I am reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This book is about a girl, named Scout, her brother Jem, and the people who lived in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. Along with their summer friend, Dill, the children become obsessed with the idea of getting a look at their unseen neighbor, Boo Radley. Meanwhile, their father, Atticus Finch, decided to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who was wrongly accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. The children get caught up in the trial, in which Tom is convicted and eventually killed while trying to escape from prison. Jem and Scout become the targets of Bob Ewell, the father of Mayella, who tries to kill them one night on their way home from school, but Boo Radley showed
“You may choose to look away, but you may never say that you did not know” (William Wilberforce). In To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus Finch juggles being a single father to his two children and practicing law in his small town. When Atticus defends a young black man who is being accused rape, the town of Macomb becomes polarized on the case and the trial reveals many truths about the people of the Maycomb. Atticus Finch works passionately to fight for the minority, which amplifies the importance of justice.
Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird is about a man named Atticus and his two kids Jem and Scout. Atticus was appointed to defend an African American, named Tom Robinson. Tom was accused by Bob Ewell for raping and beating his daughter, Mayellea Ewell. During the trial scene, everyone in that courtroom finds outs the truth that Tom is innocent against the accusations from Bob. The truth is that Mayella kissed Tom and Bob saw what she did. After Tom ran away, Bob was the one that beat up Mayella, and then called, Sheriff Heck Tate and blamed Tom for what he did to Mayella. Even though everything points to Bob being the one to hurt Mayella, the jury still convicts Tom guilty to the charges because the jury could not look past that he was African American. In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the three characters that show prejudice behaviors are Aunt Alexandra, Mrs. Grace Merriweather, and Bob Ewell.
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. Things are not always what they appear to be, for reality often seems to bend around certain circumstances.
“You rarely win but sometime you do.” Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” demonstrates what perseverance is and influence it can change against other people’s attitudes. Within the novel, the protagonist views may cruel realities but simultaneously acknowledges the values of qualities within people. The courage and mettle of fighting whatever comes ahead even if it results in life or death. With the protagonist’s audacity to defend the innocent only through words and persistence. “To Kill a Mockingbird” also highlights the truth towards the whole society can alter the definition of justice. Here, Atticus defends a black man for his words for the right to have a voice within society and not to be misjudged due to racism. Hence, Harper Lee uses the novel to convey the
The characters from To Kill A Mockingbird deal with racial injustice first hand. Scout, the narrator and daughter of Atticus Finch, experienced racial injustice of her father’s court case with Tom Robinson, an African American. Tom was accused of raping a white woman who was Mayella Ewell, Mayella said he raped her while he was helping her with chores. She later on tells the readers that it was false allegations. The reason why she didn 't tell the truth at her first trial was because, Mayella was afraid of being embarrassed because she kissed a black male. She rather have an innocent man get charged with a crime than that. “However, Robinson was transferred from the state prison to Maycomb 's county jail on Saturday, two days before he stood trial on Monday, and Atticus had to defend him against a lynch mob”. This shows racial injustice because the lynch mob was coming for
Perspective and beliefs have a huge effect in the world and especially back in the 1930s. This is about the perspective on Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird and how it affects his beliefs. He has three quotes that really explain how perspective and beliefs that affect their everyday lives. The first quote is, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” (Lee, Pg.39). The second one is, “...it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (Lee, Pg.119) Finally the last quote, “Best way to clear the air is to have it all out in the open.”(Lee, Pg.366)
Every day in our lives, heroes are all around us. They may not be what society tells us is a hero, like Superman or Batman. They do not wear fancy costumes or have super powers. But these heroes change the lives of the people around them, for the better. Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird is the charismatic, understanding father of Scout and Jem Finch as well as a hard working lawyer in Maycomb County, Alabama. Despite racial inequalities in the South, Atticus sticks to his own morals and agrees to be the defending lawyer for Tom Robinson, a black man being accused of raping a white woman. Although Atticus’ defense in court was thorough and clearly proved Tom’s innocence, the jury was prejudiced towards black folks and convicted Tom as guilty. Nonetheless, Atticus is still a hero despite losing the case. He has the courage to stand up for what he believes in, fights with reason rather than guns, and has utmost determination, making him a hero despite being just an average human being. Ultimately, his thoughts and actions set the stage for major changes in the meaning of equality throughout Maycomb County, changing lives of numerous people.
In Maycomb, Alabama, A poor white woman named Mayella Ewell who lives behind the town garbage dump, accuses Tom Robinson, an African American, of rape. Bob Ewell, Mayella 's father, gets drunk and abuses Mayella. He possibly even sexually abused Mayella. Not to mention, Mayella had enough of the abuse and got an idea. In addition to this, Mayella thought since she was a white woman she could blame an African American man, Tom Robinson, of rape and if her father sees, he will
“‘You never really understand a person until you consider his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it’” (Lee 39). This quote from the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee includes many characters who suffer from the Great Depression and other conflicts that break out in the town of Maycomb. Racism, poverty, and domestic violence attend in the book and continue their way through to create rising conflict between the people of Maycomb county. Atticus Finch is a lawyer of Maycomb and a father of two children, Jean Louise Finch, also known as Scout, and Jem Finch. Atticus, a white man, fights to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, in a case consisting of domestic violence. Throughout
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.
Albert Einstein once said, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” Einstein encouraged people to learn from the past, and when curiosity comes their way embrace it. Jem’s inquisitive mind makes him pursue tasks that should not be done. Scout’s active mind finds trouble, because the curious side always sticks with her. Due to his curiosity, Dill runs away from his home and travels to Maycomb to spend the summer with his friends. Throughout the many adventures in the story, Jem, Scout, and Dill all display great curiosity.
Tom Robinson is a young African-American who's been accused of raping and abusing Mayella Ewell, a young and closeted white woman. Racial discrimination is hinted throughout Tom’s trial as Atticus Finch explains to Jem that a white man’s word will always win over that of a black man’s - "...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" (220). Atticus explains to Jem that in the courts of Maycomb, a black man’s state of innocence or guilt is truly determined by a white man’s testimony. As can be seen, Lee’s usage of Tom Robinson’s trial and the racial discrimination and prejudice seen throughout it helps reinforce the theme of social injustice throughout To Kill A Mockingbird. Another encounter that the
Lee uses Miss Gates’s ironic views of Hitler and Tom’s trial to show how racial prejudice causes crimes against African Americans to be considered less than crimes committed against white people. A mockingbird is then used to symbolize Tom Robinson as an innocent person wrongly convicted of a crime because of his skin color. The misunderstood characterization of Arthur Radley shows how society will let prejudice guide their imaginated view on the lives of people they don't understand. All three characters provide examples of how a preconceived opinion of one person or a whole race can cause drastic misunderstandings and
In the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee, there are many important messages shown throughout the book. However the primary focus was set on racial prejudice that existed in the 1930s-1940’s in the fictional town of Maycomb County.The racism in the novel was very much a reality in 1930s-1940s America. A very good example of the racial prejudice that existed was in the courtroom during Tom Robinson’s trial, an innocent Negro man held against his will for a crime he did not commit.