To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, is a novel that explores heavy issues such as Civil Rights and racism in the segregated southern United States during the 1930s, along with the significance of corruption of innocence and finally, the coexistence of good and evil. Narrated by Scout Finch, you learn about her father Atticus Finch, who is an attorney endeavouring to prove the innocence of a black man who has been wrongly accused of rape. Lee uses memorable characters and an appropriate setting to inform readers on the controversial issues addressed in the novel. I believe that young readers would benefit from reading this complex and intellectual novel, as it is important to understand what changes our society has gone through and …show more content…
The novel addresses this by focusing on Scout and Jems transition from having the perspective of children, in which they assume that people are good because in their lives they have not experienced much evil, to a more adult perspective, in which they have encountered evil and must begin to understand it. An example of this, was concerning Mr. Cunningham when the mob attacked the Maycomb county jail as they wanted to hang Tom Robinson. Scout talks them out of it, and later, when Scout and Jem talk to Atticus about it, Atticus said “Mr. Cunningham's basically a good man…he just has his blind spots along with the rest of us… you'll understand folks better when you're older. A mob's always made up of people, no matter what. Mr. Cunningham was part of a mob last night, but he was still a man." This shows that although Mr. Cunningham was a good man, he got involved in the emotions and accusations made during the case trial, potentially leading him to do something he may regret. Also, when Atticus is discussing juries with Jem after the trial when Tom Robinson is charged guilty, Atticus tells Jem “Those are twelve reasonable men in everyday life, Tom's jury, but you saw something come between them and reason. You saw the same thing that night in front of the jail… There's something in our world that makes men lose their heads, they couldn't be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the facts of life." This can represent the good in the men that were a part of the jury as they are reasonable, but also show evil in that they can't make the decision to be fair, and will convict Tom on the sole grounds that he is black. Atticus is a character who understands that, rather than humans simply expressing good or evil, most people have both good and bad qualities and while it is important to appreciate the good
Tom Robinson’s case, in which we see in that time period how a white man’s word goes against a black’s, is perceived as unfair by Scout, Jem, Atticus, and many of their neighbors. As Atticus says to Jem, “As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it–whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash.”(295) This quote explains that there is great injustice and extortion for personal gain. This is disturbing in its own right; The fact that Atticus needs to even make a comment like that is disturbing in its own right, let alone that any person would do that to another, also tells Jem this: “So far nothing in your life has interfered with your reasoning process. Those are twelve reasonable men in everyday life, Tom’s jury, but you saw something come between them and reason. You saw the same thing that night in front of the jail. When that crew went away, they didn’t go as reasonable men, they went because we were there. There’s something in our world that makes men lose their heads–they couldn’t be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins. They’re ugly, but those are the facts of life.”(295) Even a man like Atticus, a sort of rebel in that time period, accepts that the system is
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee is a beautiful story depicting a family living in the South of the 1930’s, and their struggle against the prejudice which was common to that time. The book centers on Atticus Finch, the father of the family as well as a lawyer, and his fight against prejudice. We see the story unfold through the innocent eyes of his young daughter, Scout, who is free from prejudice and not yet jaded. By viewing events as Scout sees them, the author shows us how to overcome prejudices, and gain tolerance.
Lee uses Scout’s situation to suggest that people’s prejudice mindsets about some individuals are forced upon by society. After Atticus reveals that the Cunninghams were in the jury, Scout asks Atticus a question."Why didn't Tom's jury made up of folks like the Cunninghams, acquit Tom to spite the Ewells" (Lee 226). Here Scout sees that the Cunninghams and the Ewells dislike one another, but does not understand that both of these families
Typically, readers tend to think Atticus is a man of high moral when he defends Tom Robinson, who is an African American, in the court case. Lee states “If you shouldn’t be defendin’ him, then why are you doing it? For a number of reasons, said Atticus. The main one is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this country in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again” (Lee 100). Atticus seems that he has lots of good reasons why he took the case. So, that is why Atticus tried his best in defending Tom. In “The Courthouse Ring” by Malcolm Gladwell it talks about how “Atticus doesn’t have the strongest case. He only had one potential evidence about how Tom has an injury on his left arm while Mayella’s bruises were on the right side of her face”. This then proves how Atticus didn’t actually try his best
The main concept of good and evil is extremely prominent in 'To Kill a Mockingbird', as well as the real world today. Many are faced with the challenge of determining what "side" they occupy in certain situations or beliefs, such as when the men and women of Maycomb County are faced with the topic of racism during Tom Robinson's trial in the mid 1930's. Like most concepts, philosophies, and situations, there is always the "gray" area. When we focus on good and evil, we tend to only look at the absolute good and absolute evil, when, in turn, there is also neutral good and neutral evil. These aren't looked at as much because we tend to ignore the gray areas of every aspect in life unless we are forced to see it, and in 'To Kill a Mockingbird', we are.
