Litsa Kapsalis
P. 2 Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is often considered a classic “Great American Novel”. It was the winner of the 1961 Pulitzer Prize in fiction and is the subject of many pop culture references and English classes. Set in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s, it tells the story of Atticus Finch, a lawyer, who defended a black man who was accused of raping a white woman. His children, Scout (Jean Louise Finch) and Jem (Jeremy Finch), are major characters who the reader watches grow up and live. Lee’s novel stands the test of time as it blends thematic examinations with thoroughly developed literary elements. Lee uses her small town setting to exemplify a theme of ignorance through the development of Miss Caroline,
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He is another character where Lee urges the reader to think about whether his ignorance is to blame for the conflicts he causes or he deserves the blame. Bob Ewell was the white man who wrongly accused an African American man of raping his daughter. Atticus was assigned to defend the African American man, Tom Robinson, and most in Maycomb frowned upon Atticus for this because he tried hard to defend him even though he was a black man. Like gender biases, racial biases were commonplace. Even though the Ewell family were the most unsophisticated and uneducated white family in the community, they had an immense social hierarchy over any respectable African American family, such as the Robinsons. Even though Atticus’s evidence made Tom Robinson’s innocence completely conspicuous, he lost the case because of this racial bias. Lee shows the reader that despite winning the case, Bob Ewell was a deficient representative of himself. “Mr. Ewell reminded me of a deaf-mute. I was sure he had never heard the words Judge Taylor directed at him--his mouth struggled silently with them...” It was obvious that Bob Ewell was not a sincere man, but he tried to hide his deception: “Smugness faded from [his face], replaced by a dogged earnestness that fooled Judge Taylor not at all,” (pg. 174). Lee used this and similar actions to expand her analysis on ignorance. Bob Ewell was an eminently proud man. He acted as if “Atticus was an easy match” (pg. 176) in court. Lee demonstrates that hostile and pathetic people often have the most pride, pride that easily is destroyed by genuine and intelligent people like Atticus. Atticus did destroy Ewell’s dignity after the case, because everyone could see, despite his victory, Bob Ewell’s lies. Bob Ewell was ignorant of how people could easily see passed his cover. Lee uses Bob Ewell as a symbol for both that kind of social ignorance and clear-cut ignorance. Bob Ewell
In To Kill A Mockingbird, the ignorance seen throughout the novel conveys how expectations set by society affects the important events of life. The trial of Tom Robinson exemplifies how the recurring beliefs on race affected the outcome of the trial. The ideas of social class in Maycomb determined the way the Cunningham's were treated. Aunt Alexandra´s visits to Atticus's house and her gender view towards Scout. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee reveals how society sets expectations of how people should treat others based on race, social class, and gender.
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
Mr. Ewell testified in court that Tom Robinson had raped his daughter, an accusation proven wrong by esteemed lawyer Atticus Finch. This false accusation created a trail of problems for the Robinsons. In Calpurnia’s words, “Folks aren't anxious to-to have anything to do with any of his family,” (Lee, 123). His wife struggled to find work and feed her children, when Tom was in jail. Although all evidence pointed away from Tom, ignorance convicted him. The social status of both families was stationed at the absolute minimum. Mr. Ewell showcased his ignorance by trying to up his family name and hopefully clear the air about his daughter (quote about him finding work). This backfired because he wasn’t a good person and didn’t have the work experience to put him through. His ignorance stemmed as well because he didn’t think about what it would mean for the Robinson
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that revolves around Harper Lee’s perspective on innocence and ignorance. Harper Lee utilizes this ideology to demonstrate how children are influenced by individuals that surround them. The novel is centered around the trial of Tom Robinson and the aura of suspicion surrounding Boo Radley. Lee uses Scout’s interactions with various individuals throughout the novel to convey that fear is created from ignorance and innocence.
Imagine a place where the verdict of a rape trial stems from racial prejudice rather than the proper evaluation of proven evidence. This is Maycomb, Alabama, the strange, Southern town where Scout and Jem Finch grow up during the 1930s in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. In short, the novel travels a thin line between a light-hearted narrative of the siblings’ childhood with their single father, a defense attorney named Atticus Finch, and the injustices that arise within their close-knit community. The complexities include extreme racism, a peculiar social hierarchy, and general misunderstandings of certain people within the small town. These are all seen as “Maycomb ways”, almost as if they are considered facts. Through her writing, Lee conveys an important message that an essential part of a child’s education often takes place in a home or community rather than a classroom by utilizing the characters, Atticus Finch and Tom Robinson, a black man accused of rape whom Atticus is defending.
