To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Extreme circumstances can vastly change how a person views someone else. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the events that occur affect how some characters perceive what right and wrong is. Jem experiences the justice system; Scout views Boo differently; and Bob Ewell loses it. Jem’s experience with the trial shows him that innocent people can be found guilty. At the beginning of To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem views his father as a role model and as a person of high caliber (1). When people start bullying Jem because of his father, Atticus, defending Tom Robinson, Jem views his father differently. He is somewhat puzzled why his father is even taking the case. Then when Jem understands the trial and what he thinks will happen,
* Scout’s moral development throughout To Kill a Mockingbird has to do with how she is taught to see “the other”, her exposure to racism and injustice, and that she had Atticus as a parent to guide her through her childhood. These factors together create a stable learning environment for Scout to grow and develop in.
Later in the novel, Jem and Scout themselves perceive courage in Atticus when he is trying to acquit Tom Robinson. He takes the case whatsoever; albeit the minimal to zero chance he will win. By being a great epitome of a courageous man for his children, Atticus further proves his value of good parent.
Jem develops a mind much like his father, Atticus throughout the book. After hearing the verdict of the trial, Jem simply could not understand how the jurors could possibly have found Tom Robinson guilty after Atticus had proven him innocent. In chapter 17 of the book it states, “Jem’s hand, which was resting on the balcony rail, tightened around it. He drew in his breath suddenly. Glancing below, I saw no corresponding reaction, and wondered if Jem was trying to be dramatic.” Jem is very concerned about the case and because he is older, he most likely have a better understanding of the significance of the trial, including the potential injustice that would result if Atticus loses the case. Additionally, Jem want to see his father fail. Jem is quite confident by the end of Chapter 17 when Atticus shows how it was more likely for a left-handed man (Mr. Ewell) to have beaten up
At the beginning of the story Jem was trusting, he believed in the justice system and that there was no bias. He thought that if someone is guilty, they would be proven guilty and if they weren't then that would be reflected in the results of the case. Jems innocence was broken when he was exposed to the truth of the racism, prejudice, and the cruelty of the world. During the trial he realizes that even though Tom Robinson is not guilty, when he gets found guilty it hurts Jem. He struggles to imagine how awful it must be for Tom and how unfair it was that he even had to endure such a
Harper Lee's reaction to the success of "To Kill a Mockingbird" was a strange one. She said she didn't expect it to be such a success. She was hoping someone would like it, and give her a chance. In 1957, Lee met with editor Tay Hohoff in a meeting to discuss her novel. They were in New York at the time. Nelle was an airline reservation agent for 8 years to support herself while writing the manuscript "Atticus." It was about a girl named Scout Finch and her father Atticus Finch, who was a lawyer. Atticus was given a case to represent a black male accused of rape. This was during the 1930's, when racism and segregation was very alive. It shows us what the blacks had to endure while living in the south. The book has a strong meaning about racism and stereotyping.
Jem began to cry after the Tom Robinson trial because the jury and the judge had found Tom guilty. Jem believed that it
Courage can mean many different things to many different people. To some, courage can be the ability to stand up for what is right, while for others it can be challenging oneself with tasks one is not accustomed to. Harper Lee incorporates different types of courage in To Kill a Mockingbird so many can connect to a moment they felt that courage. Courage is seen throughout the novel in the form of overcoming one’s fears, fighting prejudice, and standing up for what one believes to be just.
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, starts off describing Maycomb as a sleepy, "tired old town." Which was a result from the Great Depression. Remind you, the Great Depression is one of, if not, the darkest times in American history. It was the worst economic downturn in industrialized world. Thus, it every some town, including Maycomb. With no money, and no means to make money, the people in Maycomb moved at a slow pace, because of the financial distress.
When Scout was growing up she thought the Radley’s house was the scariest thing in Maycomb, that is until she grew up a little and realized the scariest thing in Maycomb was closer to her than the down the street, it was happening in her own back yard. Scout prejudged Boo Radley when he didn’t deserve it, Scout learned that harming innocent people is a sin.
The Theme Of Courage “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are”(E.E Cummings). Courage is a crucial theme in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee indicates that real courage is the ability to stand up for what one believes in even in fear. Although courage is misinterpreted by the narrator Jean Louise Finch (Scout) and her older brother Jeremy Finch (Jem) near the beginning of the novel, they soon come to understand what real courage really is.
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird we see an innocent man get locked away because of the color of his skin. We, the audience, see an innocent man be targeted because he was black. These horrific scenes could be chalked up to history, we could always say that as a nation America has learned from its mistakes, that as a nation we accept everyone so fully. If this was true, if To Kill a Mockingbird was just a story then I, as a Muslim American teenager, wouldn’t be so afraid to live in this world.
The 1960s Civil Rights Movement is one of the largest social movements in American History. For many years prior, the majority of African Americans had just lived with discrimination as if it were a part of life. It took years for them to muster up the courage to fight the oppression and begin the Civil Rights Movement. Harper Lee uses a similar brand of courage in To Kill a Mockingbird, when many of the community members are put in situations in which they must be brave or cowardly. Harper Lee uses To Kill a Mockingbird to raise awareness about the importance of courage and how true courage is only shown when met with confrontation.
Some believe that To Kill A Mockingbird is out of date, that it is no longer relevant and students cannot relate to it. To Kill A Mockingbird can relate to events that have happened not to long ago. An event happened at University of Massachusetts over racism. The NYPD has a long recorded of killing unarmed black men. Ferguson, Missouri has been through a lot in the past few weeks. To Kill A Mockingbird is still relevant to students today because racism still exists.
For my paper, I have chosen to analyze the movie “To Kill a Mockingbird.” This movie is based on the novel – by the same name – written by Harper Lee. The story has two major plotlines. One follows Jem, Scout, and Dill as they try to uncover the secrets behind the infamous “Boo” Radley. It’s only at the end of the movie that we learn “Boo’s” real name to be Arthur, and that we discover he actually tries to protect people, as he saved Jem and Scout’s lives. The other major plotline, and the one most relevant to this class, follows Atticus Finch, Jem and Scout’s father, as he tries to represent Tom Robinson. Mr. Robinson is an African American man who has been charged with raping Mayella Ewell. The movie then
I grew up in a home where my parents taught us to serve our country, community and those around us. They taught me through example, my father was a scout leader when I was a child. He often took me camping and to merit badge Pow Wow’s. As a boy I began to dream about becoming a boy scout. When I became old enough I joined the cub scouts. While in Cub scouts I learned about being part of the pack, about working together to accomplish large projects, to work together to accomplish a larger goal. Then when I was older I was able to join the boy scouts they taught me about being a citizen in the community, about being a good neighbor. They taught me about doing a good turn daily, and being prepared. When I was 13, I became a life scout. Being a life scout is not anything special, other than I was able to start working on my eagle project.