To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a novel which focuses on the lives of Scout and Jem Finch, two children raised in mid 1930s Maycomb, Alabama. The novel deals with corrupt morals and ideals of society and how they affect others, often showing the injustice and wrongdoings done to those who are undeserving of them. This concept, although not uncommon in our society, is a relatively new idea for Scout and Jem. It is explained through Harper Lee’s famous quote which says, “‘[m]ockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’” (Lee 119). Mockingbirds are used to portray characters such as Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, as well as Scout and Jem. This is because mockingbirds are innocent and harmless, and to cause an affliction to them would be senseless, immoral, and a display of pridefulness, just as …show more content…
Tom Robinson can be represented by a mockingbird due to his selfless nature, harmlessness, and his inability to protect himself against the prejudices in society. Throughout the novel, he is shown to be a good Samaritan, particularly in his trial, where Atticus brings to light his kind and charitable deeds. When asked by Atticus if he ever received payment for the tasks he completed for Mayella Ewell, Tom replied “‘[n]o suh, not after she offered me a nickel the first time. I was glad to do it, … [even though] I knowed she didn’t have no nickels to spare’” (Lee 256). Tom performed good deeds without expecting a reward in return. The reason he helped Mayella was because he thought it was the right thing to do. Mockingbirds receive no payment or acknowledgement for the good they do, but they continue to do it anyways, similarly to how Tom continued to work for Mayella without pay, despite having a
U3EA2 The“Queen of the Tomboys” grew up during the Jim Crow era; seeing justice unsatisfied in the Scottsboro trial at the tender age of five. Her father is a lawyer who was given a case to defend two African Americans in court, but he was unsuccessful due to racial norms in their home of Monroeville, Alabama. Many years Years later she was known by her peers as an individualist at the University of Alabama. While staying there she started by studying law but; first studying law and then then switched ing majors to become the aspiring writer known as Harper Lee, author of To Kill A Mockingbird (TKM). In Chapter 9 of said novel, Lee’s young character Scout confronts a classmate who had “announced in
In the classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Tom Robinson, a sympathetic, considerate African American field worker, is accused of the rape of an abused 19 year old white girl, Mayella Ewell. As the consequent trial unfolds, the reader glimpses Tom’s understanding personality despite the harsh 1930s stereotypes that cloud the trial. First, early into his testimony, Tom reveals that Mayella regularly invited him into the Ewell yard to do a few minor chores, which was usually chopping wood or toting water. Then, when Atticus, his defense attorney, asks if Tom was paid for his services, Tom replies, “No suh, not after she offered me a nickel the first time.
During the trial it is revealed that Tom resisted Mayella even though the common stereotype was that all black men rape white women if they had a chance, which supports the idea that he’s a mockingbird. This gives off the idea that Tom doesn’t want to harm Mayella’s standing by having her
When Scout asks him why he is doing this, he explains that “… if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again.” (75). Tom Robinson, a black man, is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman & one of the children in the (poor) Ewell family. When Atticus is visited one night, he is asked to represent Tom in the case, and Atticus accepts. Representing a black man is a serious thing to do.
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, one of the themes is that people should not be quick to judge others based on the labels given by society. During the story, the children judge Boo Radley based on what other people have gossiped about him and what comes from their imagination. “Jem gave a reasonable description of Boo: Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hands were bloodstained-if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped and he drooled most of the time.”
“They don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (page). The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a fictional piece which captures the fictional lives of a small county set in Alabama during the 1930s. The novel takes place in Maycomb County, and is through the eyes of the narrator, Jean Louise or also known as Scout.
“Emotions can’t be allowed to interfere with what is right.” This quote, provided by Amazon’s recent, critically-acclaimed dystopian television series accurately summarizes the key takeaway when it comes to morality in To Kill a Mockingbird. How does this quote from a television show which takes place in an alternate 1960s America relate to the theme of morality in Harper Lee’s Great Depression-era novel? To answer this, we must first examine how the said theme in the novel is created. How does Harper Lee convey her message of not letting emotion sway us from right?
In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, the mockingbird represents Tom Robinson throughout the novel. One significant characteristic of a mockingbird is its innocence; Tom Robinson holds this trait of innocence. For example, Tom is accused of beating Mayella but the bruises are on her right side of her face. Tom’s Left arm cripples on the left and there is no way he was able to execute that type of physical abuse using his left arm.
Jem is Shaped and Influenced by Society Jem, Scout's brother, from To Kill A Mockingbird is shaped and influenced by his society around him. Jem lives in the small town of Maycomb which is deeply rooted in racial injustices. Jem is initially unaware of the racial division but quickly sees the harsh reality of the world. Jem tells Scout, “There are just some kind of men who-who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one” (Chapter 23).
To Kill a Mockingbird, Mayella Ewell is an overworked and unappreciated nineteen-year-old woman who accuses Tom Robinson of taking advantage of and raping her. Tom, an African American man who is disabled, is testifying in court against Mayella Ewell, and evidence shows that Mayella may be lying about her testimony. Mayella is worthy of compassion when taking account of her past experiences. Mayella Ewell should be treated with compassion because she has been abused physically and sexually by her father during her life. While Tom Robinson
In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee creates the characters by pulling traits of people in her daily life. Atticus, Scout’s dad in the book, is a perfect example of one of these characters because he relates to Harper Lee’s father, Amasa Coleman(A.C.) Lee. In chapter 1 of the book, it says, “… yet the tradition of living in the land remained unbroken until well into the twentieth century, when my father, Atticus Finch, went to Montgomery to read law… ”(page 4-5). This quotation connects to Harper Lee’s father because he was also a lawyer, according to Scott Stabler.
As mentioned by Miss Maudie on Chapter 10 of the story, mockingbirds are just innocent creatures who don’t do any harm, which is why it’s a sin to kill one. In the story, the people of Maycomb criticize Boo Radley and Tom Robinson based on what others say about them. Therefore, this destroys their innocence, leaving them an outsider in society. Throughout the novel, Lee exhibits the loss of innocence throughout Boo Radley and Tom Robinson who are both
Tom Robinson is a mockingbird in that he doesn't do one thing wrong. All he does is provide help to the people he interacts with. That is exactly how he got in trouble. Tom Robinson was helping Mayella with some chores. He was humming a melody and when he chopped up the dresser drawers.
I was glad to do it, Mr. Ewell didn’t seem to help her much” (Lee 191). 2. Interpretation: This situation in the book shows that Tom was an innocent mockingbird because he never harmed anyone; he just helped others
In our class we have been reading the book "To Kill a Mockingbird." In the story a character named Atticus says a quote, "shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit' em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" (119). A character that shows a similarity with this quote is Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson is an African American who works in Alabama, and he is being accused of rapng a white women named Mayella Ewell. I believe that Tom Robinson relates well with Atticus' quote because he is being accused of a crime that he didn't commit.