Chairman of the Chicago Bulls Jerry Reinsdorf has stated “Discrimination and prejudice of any kind have no place in sports or in our society” Jerry's statement matches To Kill a Mockingbird character Atticus Finch's actions. Atticus and Jerry both have the same opinion of prejudice and racism. Their opinion is racism and prejudice should not belong in a society. Jerry said the quote but Atticus took an action to it. In To kill a Mockingbird, Lee uses symbols and natural elements to teach readers that prejudice can create a hostile society and there are good people who try and stop prejudice. Lee uses Tim, the rabid dog, to show Atticus shooting down racism in Maycomb. Jem and Scout were walking and they saw Tim. They warned the town and …show more content…
Scout, the main character, was talking with Miss Maudie about Atticus's past and his hunting, Miss Maudie said Atticus was a very big Hunter and then he just stopped hunting. Scout was curious and said “wonder why he never goes huntin’ now….. if your father’s anything, he’s civilized in his heart” (Lee 130). Atticus used to be racist but something changed him potentially. Now he is against it. He used to shoot doves which are these beautiful animals that symbolize equality but he stopped and he only has shot a rabid danger to society dog that symbolizes racism. It is teaching that stopping an action or thought that can harm can create a positive outcome. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee uses natural elements to teach her readers that saying something without thinking can cause a monstrosity and can cause a huge negative effect. Lee use of the fire helps readers learn that racism can spread through a town and destroy it. It was Maycomb first snow in a long time and Miss Maudie's House caught on fire during the night. Scout “ saw fire spewing from Miss Maudies dinning room windows… while the fire silently devoured Miss Maudie's house” (Lee 92).
Atticus' use of colloquial language additionally highlights his comprehensive knowledge and passion regarding societies racist values, as well as allowing Scout to comprehend what he's talking about. Furthermore, the controlled tone that Atticus displays when talking to his daughter shows the audience that, despite the obvious racism that Scout has been exposed to, he's just as worried about his daughter's wellbeing as he is about the racism of society. Atticus is a character that possesses a strong sense of morality, and exhibits this is a caring and considerate way, allowing his young daughter to
Firstly, Lee depicts the mad dog to represent racism and foreshadows Atticus’ willingness to shoot it, which shows that he wants to abolish racism. As the dog, Tim Johnson, walks down the street, everybody runs inside and locks their doors, fearing the abomination that stands before them. But as everyone does so, Atticus “takes the gun and walks out into the middle of the street…” where no one will stand, facing this monstrosity of an animal. “The rifle cracked. Tim Johnson leaped, flopped over and crumpled on the sidewalk...
She teaches her to live life to the fullest and the ways of Maycomb. There are many interactions between Scout and Miss Maudie and all of them are positive. Scout is guided by Miss Maudie’s manner and looks up to her. When she is first introduced, Miss Maudie is described as, “a widow, a chameleon lady who worked in her flower beds in an old straw hat and men’s coveralls, but after her five o 'clock bath she would appear on the porch and reign over the street in magisterial beauty,”(Lee 56). Scout loves that Maudie is able to get her hands dirty during the day and become ladylike at night, and nobody judges her for it.
Tim Johnson is an old rabid dog that lives in Jem and Scout’s neighborhood. He is acting very strange, “He’s gone lopsided,” (93) as Jem says when showing Cal. Cal calls Atticus and tells him about Tim, “I swear to God there’s a mad dog down the street a piece,” (93), when Atticus arrives he is the person chosen to shoot the dog. Lee implements this as a metaphor for the Tom Robinson case. Atticus is chosen to take the shot on Tim just like he is chosen to defend Tom in court.
In the quote it demonstrates how Atticus has to simply explain to the Scout, you should never look at someone differently based on how much money they have. You should look at them for who they are. Some people are not as fortunate as others, it is not there fault, but like they Cunningham 's, they find a way. Atticus did not only open the kids eyes to how you should not judge someone, but also, to stand up for what you believe in, despite what others might say. When Atticus is presented with the Tom Robinson case, without much thought, he says yes to being his lawyer.
The lessons Lee displays about racism make To Kill a Mockingbird relevant and extremely important to society. When Scout asks Jem, her adolescent brother, what the issue with a mixed race was, Jem replied, “Colored folks won’t have ‘em because they’re half white; white folks won’t have ‘em ‘cause they’re colored, so they’re just in-betweens, don’t belong anywhere” (215). Lee put the level of racism in the 1960s on full display in this quote, and society has since become more accepting of both mixed races and other races, though without the important reminder of racism in the past, society could never become more accepting. Thus, To Kill a Mockingbird’s instruction of the issue of racism is highly important to society as a
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
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.
Miss Maudie also helps Scout and Jem put their father more into perspective. After the mad dog incident,which was when a dog named Tim was not alright and Atticus shoots him, Jem is astonished at his father’s shooting abilities because at first, he thought his father couldn’t do anything. Miss Maudie tells them, “Atticus Finch was the deadest shot in
Lee uses the mockingbird as a symbol of evoking empathy in the novel. She writes, “I’d rather you shoot a tin can in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after the birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit them, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee119). Atticus is explaining to Scout to not kill the mockingbird because it’s a sin. Lee evokes empathy by using the mockingbird to symbolize innocence.
The Beauty of the Southern Flowers “Neighbors bring food with death and flowers with sickness and little things in between.” (Lee 278). When it comes to the topic of flowers, most of us will readily agree that they represent development, growth, beauty and happiness. For instance, Roses are known for signifying love and deep passion while Lotus flowers are known for purity of the heart. Nonetheless, in To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee utilizes flowers to symbolize the strength and character that women of Maycomb possess.
Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird famously said in his closing arguments: "You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some negro men are not to be trusted around women- black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and no particular race of men." (pg 232) What Atticus is trying to convey is a foreign concept to most people in Maycomb county. Atticus is trying to convey a point of equality and no prejudice in a world of social inequality which, as one can imagine, didn 't go over so well.
Lee has many intentions and beliefs for her writing the novel, she highlighted equality, civil rights, racisms, prejudice and bigotry. This ties in with the title of the novel because there are two characters that are portrayed as mockingbirds Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. Mockingbirds in the novel are proven to be a sin to kill, as quoted on page 98 “mockingbirds don’t do one things but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up peoples gardens, don’t nest in the cribs, don’t do one thing just sing their hearts for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”
Moral dilemma of characters in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird The way people handle moral dilemmas are often different. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee show various moral dilemmas and how different characters deal with it. Scout chose to be different in handling with her moral dilemma and change for the better while Mayella does not change and does wrong.
Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird 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. One example of prejudice Harper Lee uses in To Kill a Mockingbird is Tom Robinson. In the small town of Maycomb almost everyone assumes Tom is guilty of raping Mayella Ewell even though there is no evidence or reasoning.