ipl-logo

Examples Of Cruelty In To Kill A Mockingbird

878 Words4 Pages

Cruel Times The cruelty in this book is seen through the situations of Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, and Maycomb's reaction to Atticus taking the Tom Robinson case It is very unsettling. Tom Robinson's case was a very unique in that he did absolutely nothing wrong and was still in court all because of his skin. "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." (Lee, 220). This book is based on the 1930’s In Alabama one of the most prevalent racist states in the U.S, and this quote really puts that in perspective, cause even when a man’s life is on the line specifically a black man people, people would rather have the innocent black man put to death instead of the guilty white man which is truly sickening. Another example is this, the night Jem, Scout, and Dillion went to the Radley …show more content…

“Lemme tell you somethin’ now billy, you know the court appointed him to defend this nigger.” “Yeah but he aims to defend him. That’s what I don’t like about it.” (Lee, 165) This quote is purely just ignorance and prejudice, this quote is a good example of how most of the town feels, they are mad at atticus not for taking the case, but for actually trying to give Tom a fair trial. People in this town in this time period were extremely racist and prejudice, and it’s very clearly shown in this quote, at first the man says, you know the court chose him to defend this negro; meaning they didn’t think it was bad to be appointed, the townspeople thought it was a terrible idea and decision for Atticus to actually give this his all, this also shows how the town has very little respect for Atticus, as soon as he took the case people started turning on him for simply defending an innocent

Show More
Related

  • How Is Atticus A Good Role Model

    915 Words  | 4 Pages

    However, Atticus did not succumb to the town he defended Tom Robinson as best as he could: “I’m simply defending a Negro-his name’s, Tom Robinson” (Lee 75). Even while the whole town was opposed to Atticus defending this man he did what was right. He defended the man that everyone assumed was guilty because of their prejudice about his skin color. Atticus was bold through these times of hardship and continued forward through the adversity

    Read More

  • Examples Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

    284 Words  | 2 Pages

    Disregarding The Fact That You Already Lost In the book To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, Atticus is a father of two kids who has integrity. He is a man who stands on his own opinions even if it is against the majority of the society. Although most of the citizens in the Maycomb County are against blacks, he is willing to protect and fully give all of his power to defend Tom Robinson, a Negro who is in trial. He strongly believes that Tom is innocent and deserves to have a fair fight because “…he’s a member of Calpurnia’s church, and Cal knows his family well” (Lee 100).

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Empathy Quotes

    634 Words  | 3 Pages

    “They’re certainly entitled to think that, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions,” declares Atticus, “But before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience” (Lee 140). Since Atticus has taken the Tom Robinson court case several people in town are calling Atticus names and do not approve of what he is doing. Atticus is taking it upon himself to defend Tom no matter what other people think of him, for this reason Atticus is showing his empathy for Tom through defending him and hearing Tom’s side of the story out. Sometimes it is hard to go against what other people are saying, for the one person they have to stay true to their word and stand by it and let no one change their minds; Atticus is that one person who has sympathy to help Tom out and he doesn't care what other people

    Read More

  • Fair Quotes In To Kill A Mockingbird

    925 Words  | 4 Pages

    Birds singing the lovely tune of a mockingbird will wake in the morn as children play. Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird plays out events in a small county residing in Alabama called Maycomb. It is described as a “Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square.” (Lee, 6).

    Read More

  • Figurative Language In Atticus's Speech

    282 Words  | 2 Pages

    Atticus starts off the speech saying “gentlemen,” “I shall be brief, but I would like to use my remaining time to remind you that this is not a difficult one.” Atticus's tone sheds a few layers, too, becoming conversational rather than businesslike. He uses figurative language when he says “This case is as simple as black and white.” Basically, he points out that there's no evidence and that the prosecution is banking on the stereotype that all African-Americans are immoral liars who rape white women whenever they get the chance. He goes on to say that Tom is not guilty but someone in the room is.

