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What Are The Themes In To Kill A Mockingbird

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"you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb in his skin and walk around in it" (Harper Lee). Harper Lee 's’ story “Too Kill a Mockingbird” is set in the 1930’s during the Great depression. Published in the 1960’s, this book won the hearts of many readers, as well as the Pulitzer prize.

In her social commentary, there’s many themes that play a prodigious role in this book. Weather it be Racism, Morality, or innocence, it shows substantial examples of all three themes.

To demonstrate, racism probably holds the utmost importance as a theme in this novel. Racism against blacks is especially endemic. For example, Tom Robinson a gentle, physically disabled negro is accused of rape. In the novel you later find out that Mayella Ewell the rape “victim” falsely accuses Tom. Due to his physical appearance, and the fact that he was a “likely …show more content…

With that being said, innocence being ended is also a major theme in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” For example, Jem is the only one between him and Scout that truly understand what’s going on. He understands that what’s happening with Tom Robinson is wrong. After the judge convicts Tom as being guilty Jem tells his father “it ain 't right, Atticus” (212). Later in the novel Tom tries to escape prison and ends up being killed and that crushes many hearts, including Jems. The next way his innocence is put to a halt is when Bob Ewell breaks his arm. Jem has never done anything to Bob, and Bob killed his innocence both physically and mentally. Tom is also another victim of innocence being ceased. While reading the book there’s no doubt that Tom is innocent but when he got convicted he knew from there he’d never be free. Atticus says “ I told him what i thought, but I couldn’t in truth say that we had more than a good chance. I guess Tom was tired of white men’s chances and preferred to take his own (236). Consequently, Tom 's innocence was killed the

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