We live in a society today where judging others is a regular, everyday activity. Many people may blame a significant amount of this issue on the excessive amount of technology we have access too, but this problem has been around for much longer. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, it shows the ugliness that can come from judging others, but it also teaches two young children, Scout and Jem, to listen to others, so that you can have the opportunity to learn from them. Throughout the story many characters were able to demonstrate this lesson for the kids, but three that were true examples of it were Tom Robinson, Atticus Finch and Boo Radley. With only aiming to stand up for what they believe in and not worrying what everyone
Henry Kravis once said,”If you don 't have integrity, you have nothing. You can 't buy it. You can have all the money in the world, but if you are not a moral and ethical person, you really have nothing. Morals are the principles on which one 's judgments of right and wrong are based. The morality of a person define what a person’s decisions will be, or could this be influenced by other things. To Kill a Mockingbird is a book written by Harper Lee about racism and justice during the Great Depression. In Maycomb County, most people still aren’t over the confederate days, but Atticus Finch, a very ethical lawyer, and his family have to undergo a case over a black man. The thematic statement found in this book is,”A person’s surroundings will affects their choices and disregard morals.” This tells how the people in this book disregard some base morals and make choices. In To Kill a MockingBird there are examples of people disregarding their morals in mob mentality and letting society influence them, but keeping to a strict line they wouldn’t cross like Atticus defending Tom.
Humans live in a world where moral values are very clearly set determining what is good and what is bad. We know what scares us and how racism should be treated. Nevertheless, this was not the case back in Alabama during the 1950s. In the famous novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee narrates the lives of the people of Maycomb, Alabama, focusing on the story of Scout and Jem Finch, and the case of a said to be rape. In this emotion filled narrative, readers learn how life was back then not only in general, but for the separate social statuses that there was. 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.
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is the story of a small town named Maycomb Located in Alabama, highlighting the adventures of the finch children and many other people in the small town. The people in this town are very judgemental and of each other and it often leads to people being labeled with stereotypes and people think they know everything about that person however that is not reality. It is not possible to know the reality of a person 's life by placing a stereotype without seeing it through their own eyes and experiencing the things they experience. This happens often throughout the story with many people in the town. People are labeled as many things such a “monster” a “nigger” and many other things that seem to put them in their
Every human-being started out innocent, with a clear mind set, and from that view everything was simple; the line between right and wrong was clear, good and evil, equality and inequality, justice and injustice. However, as time went on this simple way of thinking changed, innocence was lost, and black and white became a million shades of gray. This common coming of age moment everyone experiences, whether it is for the better or worst, is shown within the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Therefore, the book represents the theme that children possess the ability to see people for who they are, without any prejudice or racism, because of their innocence and clear judgement, showing true knowledge of right and wrong, unless tainted by
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. To Kill a Mockingbird portrays Atticus Finch as a rather fierce civil rights supporter, where as Go Set a Watchman depicts Atticus as a blatant racist. Although the novels do not go hand in hand, it is obvious to see how the society Atticus is placed in is intensely racist and prejudiced, inherently forcing preconceived notions upon him. The test to real character is whether or not a man can uphold his moral values in a society so small minded. Atticus Finch defies societal norms in the South in To Kill a Mockingbird when he resists backlash and defends a black man accused of raping a white woman. Contrastingly, Go Set a Watchman illustrates Atticus as an old white man who is part of various clubs against black civil rights. Reasoning for this comes from pre-judgment and its destructiveness to character. If Atticus had lived in civilization of equality and good will, much of his bigotry would be non existent in Go Set a Watchman. The point of prejudgment and its
In To Kill a Mockingbird prejudice in Maycomb is terrible. There are two major people in To Kill A Mockingbird that are prejudged severely. Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are the two main people who are prejudged. There is also one other man who prejudged, Atticus Finch. All three of these men are mockingbirds. Mockingbirds never bring harm to anybody. Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, and Atticus Finch resemble mockingbirds because they never bring harm to anybody.
Social prejudice is shown throughout Harper Lee’s award winning book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee powerfully analyses the theme social prejudice, and its effect on people. Such as how the
Why do so many people feel the need to judge others based on how they look? Judging others gives people a sense of honor because demeaning others can create a sense of security and identity. If one concludes who a person is merely on what they look like they will miss what is important, what their morals are, and what their intentions are. It takes an individual who has read the novel To Kill A Mockingbird to understand because it is a perfect example of treating others with respect and not determining who others are based on what they look like. Many characters in Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird begin to realize that one cannot know a person until they peek beyond that person’s appearance.
Prejudicial thinking is a prevalent facet of contemporary and past life; its influence can be found all throughout literature, in the classic To Kill a Mockingbird (TKAM) and modern text Jasper Jones. The film adaptation of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mocking Bird is a timeless example of challenging the mold; its use of strong moral characters faced with prejudiced based situations that strongly oppose not only their beliefs but also the audience is unbelievably powerful. Its artful construction and representation of the 1930’s way of thinking during the Great Depression is a compelling argument in terms of bringing to light the inconsistencies and unfair treatment of those considered less. The novel Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey is a contemporary
“When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself” – Wayne Dyer Judging others is a natural human trait that everyone has. Everyone tries their hardest to not make assumptions about others but everyone does make assumptions about others. Sometimes despite their best efforts people will find themselves exploring feelings of negativity towards someone else or even making judgements about them. This relates to my prompt because you shouldn’t judge someone because you may misinterpret them for who they really are. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee’s use of racism proves that you shouldn’t judge someone because you may misinterpret them for who they really are.
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.
Perception defines the world around you. It affects every aspect of your being: your thoughts, actions, beliefs, etc… In the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch begins to understand just how impactful perception can be as she witnesses the deterioration of the dignity of Tom Robinson, a black man who is being tried for the rape of a white girl. In this intriguing read, Harper Lee demonstrates the theme of inaccurate allegations very effectively. More specifically, when inaccurate allegations that are solely based on perceptions are presented, the consequences can be significant, for others may suffer at great lengths.
In the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, the author Harper Lee shows that we shouldn’t be too quick to judge another person’s character based on outward appearance and the stories and rumors we have heard. The character Boo Radley is a perfect example of why we shouldn’t be hasty to judge. On the outside, Boo looks like a scary neighbor that lives just a few houses away. “.....he had sickly white hands that had never seen the sun. His face was as white as his hands…..” (Harper Lee page 32 ) Boo’s mouth is described as wide and his eyes look gray. “So gray that I thought he was blind.” (Harper Lee page 32.) But in reality, on the inside, he is a good hearted person.
Prejudice in the 1950s was a problem and it still is in 2017. When it comes to the topic of prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee conveys it is important that before judging someone, get to know them better.