Every day brings new choices that have the ability to influence different aspects of our lives. The consequences that we face revolve around the choices we make. Whether these consequences are big or small, choices will always impact our lives. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee develops ideas about the influence of choices on the life of an individual by demonstrating that choices can lead to learning valuable life lessons, choices can influence others to judge and individual and that choices made by one individual could influence others’ choices.
When one makes choices, it often leads one and/or others to learn valuable life lessons. In her novel, Harper Lee addresses this statement in multiple ways. When Scout makes the decision
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The main reason as to why individuals were judged by other was due to racial prejudice. For example, Calpurnia decides to invite Jem and Scout to the First Purchase M.E. African Church. Once they arrive, Calpurnia, Jem, and Scout were confronted by Lula; a racist lady that was not pleased to see white children at an African church. Calpurnia’s decision to bring Jem and Scout to her church lead to Lula judging her. In addition, Dolphus Raymond’s decision of marrying a black woman, having mixed children and spending most of his time around black folks causes the society to judge his ways of living. The majority of the white folks in Maycomb are very closed minded about this topic and refuse consider things from Mr. Raymond’s point of view. Therefore, they are not able to understand. Dolphus Raymond spends his days pretending to be drunk as an excuse for his choices and to escape society’s racial prejudice. A final example is Atticus’s decision to defend Tom Robinson from a crime that he did not commit. Atticus’s choice turned him into a target for various folks in Maycomb; who insulted and disrespected him (Scout’s cousin, Francis, Bob Ewell and Mrs.
Personal beliefs are shaped by perspective. In order to change someone’s opinion, their point of view has to be altered. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Lee shows the change in Scout Finch’s beliefs as she matures and her perspective changes. We can see this when Scout evaluates Walter Cunningham’s different way of life at her supper table, when she starts to witness the social inequalities in Maycomb, Alabama during Tom Robinson's trial, and when she learned the truth about her childhood monster, Boo Radley. While Walter Cunningham sat at the Finch’s table for Dinner, Scout, who had previously beat him up that day, was furious because he was the reason her teacher Miss Caroline punished her for the first time.
Everyone experiences hardships in their life, that much is obvious. In her novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee suggests that adversity plays a large role in shaping an individual’s identity. Jem encounters adversity in various forms, each of them shaping his identity in a more courageous, compassionate way. This is possible through learning not to make assumptions, what true courage is, and the bitterness of injustice.
In a sleepy southern town, many of the people are innately curious. Curiosity manifests itself in several forms throughout Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Various characters demonstrate curious or inquisitive qualities. Whether they are exploring imaginary worlds, obsessively reading everything they can lay their hands on, or just picking up a bit of gossip, the characters stand out as curious individuals. A number of them will do anything to learn up-to-date things.
Growing from a little toddler to a mature adult brings many changes. As a child grows, they begin to notice how the real world works, that life is not always fair, and that people are not always like they seem to be. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee presents Scout’s and Jem’s Coming of Age experience. She descriptively shows how there can be such change in a child.
To Kill A Mockingbird demonstrates that even if you are criticized for being different, to persevere through it, as Mr. Dolphus Raymond, Boo and Atticus do. “In the end, people will judge you anyway. Don’t live your life impressing others. Live your life impressing yourself.” (Eunice Camacho Infante)
Innocence is a time in one’s life of carefreeness and peace. In youth, children have yet to experience the harsh realities of life, and when they do, it is often hard to cope with. In her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee portrays Maycomb’s prejudiced ways through an unfair trial of an innocent man, and through the treatment of certain members of the community. The young narrator, Scout, and her older brother, Jem, experience growth and learn compassion when the trial exacerbates Maycomb’s intense intolerance. In this novel, Lee uses the characterization of the Finch children to demonstrate that innocent children who have been exposed to their community’s prejudice, often have trouble adjusting, but need a mentor figure to help them mature.
Nelle” Harper Lee is a pulitzer prize winning author. She has written the books Go Set A Watchman, and To Kill A Mockingbird. Her books were a part in the civil rights movement and still are considered a large piece of literature in the scene of racial equality.
This represents that no matter his argument, Tom Robinson was already determined to be convicted of rape because he was black. Additionally, the man Dolphus Raymond was seen as a disgrace to the residents of Maycomb since he has children with a black women. He said that he must pretend to drink alcohol out of a brown paper bag because, “...they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that’s the way I want to live” (Lee 286). As stated above, Dolphus Raymond has to pretend to be out of his right mind since people can not accept that he associates with blacks on a daily basis. The separate but equal laws were demonstrated in To Kill a Mockingbird through the segregation of white and black facilities.
A cover never does a book justice. It can either be very misleading to the reader or portray a differing feeling that he or she might expect. This is thoroughly present throughout Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Actuality differs what one sees when situations are changed, hidden, or revealed in another aspect. The full understanding of this process is found in Scout Finch’s narration of the novel when events unfold into their actual form.
He is associated with black people and has “mixed children” with a black women. Many in Maycomb find this odd , and do not like the way he lives. To avoid a magnified amount of inequity, Dolphus pretends to drink, which allows those of Maycomb to believe his drunkenness is the reason behind his ways. “I try to give ‘em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason.
Destruction of Character Through Pre-Judgment Judgment, often defined as an opinion or a conclusion, is a relevant term throughout Harper Lee’s writings (Merriam Webster). As seen in To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman the relevance of judgment is evident through discrimination of individuals skin color. At first glance, an average reader might perceive the novel as a story of an unconventional upbringing. Although this reader is not completely mistaken, a key point is lost. This point is the theme of pre-judgment and its destructiveness.
In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the entire town of Maycomb accepts and contributes to maintaining the racial status quo. The narrator, Scout, tries to make it seem as though Maycomb, Alabama is a better place than other southern states in the United States. Although, they tolerate racism just as much as any other southern state. Some characters are aware of this, like Atticus Finch and Dolphus Raymond and others are not. Dolphus Raymond even states “Things haven’t caught up to that one’s instinct yet.
As the book goes on and the characters change, ethical dilemmas about fear, and racism are seen. Additionally, what the book has to say about moral values and how things are done is mentioned in this essay. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee depicts the crude reality of Ethical Dilemmas in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1950s. One of the first Ethical Dilemmas presented in the book is what are the morals of the people in Maycomb. It is clear that Maycomb has differences in how people act, but that is different on what their moral values are.
This shows that Mr. Raymond is willing to live with this lie in order to satisfy his neighbors' need to understand his lack of racism. Just like the mockingbird he means no harms to anyone and wishes only to live in peace with his family. Furthermore, Mr Raymond symbolizes a mockingbird because he doesn't like to fight. For instance, when scout asked him why does he pretend he’s drunk, he says When I come to town, if I weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymond's in the clutches of whiskey—that's why he won't change his ways. He can't help himself, that's why he lives the way he does" it indicates that Mr. Raymond's leads a double life instead of fighting for what he believes in.
Every person on this planet has the ability to make choices. People have been created with minds to convince, control, and problem solve. Similarly, other people’s influence has great power to change, persuade, and spread rumors. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, portrays many examples of people who were persuaded and changed from his or her own mind and decisions, or the effect of someone else’s. Injustice is rampant throughout the book, in Tom Robinson’s verdict, Boo Radley’s precarious situation, and with Scout’s situation at school.