ipl-logo

Theme Of Patriarchy In To Kill A Mockingbird

409 Words2 Pages

One of the goals of the literary theory of Feminist Criticism is to highlight and expose the patriarchy and misogynist behaviors and beliefs towards women. This theory can be applied to many literary works, including Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. In the final moments of Tom Robinson’s trial, Atticus makes a speech to the jury. Throughout his speech, Atticus makes several comments on how Tom Robinson did not commit the crime at all, blaming Mayella Ewell for bringing a false statement to court. Atticus ensues that Mayella’s desire to form a relationship with Tom was “...stronger than the [racial] code she was breaking…” (Chapter 20, pg. 224), and that she had to “...destroy the evidence of her offense.” (Chapter 20, pg. 225). While it

Show More
Related

  • How Does Atticus Finch Use Rhetorical Appeals In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1028 Words  | 5 Pages

    By his logic, if the court knew what Mayella thought throughout the case, and knew why she framed Tom, they would be able to understand that Tom is innocent. Atticus provides logical reasoning to this by explaining that, “She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man.”(Lee). Atticus describes what Mayella did, but explains why she felt it was so wrong. It wasn’t because she had committed a crime, and it wasn’t because Tom committed a crime; it was because she had broken the racist codes of Maycomb county, and because this racism was embedded so deep in the roots of her life, Mayella needed to frame Tom so she wouldn’t be thought of as someone negative.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Rhetorical Analysis

    697 Words  | 3 Pages

    Kaleb Fisher, Henlie Guy, Jason Harris, Rowan Scripps, Coleman Wright Ms. Brewer Honors English 9 28 February 2023 Excerpt 8 Analysis Essay In Harper Lee's fictional novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus argues that Tom Robinson is an innocent man. In the novel, we meet Tom an African-American man accused of raping Mayella, a young white women. Atticus is appointed as Tom’s lawyer and this is Atticus’s closing statement. Atticus claims that there is no real evidence to convict Tom and he has done nothing wrong.

    Read More

  • Tom Robinson Trial Essay

    783 Words  | 4 Pages

    Not only did she not get her desired way, but she was probably going to face further consequences from the law after lying in court Atticus finally knows the full truth about what happened, so decides to expose Mayella of her lies and show everyone that Tom is

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Rhetorical Analysis Essay On Equality

    1090 Words  | 5 Pages

    By referring to Mayella as ‘she,’ Atticus disregards her poverty-stricken life and lack of education, insisting that being white is enough. Enough to make up such lies about an innocent and independent black man, knowing that her affection and feelings towards Tom will be sheltered by the cloak of her white skin. By applying language such as ‘she,’ Atticus refuses to give her the respect of being referred to by her name. Furthermore, in comparison to Mayella, Tom Robinson is no monster, but “... a human being.” Atticus comments that “She must put Tom Robinson away from her.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Dbq

    871 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, the author, Harper Lee, uses the character of Tom Robinson to give her insight on the recent crime of Emmett Till. The trial was a very controversial case in the 1950s, involving the brutal murder of a young black boy, in racist Mississippi. In the real-life case, there is a woman named Carolyn Bryant who accuses Till of cat-calling and using vulgar language. However, Till was innocent, yet received punishment. Lee also recreated the persona of Carolyn into Mayella Ewell, who is the women that accuses Tom Robinson of raping her.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Gender Roles Essay

    645 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the title of the book To Kill a Mockingbird, gender roles play a big part in the time that the book was written. There are many examples of people being told what they could and couldn’t do based on their gender, and insults thrown around that are gender-based. One example of gender roles in the book are Jem’s comments on Scout’s behavior, especially when Jem and Dill are about to break into the radley’s. As they are discussing it, and Scout comes up and starts pestering them about what they are doing, Jem remarks that Scout is “gettin’ more like a girl every day!” pg.

    Read More

  • Societal Expectations Of Women In To Kill A Mockingbird

    106 Words  | 1 Pages

    Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, illustrates how women are restricted by societal expectations. Women and girls are expected to act a certain way, to be feminine and docile. After an argument between Jem and Scout, Jem goes as far to shout, “‘It’s time you started bein’ a girl and acting right!’” (Lee, 153). Jem believes that Scout should be cooperative and malleable to be a typical girl.