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.
Within the last century, there has been a multitude of great stories, books, and novels. The reason these a pronouced as “great,” are their engaging plots, unique characteristics, and learning experiences. Harper Lee’s novel “How to Kill a Mocking bird,” is compiled with many characters, each having seperate beliefs and opinions within their society. Some character’s express valuing aspects, while others represent bitterness and envy. Lee, firmly contrasts the positive, loving character named Atticus, by a young girl named Scout who will take you through Atticus’ journey of his complex life in a small town of Maycomb, Alabama. Integrity, humbleness, and kindness strongly establishes Atticus’ exceedingly likeable characteristics.
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.
In many cases, ignorance and knowledge are shown by coming to a realization of reality, discovering new things, and uncovering the truth. Not only do the children in Maycomb show ignorance and knowledge throughout the book, but also some of the respective adults convey the same idea. Scout, Miss Caroline, Uncle Jack, the white community, and many other individuals show ignorance at times in this book. For example, Scout, being very young, was portrayed as an innocent child. She was not always familiar with what is happening in her daily life and would seek knowledge from Atticus. In all these situations, ignorance is demonstrated through the lack of knowledge. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, ignorance and knowledge are represented
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.
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
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view”… (Atticus finch, Lee 34). The novel To kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a masterpiece that takes readers to explore how human behave. The feelings, conflicts, meanings, reasons, love, cruelty, kindness and humor within the book is what makes the book a necessity to the reader. Harper Lee showed throughout her book how a damage and cruel society looks like. Lee’s view of the word “morality” is what gives the characters the power to contrast their own beliefs. The story of a childhood in a “normal” southern town and the catastrophe of not knowing what conscience means make the book an unforgettable novel, which readers will feel attach to it. Harper Lee showed the importance of family and unity, the importance of love and understanding, and the importance of morality and principles throughout ONE unforgettable character, Atticus Finch. Atticus Finch is the human statue of “honor and morality”. By protecting and defending a Negro who was arrest for a crime, which he never committed and being the non-typical father in the south, Atticus Finch showed a different perspective of living to his neighbors and his children. Atticus Finch became a hero not only for his children and neighbors, but also for the millions of people who have read To kill A Mockingbird.
The novel “To Kill a Mocking Bird” is based in the fictional small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. When slavery and the Civil War were still present in the people’s way of living and the civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s are far from close. The novel focuses on the Finches: Scout, her brother Jem, and their father Atticus, and the trial of Tom Robinson and how it affected them and the town. Witnessing the injustice of Tom Robinson’s trial changed Scout Finch in many ways. Scout learns that there is more than one type of courage, she learns about race and its complexity, and she also changes how she views the people around her by putting herself
Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, is a highly esteemed classic that covers several different issues, such as racism and segregation. The novel is narrated by Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. Scout lives with her father, Atticus, and brother, Jem. The story follows the family as Atticus takes on a difficult case. Their relationship is strained when Atticus agrees to defend an African-American man who is being charged for raping a white girl. The people of Maycomb County cause a disturbance in the peace of this old southern town over the Tom Robinson case. The Finches are directly affected by the outbursts of their neighbors. As a result of the neighbors insults, Jem and Scout lash out in defense of their father.
The problem of ignorance is exhibited through symbols which show the prejudice the ignorant people of Maycomb have. Ms. Maudie, one of the few non ignorant people in Maycomb, teaches Scout why she dislikes nut grass: “‘Why, one sprig of nut grass can ruin a whole yard. Look here. When it comes fall this dries up and the wind blows it all over Maycomb County!’” (Lee 42). The nut grass symbolizes ignorance, which is quite prevalent in Maycomb. By using symbolism, Harper Lee compares ignorance to a weed. A weed spreads quickly, and “one sprig” can leave a town filled with it. Ignorance is similar because one ignorant person, who may have been taught to be ignorant, can cause a town of ignorant people by communicating their wrong ideas.Maycomb is filled