Atticus the defense lawyer from the novel, is an honourable man who believes in the justice system that everyone is equal in the eyes of the law. Although Tom Robinson, the black man accused of raping a white woman was innocent, he was convicted anyways due to the racism and discrimination of the jury. In Atticus’s submission he distinctly proves Tom’s innocence and reminds the jury that their job is to find justice and not convict a man because of the colour of his skin. “A court is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up. I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this defendant to his family.
In this classic novel by Harper Lee, the wide cast of characters all encounter one main challenge: how do you deal with the good and evil in the world, both in others and within ourselves. Lee explores this topic using a multitude of unique characters, all of which help both engage the reader, and also further her point in new, interesting ways. The characters I will be focusing on will be Jem, Atticus, and Bob Ewell.
Atticus engages with the world and the evil in it. He recognizes the evil in people and in the world and fights against that evil. Atticus believes that everyone owes each person not only respect, but to attempt to try to recognize their point of view. “‘Do you know what a compromise is?’ he asked.
Good and evil are two different components which often conflict each other. Throughout the novel, good and evil play a part of changing the lives of Maycomb citizens by putting them through difficult situations making them show one’s true self. Harper Lee tries to reveal this message by pertaining the coexistence of good and evil as one of the central themes in the novel. Atticus understands that, being simply good or evil, most people have both qualities in them. The importance is to embrace the good and recognize the bad by treating others with empathy.
In addition to bearing the title of the novel, Harper Lee uses “To Kill a Mockingbird” as an opportunity to convey the significance of moral veracity to depict the alleged Mockingbirds of May comb county. She uses the innocence of children such as Jem and Scout to experience the underlying reality of good and evil in society, as their father, Atticus Finch attempts to teach them the morals of killing shadowed innocent beings who are helpless to their own freedom. After the encounter with Atticus and being told that to kill a mocking is a sin, Scout asks Miss Maudie who explains that,” Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” In the
The interaction between the two energies is believed to be the cause of events in life.
‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is a story that revolves around a small family of three; Atticus Finch, a lawyer, and his two children, Scout and Jem. It tells a dramatic story of racism, wisdom and values. The book shows this by exaggerating Scout and Jem’s transition from a perception of a childlike innocence, in which they assume that all people are good because they have never come across real evil. Real evil in the book is prejudiced, racist and cruel to both Tom Robinson and Arthur Radley, which
The concept of good and evil has existed since the beginning of time, but it is not initially all black and white. In Harper Lee's bildungsroman, To Kill A Mockingbird, Jeremy Atticus Finch discovered this for himself. Jeremy or rather Jem and his younger sister, Scout, grew up in Maycomb, Alabama but unlike his sister, Jem begins to understand the adult world. As he matures over the years, Jem learns that good and evil is a complicated idea that takes on a variety of forms. Whether it be from the Radleys, Mrs. Dubose, or the trial of Tom Robinson, Jem learns what good and evil truly are.
A person between good and evil is Mr Cunningham. He appears in front of the country jail, as a member of the lynching mob, to illegally murder Tom due to his skin colour. Of course, this is evil, but with help of Scout, he managed to bethink himself. Atticus sees the good side of
Harper Lee’s award-winning novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ has remained a classic publication since 1960. Recalling her experiences as a six-year-old from an adult perspective, Jean Louise Finch, nicknamed “Scout,” describes the circumstances involving her widowed father, Atticus, and his legal defence of Tom Robinson, a local black man mistakenly accused of raping a white woman. Throughout the three-year trial, Scout and her older brother, Jem, witness the unjust consequences of prejudice while at the same time witnessing the values of courage and integrity through their father's example. To Kill a Mockingbird was published during the Civil Rights movement.