    Read More

  • Atticus Finch Racism Quotes

    845 Words  | 4 Pages

    In this novel, there are some parts that show racism. Atticus is the best lawyer in Maycomb. In chapter 9, he started to defends Tom Robinson. All the people in Maycomb disagree about defending Tom, Negro men. However, he believes Tom Robinson and Atticus work hard to defend him.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

    238 Words  | 1 Pages

    For hundreds of years, racism has affected our lives no matter what race. All over the world people are becoming segregated in the way they look, what color they are, and even unimportant things like clothing. In this situation, however, all but few people were discriminative against the blacks. In the story, the racism happens in several different ways. A great amount of accusations are made against the blacks, especially against Tom Robinson.

    Read More

  • Thesis Statement For To Kill A Mockingbird Essay

    1088 Words  | 5 Pages

    He was appointed to defend a black man named Tom Robinson for raping Mayella Ewell. Most townsfolk caught news of this and instantly began to give Atticus dirty looks and began calling him vulgar names. Atticus, is a very nice person who wants to do the right thing, and he has an opinion about people who disagree with him defending Tom Robinson. “They’re certainly entitled to think they, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions.” (120).

    Read More

  • How Does Lee Use Atticus Closing Argument In To Kill A Mockingbird

    798 Words  | 4 Pages

    During the trial of Tom Robinson, for being accused of raping a white women. Some people in the town turned their backs on Atticus for taken the case. Atticus took the case and has proven that Tom is innocent but as Atticus knows since Tom is a “Black Male” that he would never be treated fairly. When the closing argument comes about, Atticus tells the people on the jury that they need to look past Tom being “Black Man” and see him and treat him just as a regular man. Atticus is trying to have them do the right thing instead of listening to the town and doing the wrong thing.

    Read More

  • Atticus Reputation

    804 Words  | 4 Pages

    Killing a mockingbird is a sin in many cultures because of the animal’s innocent nature; in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird she immaculately illustrates this. To Kill a Mockingbird is about the Finch family, which consists of: Scout (Jean), Atticus, Calpurnia, and Aunt Alexandra. They reside in the modest town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s. The father of the family, Atticus, is defending a colored person, Tom Robinson, in a court case regarding rape.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

    860 Words  | 4 Pages

    The novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” was written in 1960 by Harper Lee in the point of view of a young innocent girl named Scout. One of the main messages that Lee has (need a new word than – indicated or set out) is racism, it plays an important role which strongly impacts many character’s lives unfairly and changes the relationship between two. Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” shows that it is wrong to hurt someone who does no harm to you, for example, black people are innocent but no way did they have as many rights as white people did. Black people lived hard lives because society was judgemental, irrational and most importantly, racist. As Scout and Jem grow older they learn to cope, take responsibility and are introduced to new aspects of life, one of which is racism.

    Read More

  • The Influence Of Perspective In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

    599 Words  | 3 Pages

    In his closing speech to the jury Atticus expressed his perspective on Tom Robinson’s case and the prejudice against all black people. He explains to the jury “... some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women—black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men…” (Lee, page 204). He believes all people make mistakes, everyone is human, and that no race is superior than another because of skin colour.

    Read More

  • How Is Atticus Finch Accused

    938 Words  | 4 Pages

    In his closing statement, Atticus says the witnesses “have presented themselves to you gentlemen...confident that you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption—the evil assumption—that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber.” In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, there are a lot of people who take a stand for others. Atticus Finch is the father of Scout-the narrator- and Jem Finch. In the story, Atticus, who is a lawyer, is chosen to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who has been accused of rape. Being in a southern state in the early 1900s, most people did not like Tom, and were biased

    Read More

  • Examples Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1914 Words  | 8 Pages

    How is the racial problem of the southern states of USA in the 1930s portrayed in To Kill a Mockingbird? INTRO In the 1930s the Southern states of America suffered from a strong discrimination and racial hatred towards colored people. They had no rights, no respect and were not allowed to go places white people went. In other words they were segregated from the rest of the society.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Injustice In To Kill A Mockingbird

    567 Words  | 3 Pages

    At that time, the white folk thought the colored folk inferior. The jury conveniently allowed this rule to cloud their judgement. The white people subjected the Negros to this abuse day after day. “Cry about the hell white people give colored folk, without even stopping to think that they’re people too” (page 229). The inequality of the trial only occurred to those sitting in the colored balcony

    Read More

More about Examples Of Cruelty In To Kill A Mockingbird

Open Document