How is it that racism is still a global issue in today's society? Racial discrimination and prejudice are two ongoing matters that are still present in today’s society, including discrimination against people of different backgrounds, sex, race or beliefs. Harper Lee effectively explores the concept of racism in her novel, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ (1960). Inspired by her childhood, Lee depicts racism and prejudice in a small rural town referred to as Maycomb country – during the 1930s – through the eyes of a child, Scout. This novel digs into the consequences of hatred and preconception, and how it relates to current events. The theme of prejudice and racism is voiced continuously throughout different chapters and events of the narrative. Through the use of figurative and stylistic …show more content…
The metaphor being the ‘disease’. In chapter 9, Uncle Jack and Atticus discussed the impact of defending Tom’s trial when Atticus utters, “I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness, and most of all, without catching Maycomb’s usual disease” (pg.91). The way Lee refers to Maycomb’s racism and prejudice as being a ‘disease’, makes the reader understand that the ‘disease’ is harmful and unwanted. By including figurative language and stylistic devices such as a metaphor as an example, it helps the readers understand how the people of Maycomb behaved. Another illustration of how Lee has used figurative language and stylistic features to enhance the theme of racism is through the motif of the ‘mockingbird’ in the novel. In the title itself, the ‘mockingbird’ is a motif that represents different characters. Jem, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. They are key examples of the ‘mockingbirds’ in the narrative, as mockingbirds represent the loss of innocence. By including this motif, it connects the reader to the theme and reinforces the occurring racism and prejudice in the whole
I think that the mockingbirds represent two characters in the book, who are Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. Tom Robinson is a man with a loving family who was convicted of raping a teenager. All the evidence points to him being innocent, yet he is still convicted and sent to jail. Then he ends up getting shot at for trying to escape. This is a good example of a mockingbird in the book, because Tom Robinson was an innocent man, yet
To Kill a Mockingbird shows Racist themes throughout the book. To demonstrate, Jem and Scout were being reprimanded by Mrs. Dubose as they walked to the store, she told Scout that of she kept wearing overalls she’d have a bad life, she also said, “Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse lawing for niggers!” (Lee Unknown). This shows that some people in Maycomb are very racist. As another example, they use the phrase “Nigger Lover” (Lee 94-96) as an insult multiple times.
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.
Tom Robinson is an example of a “mockingbird,” he is accused of a false accusation, mainly because he is a black man. This can relate back to one of the many themes of the novel, “prejudice.” Atticus, Scout, and Jem are round and dynamic characters that help to progress the theme of “empathy,” as well as many lessons that Scout and Jem will learn. Morality
o Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is told in the perspective of a young girls named Scout who grew up under the intricate circumstances of the mid twentieth century in Maycomb County, Alabama. Throughout the novel, Scout and Jem discover that their father is going to represent a black man named Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping and beating a white woman. Suddenly, Scout and Jem have to tolerate a barrage of racial slurs and insults because of Atticus' role in the trial. Throughout the novel Lee uses various types of rhetorical devices, but the clear ones are symbolisms which illustrate Tom Robinson and his role in the racial prejudice in the era. An example would be when Atticus tells Scout it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird, not understanding why, she asks Miss.
Has one ever wondered if racism will ever end because it seems no matter how many years go by, it will live on forever? Luckily there are people in this world who are willing to fight for what is right just like Atticus Finch. In the To Kill a Mockingbird passage, in which Atticus ends the court case with a powerful statement where he is defending Tom Robinson, a black man in the southern state of Maycomb, Alabama, in the 1930s, Author Harper Lee uses irony and imagery to help develop the theme that the color of people’s skin does not define them as a person and does not automatically make them an awful and guilty person. To commence, Lee uses irony to establish the theme that one can not automatically be guilty because of the color of their
Atticus Finch is a lawyer who lives in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s, a time of great oppression and racism. He is a widow and has two children, a boy named Jem and a girl named Jean Louise, also known as Scout. Atticus has been called to defend a colored man named Tom Robinson who was accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Cunningham. In his closing arguments, Atticus Finch wants the jury and his community to understand the societal problems of oppression in order to persuade readers to treat people who are different from them with empathy and understanding. He does this by utilizing imagery, hyperbole, and repetition.
In the argument between Mr.Gilmer and Atticus In to kill a mockingbird about Tom Robinson being found guilty for raping Mayella. There was impressive work of rhetorical analysis (Logos, Pathos, and Ethos). This argument takes place in a courthouse in Maycomb which if packed with the people of Maycomb. The argument between Atticus and Mr.Gilmer was about Tom Robinson to find out if he truly raped and abused Mayella. In the argument between them both used Logos, Ethos, and Pathos.
In the book “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Harper Lee uses negative connotation and vivid symbolism to persuade that being judged by an outward appearance or backstory can affect a person negatively and make the judgers feel superior. Lee uses an outstanding amount of characters to persuade this but some distinctive characters that she uses is Aunt Alexandra and the Cunningham’s. Lee also uses the Ewells and Tom Robinson to persuade her meaning. In chapter twenty-three Scout asks Aunt Alexandra if she can play with Walter Cunningham but Aunt Alexandra declines the request and does not give Scout permission to play with Walter. She explains why plus starts to judge Walter.
On one level, it refers to the actual act of harming innocent creatures. However, it also extends beyond the literal meaning, serving as a metaphor for the unjust persecution and destruction of innocence in society. Lee uses the mockingbird as a symbol for characters like Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of a crime, and Boo Radley, a recluse who is misunderstood and unjustly feared. Through this metaphor, the passage becomes a call to protect those who are vulnerable and marginalized, highlighting the importance of empathy and
The mockingbird is the dominant motif of the novel. Mockingbird is a type of songbird. Throughout the novel, the mockingbird represented the innocences. The first character to use the symbolism is Atticus, "... it's a sin to kill a mockingbird".
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.
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee the term mockingbird symbolizes innocence in a person. In the novel it focuses on the fact that innocence, represented by the mockingbird, can be wrongfully harmed. There are two characters: Tom Robinson and Arthur “Boo” Radley that are supposed to represent the mockingbird. In the novel, Tom Robinson is the best example of a mockingbird because he is prosecuted for a crime he did not commit. Also, he was judged unfairly based on the color of his skin in his trial.
Because the mockingbird is a symbol of innocence it is symbolic of the characters of Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson. Both are misunderstood and judged by the townspeople without really knowing them. Tom Robinson is killed violently due to being put in prison because
Mockingbirds are an important symbol because they represent goodness and innocence. In this book, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are two innocent men, similar to mockingbirds, who get taken advantage of due to their innocence. Atticus and Miss Maudie teach Scout and Jem that it’s a sin to harm anything innocent by using the example of mockingbirds. Mockingbirds are innocent because they only positively affect people through their singing.