Both Scout, from To KIll a Mockingbird and Lily, from The Secret Life of Bees uphold their beliefs regarding race and personal prejudices in their own pieces of literature. Although these stereotypes belong to two different characters, some similarities can be found between them as well. Lily and Scout have had different ranges of exposure to African Americans, however they both eventually developed mature thoughts involving race and represented strong female characters in the midst of male-dominated societies.
“You have to make choices even when there is nothing to choose from” – Péter Zilahy. Every day brings new choices and we either learn to make them, or let someone else make them for us. Maturity plays a part in the decisions we make and whether we take the role of the maker or the follower. Being afraid, but acting anyways is a true sign of courage and maturity, a topic which both Scout and I faced in our younger years. Scout goes through a journey to bravery from carelessness, while I go through the same journey through the context of kindergarten. Through the character of Scout, in the text To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee suggests that everybody goes through their own unique journey to maturity, and with that courage comes in different
“You never understand a person until you consider things from their point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it,” is a quote from the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.” This book is about a family of three, living in a household with the addition of their aunt. This includes Scout (daughter), Jem (son), Atticus (father), and Aunt Alexandrea (aunt). The kids do not call their father by that title, but by his name Atticus. The second part of the book is about a black man on trial who was accused of raping a woman. Atticus was his attorney and he tried everything he could to make sure the jury saw that he did not rape her, but sadly, it was not a success and he was sent to jail. They live in a small town in Macomb, Alabama.
In the last century, the epidemic of racial discrimination in America is showcased by how society functioned in areas like the South. Their entire social structure once revolved around segregation of not just race, but gender as well. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the normalcy and expectation of racial prejudice is demonstrated in 1930’s deep south. In the movie The Help, directed by Tate Taylor, the ever growing civil rights movement of the 1960’s began to change the view of some southern citizens. The main characters, Scout Finch and Skeeter Phelan, both witness the bigotry and injustice within their society. They both are angered and baffled by the blatant racism and sexism in their
To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, is a tale of two children, Jem and Scout. This powerfully inspiring and educational story entails daily life of the children, as well as the struggles they faced while their father is defending a black man’s case during a racially segregated time period. As an author, Harper Lee developed multiple themes throughout this story. These themes include good, evil, justice, fear, family, forgiveness, and compassion. Atticus illustrates the characteristics of bravery in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird by choosing to defend a black man in court, and shooting a rabid dog in Maycomb.
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. People of the town including children refer to black people as “Niggers”, and raised to think of black people as lower class individuals.
Did you grow up in a racist community where the blacks and whites did not get along at all? To Kill a Mockingbird is by Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird is about how 2 children are growing up in a very racist community. It’s also about a big trial where a white man stood up for a black man, and back then that was a sin to stick up for blacks. In To kill a Mockingbird Scout is a very courageous little girl who sticks up to a mob, Bouncing back from an attack, and backing down from fights.
According to them, his choice to represent Tom causes unnecessary hardship for Jem and Scout, such as the harassment they face in school and from their cousin Francis. However, when Scout comes home from school following one of these confrontations, he advises her to fight with her head, not her fists, and not to let the other children get her down. The very next day, when she backs down from a fight, she says “I can take being called a coward for him. I felt extremely noble for having remembered” (Lee 102). This quote shows that Scout is not, in fact, deeply hurt by her father’s choices and is actually proud of him. While she does love a good fight, Scout cares more deeply about her father and pleasing him than whatever taunting she may face. Additionally, Atticus is teaching his children morals and values by taking this case, as shown above, the benefits of which greatly outweigh any negatives from taking the
Families will always grow together, like a bouquet of flowers. In the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ Harper Lee clarifies the importance of a supportive family. Harper Lee walks around and clears up that having a supportive family is significant in the Maycomb town. Lee highlights the Finch family relationships and supplies a variety of quotes to prove their devoted bond with each other. A theme in the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ is that family is priceless and worthy to rescue from danger, and this theme connects with real life crisis in the modern world today.
In society, there are very few people who have the unwavering dedication to stand up for what they believe. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, a black man was convicted and accused of a crime he didn 't commit, raping a white women, which is not in anyway tolerable in society. In Harper Lee 's To Kill A Mockingbird, the author used point of view and symbolism to acknowledge how the the several social divisions which make up much of the adult world are shown to be both irrational and extremely destructive.
From getting to know someone more on a personal level instead of hearing judgements from other people. An individual is able to neutralize prejudice by understanding how a person lives and feeling empathy for them. Author, Harper Lee has demonstrated this through her Pulitzer Prize winning novel: To kill a mockingbird. Since its first publication in 1960 it has sold over 40 million copies world-wide. Harper Lee wrote this book during marches regarding the civil rights movement for racial equality between black people and white people in the United States. She wrote this as a statement to the 1960’s civil rights movement, although it as set in the 1930’s, this novel has a lot to say about fair treatment of all people no matter what social class or race.
Violence is stated many times in To Kill A Mockingbird. One example of violence is when Scout beat up Francis for calling her dad a negro lover. “This time, I split my knuckle to the bone on his front teeth. My left impaired, I sailed in with my right, nut not for long” (Lee 112). Another example of violence is when Scout beat up Walter Cunningham because she thinks that he got her in trouble. “‘He made me start off on the wrong foot.’… ‘He didn’t have any lunch,’” (Lee 30). Scout can be very violent if people make her mad or
Heroes are not invincible, and certainly are not the ones who always win; however, a hero is someone who, despite this, is courageous enough to fight for what is right. Atticus Finch, one of the most inspiring literary characters from the highly acclaimed novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, is an example of such. This classic novel is told from the perspective of Scout Finch, Atticus’ daughter, a young girl who lives in the town of Maycomb County, Alabama, in the 1930s, a town where prejudice and discrimination is rife. Rather than succumbing to societal expectations and adopting the extreme animosity held by the other citizens, Atticus views and treats all with the dignity and respect that they are entitled to, guiding his
In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee presents a large social atmosphere that includes many different cultures and extremes. The story takes place in the southern town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. This novel illustrates how the southerners perceived different ideas about each other and social norms. It is told through the eyes of a young girl, Scout Finch, as she is growing up and becoming influenced by societal attitudes. Throughout the course of this book Scout learns many lessons including: how a society functions, why there is conflict between different cultures, and what makes cultures different from each other. Harper Lee utilizes functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism to convey how
Scout is only a six year old child who hasn’t yet experienced evil in the world and she soon discovers what evil is all about. In chapter 9, her father defends Tom Robinson, an African American man, and she gets to experience evil firsthand. Cecil Jacobs insults Scout’s father, “Cecil Jacobs made me forget. He had announced in the schoolyard the day before that Scout Finch’s daddy defended niggers.” (Lee pg. 99) Scout sees evil and prejudice. People don’t like Tom because of the color of his skin. Classmates and others were not happy and teasing her because her father defends an African American person. (Lee, 110) Tom is convicted of raping Mayella, Bob Ewell’s daughter. After all the evidence presented, it was clear Tom was being