atticus putting his beliefs aside and shooting the dog, or in this case, racism. When the dog, Tim Johnson, is within shooting range, Heck the sheriff tries to give the gun to Atticus, but Atticus tries emphatically to get the sheriff to kill the dog by saying “I haven’t shot a gun in thirty years-”. Nobody else would shoot the racism in Maycomb. Even the sheriff didn’t have the courage or want to be any different than
One of the many reasons this book is still talked about almost 60 years later is that racism is still an overwhelming problem. Lee’s outstanding novel is set in the 1930’s in small town Maycomb, Alabama. It shows how the town is impacted by racism through the thoughts, memories and experiences of Scout Finch. In To Kill A Mockingbird, the motif of racism is demonstrated by the Finch children’s experiences at First Purchase, Dolphus Raymond’s actions, and Atticus Finch’s opinions on racism in order to illustrate that racism divides all.
Tim Johnson could be considered a symbol of the deep-seated racism of the town. The symptoms of rabies, such as paranoia and an irrational fear of water, reflect the similarly irrational prejudice held by the townsfolk. The name Tim Johnson resembles the name Tom Robinson, further suggesting that it symbolises the prejudice within society. The way that Tim Johnson walks “parallel to the Radley house” (p. 105) draws parallels between the prejudice against Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. The way that Atticus shoots Tim Johnson is representative of his fight against racism, and further cements his position as a protector of the innocent, almost in a godlike way. Tim Johnson represents the almost irrepressible bigotry that Atticus will have to face as a result of defending Tom Robinson. This scene also helps to reinforce the true meaning of courage as moral, rather than physical prowess. While Scout initially associates courage with “a man with a gun in his hand” (p. 124), she, and the reader, later learn that it is “when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what” (p.