To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

To Kill a Mockingbird is the story of the trial of a black man, Tom Robinson for the raping of a white woman, Mayella Ewell, in racist Alabama in the 1990’s.

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the trial in the novel is one of the most important incidents that takes place in the text. It is very important to our understanding of the text as a whole as it shows the racial discrimination in that time period of the 1920 – 1930’s and how society in the 20th century has improved and has become more accepting of different races throughout the world as a whole. The topics that will be discussed in this essay are the trial and how it represented a prejudiced society, what happened after the trial and the effects that the trial had on the children.

Perspectives can change beliefs in many ways. In Harper Lee’s novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, Bob Ewell hears and sees Atticus defending Tom Robinson who is black, therefore, he believes Atticus ‘loves niggers’. Jem, Scout, and Dill have never seen Boo Radley come out at day and they hear rumors that Boo only comes out at night. People believe rumors and their perspectives until they get the truth and change their beliefs.

Everyone in Maycomb believes that the Radleys are dangerous and no one dares to really talk to them. They don’t follow the unwritten social rules that everyone else follows, and that is weird and mysterious to people. The community is mostly suspicious of Arthur Radley, also known as Boo Radley. People believe he is hostile because when he was a teen, he got in with the wrong crow and was arrested. Fifteen years later, he had another incident.

Understanding perspective is essential to understanding people. Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird presents this idea in multiple passages of her writing. It can be seen in the rough, unknown troubles that people face despite their wrongful actions. As well as the rumours that are untrue and give complete false impressions of people. Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird uses these topics to illustrate the dangers of judging others before getting to know them.

They are deemed strange by the community. This is because they don’t conform. They do not go to church. They do not socialize. Mrs. Radley never attends Missionary circle and the house is always closed on Sundays. This shows the intolerance in Maycomb of anyone who does not conform to their rules and standards of behavior. Boo Radley is treated with the most dislike as he has been to court when he was younger and was considered a troublemaker. Scout describes him at the beginning as: “a malevolent phantom.” The use of the word ‘malevolent’ stresses the way in which they consider him evil. These three examples of religious prejudice accent Lee’s perspective of life, as she knew it at the time.

Essay Prompt: In a 1-2 page character analysis, explain what makes Atticus such a good parent, using quotes and evidence from the text to back up your claims.

Throughout most novels, characters encounter obstacles or events that once faced change their lives for the better or worse. In this book, that obstacle is racism. This is evident in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird when ... ____________________. Due to... ____________________. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Dolphus Raymond, Tom Robinson and Bob Ewell each encounter racism in different ways; however, they all suffer as a result.

Purpose: To get readers to understand that although Mayella is guilty of causing an innocent man’s death, she still deserves some sympathy.

In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird a major theme is the loss of innocence. Whether from emotional abuse, racial prejudice or learning, Boo, Tom, and Scout all lose their innocence in one sense or another. The prejudice that each character endures leads to their loss. Through the responses of Boo, Tom, and Scout, Harper Lee shows how each character responded differently to their loss of innocence.

For hundreds of years, people have committed genocides and holocausts due to their single minded views, they did not understand other people who were from different races and social classes. Taking place in Alabama during the 1930s Scout, Jem, and their father, Atticus, go through and experience how the world really is. The 2 children spent their time imagining Boo Radley as a foul being that lives in his house and never shows himself in public. This all changes when Atticus takes up the case of Tom Robinson and Scout and Jem realize there are far worse issues in the world than Boo Radley. In the story To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the author clearly shows that many people in the town are prejudice. It is repeatedly shown that the most common form of prejudice is in the form of racism. It is also shown that Miss Gates recognizes prejudice feelings in different societies yet still does not follow through by recognizing her own prejudice actions. Aunt Alexandra has prejudice ideas about how that ladies should act like ladies and stay to their social class. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee clearly showed the effects of prejudice ideas on others.

Interpreting To Kill A Mockingbird Killing a mockingbird would be a sin because there is simply no reason to kill them. Just as Tom was a metaphorical mockingbird in the book, real mockingbirds in the world act just as innocently. In this paper, I'm looking into three reasons why mockingbirds, and Tom, have no reason to be killed. The first reason that it is a sin to kill mockingbirds is because they are completely innocent.

For the first time in my life i dreaded walking into this dear courtroom. It brings great sorrow to see the hopeful look in Tom’s eyes. For I know he will never be deemed innocent, simply because of the color of his skin. No matter how innocent he is. I feel as if there is this weight setting on my shoulders, like a weight that will never be lifted. If Tom Robinson is deemed guilty, it will be solely my fault. I know deep down in my heart that Tom will never be set free, yet I still fight with every single breath of me. Tom is counting on me, and I will not let him down.

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”. Discuss this quote from Atticus in relation to 3 characters from the novel.

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.