    Read More

  • Masculinity In To Kill A Mockingbird

    820 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, the character Atticus Finch is different from the other men of Macomb in many ways. One major difference is him displaying positive qualities not seen in Macomb's other men. It can be argued that Atticus represents a new concept of masculinity because of his personal qualities. There two are qualities that strongly support this argument; Atticus is respectful to all people and he does not do the daily tasks that the other men do, although some people argue that his behavior is only because he is under pressure to set an example for his kids. Atticus one of the few respectful characters in To Kill A Mockingbird which sets him apart from the other Maycomb men.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Sexism In To Kill A Mockingbird

    803 Words  | 4 Pages

    “The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” This is a quote from Atticus Finch, a courageous and wise character from Harper Lee 's novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. The story is told through the perspective of a young girl, Jean Louise ¨Scout¨ Finch. She lives with her older brother, Jeremy, and widowed father and prominent lawyer, Atticus, in Maycomb, Alabama during the time of the Great Depression. Throughout the novel, the children experience the injustice and prejudice of society through a tough case that their father was appointed to and are taught to respect and tolerate all people, despite their differences.

    Read More

  • Sexism In To Kill A Mockingbird Analysis

    712 Words  | 3 Pages

    Imagine one day you wake up and many of your constitutional rights, such as the right to vote, are gone. In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Sexism plays a huge role in many scenarios throughout the story. For example, a quote in the novel states, “ ‘Scout, i’m tellin’ you for the last time to shut your trap or go home- I declare to the lord you’re gettin more like a girl every day.’ With that, I had no option but to join them.”(Lee

    Read More

  • Southern Womanhood In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird

    730 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird”, the issue of Southern Womanhood is brought up many times throughout the novel. Lee uses many different characters to help show how she viewed Southern Womanhood. Specifically she uses, Scout, Mayella Ewell, and Scout’s Aunt Alexandra. In "To Kill A Mockingbird", Harper Lee uses specific characters to show how negative of an impact Southern Womanhood used to have. Harper Lee uses Scout in many cases to show how she thought Southern Womanhood used to have a negative impact.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Racial Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird

    754 Words  | 4 Pages

    Tom Robinson is a black man who is wrongfully convicted of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell. This novel goes through Scout's life from when she was 6, till she is 9. She lives in the town of Maycomb Alabama, and lives an innocent life until about halfway through the story, where she begins to ask questions. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout shows the readers that racial inequality creates an unjust society through the African American community, through the people surrounding colored folks, and through Tom Robinson’s Case. The first example of the consequences of racial inequality is the African American community in Maycomb.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Bully In To Kill A Mockingbird

    830 Words  | 4 Pages

    Blue Jays and Mockingbirds Who are the blue jays and mockingbirds of To Kill A Mockingbird? Set in the early 1930’s of America, Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is a coming-of-age book that tells the story of an innocent, naive child becoming an adult through the experience and intake of racism, discrimination, and social injustice throughout the book. Harper Lee’s development, usage and characterization of her characters throughout To Kill A Mockingbird help establish two of her most important themes of the book, which are the presence of social injustice and the coexistence of good and evil. Social injustice is consistently seen throughout To Kill A Mockingbird.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Social Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1169 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the novel, ‘To kill a mockingbird, Harper Lee demonstrates the small, imaginary town, the Maycomb County, as a place where racism and social inequality happens in the background of 1930s America. Not only the segregation between whites and blacks, but also the poor lived in a harsh state of living. As Scout, the young narrator, tells the story, Lee introduces and highlights the effects of racism and social inequality on the citizens of Maycomb County by using various characters such as Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and Mayella Ewell. Firstly, Harper Lee portrays Boo Radley as a victim of social inequality through adjectives and metaphor in the phrase, “There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten;” ‘Long jagged scar that ran across his face’ tells us that Boo Radley has stereotype about his appearance, which forces to imagine Boo as a scary and threatening person. The phrase, ‘yellow and rotten’ make the readers think as if Boo Radley is poor and low in a social hierarchy, as he cannot afford to brush his teeth.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Feminism In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1229 Words  | 5 Pages

    Killing a Mockingbird What would it feel like to be a woman who is undervalued by the other men and women around her? To Kill a Mockingbird is about a family who lives in the South in the 1930’s. It is told by a young girl named Scout Finch. Throughout the book we learn many things about her family and the other people around her. Females in this novel are undervalued and looked down upon because of the roles they are expected to portray.

    Read More

More about Theme Of Patriarchy In To Kill A Mockingbird

Open Document