Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird Essay - 567 Words

During the 1930s prejudice and racism was spread through the U.S. For example in Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird, the small town of Maycomb struggles with these aspects. Each character of the novel has a strong personality. Scout Finch is tough, always has an opinion, and is a tomboy. On the other hand Boo Radley stays hidden most of the time, but we all know he is actually a friend to Jem and Scout. Then there is Tom Robinson, a hardworking, strong, and innocent man. But what do all these characters have in common? They can all be analyzed as mockingbirds. Throughout the novel each of their innocence is destroyed in some way. In Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird several of these characters become a symbolic mockingbird including†¦show more content†¦Scout, Jem, and Dill then discuss why Boo stays hidden. This is when Dill explained, â€Å"Maybe he doesn’t have anywhere to runoff too† (Lee 192). Dill suggest that Boo might have been through a l;ot and doesnâ €™t have any loved ones to go to. We then realize Boo symbolizes innocence being destroyed because when he was little he has had no one to care for or love. One of the most memorable scenes is when Atticus and Heck Tate realize that Boo killed Bob Ewell. They discuss whether or not to expose him but Scout comes in and states â€Å"well, it’d be sort of like shootin a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?† (Lee 370). Scout believes that by exposing Boo to the public after all these years of him locked in his house, it would be like killing an innocent mockingbird. At this moment Boo Radley officially becomes a mockingbird. The most evident mockingbird is Tom Robinson. He was being accused of raping a white woman, when he has a wife and kids he loves. Atticus helped Tom through the trial and towards the end he concluded to the courtroom, â€Å"as black as Tom Robinson’s skin, a lie I do not have to point out to you†¦ you know the truth† (Lee 273). Att icus explained that even if Tom is black, that does not mean he is a liar, and he is a truthful man. Tom being accused is destroying his innocence because Mayella Ewell is lying to everyone about Tom. Most importantly when Tom is killed,Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird1210 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom who and what surrounds us, things that help to form our identity. Prejudice is an integral theme in Harper Lee’s, To Kill A Mockingbird. Prejudice is evident throughout the novel, not just in the appalling racism but also through, prejudice against different sexual orientations, gender constructs and feminism. Society had certain constructs that had to be met. Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird, Lee breaks the bounds to overcome barriers, and challenge social constructs. This feature article delvesRead More Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird Essay1367 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird In the early twentieth century, the United States was undergoing a dramatic social change. Slavery had been abolished decades before, but the southern states were still attempting to restrict social interaction among people of different races. In particular, blacks were subject to special Jim Crow laws which restricted their rights and attempted to keep the race inferior to whites. Even beyond these laws, however, blacks were feeling the pressure of prejudiceRead More Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird Essay1391 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird In the novel by Harper Lee named, To Kill a Mockingbird, there is one main tragic event that occurs. The feelings and expressions dealt with in the novel are seen through the eyes of the main character, named Scout. In the novel Tom Robinson is a black male accused of rape in Maycomb County. During the same time period as the novel there were many historical events that were almost identical in setting and conclusion. There were many things that happenedRead MoreHarper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird816 Words   |  3 PagesThe novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee focuses on many themes but courage is mostly shown in the novel. In the novel, there are many examples where the characters have shown courage even when he/she knows that he/she is going to lose it. Atticus Finch is a great example of showing courage in the novel. He shows great courage because he defends a black man even though he knows he is going to lose the case. Another example of showing courage is Mrs. Dubose. S he shows courage because she wantsRead MoreEssay on Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird1054 Words   |  5 PagesHarper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird Courage is the quality of mind that enables one to face danger with confidence, resolution, and gain a firm control of oneself. Many of the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird showed courage in their own way. Courage can come in many different forms: physical, mental, emotional and moral. Courage is not the only main theme displayed in To Kill a Mockingbird; prejudice and education are also very important themes exhibited throughout the progression of theRead More Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird Essay1378 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird The United States has been dealing with the issue of racism ever since Columbus landed on Plymouth Rock. The Indians were the first to endure harsh racism in this country. Pilgrims moving west ran them off their land wiping out many tribes and destroying many resources in their path. However, when many think of racism today, the issue of blacks and whites is the first to come to mind. African Americans have come a long way in today’s society as comparedRead MoreHarper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird Essay1073 Words   |  5 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee is novel set in a three year period through the ‘great depression’. Atticus Finch (Jem and scouts father) is originally portrayed as a friendly and understanding person, though when he attends court defending a ‘black man’ as his job, suddenly he and his family begin to suffer racial hatred from their community. The story features on the themes of racism, community morals and the r ealisation of certain truths whilst growing up. It is a fascinating novelRead MoreEssay on Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird2478 Words   |  10 PagesHarper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird During the 1930s, during the time when the novel was set, society was very different to what it is now. To Kill a Mockingbird is Harper Lees story about life in a small town in Southern America during the 1930s. The story is based in the state of Texas, Alabama, in this state slavery was very common and because of this it became to be known as the Slave State. The story involves Atticus Finch a lawyer who must defendRead MoreHarper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird Essay3848 Words   |  16 PagesHarper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird The story of To Kill a Mockingbird takes place during the 1930s in a small town in Alabama in the southern United States - much like the town where the author Harper Lee herself grew up. To understand what the book is saying about racism, you need to know something of the history of race relations in the southern USA. Plot ---- The novel is about three years in the life of the Finch family: Atticus and his son JemRead More Mythology and Archetypes in Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird2536 Words   |  11 PagesMythology and Archetypes in Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird      Ã‚  Ã‚   Of all the various approaches to criticism, the Mythological/Archetypal achieves the greatest impact over the entire literary scope, because the themes and patterns unearthed apply universally to all works, yielding results that can be applied to a great many texts. This is because the very nature of the Mythological/Archetypal approach is the exploration of the canon for widespread and pervading symbols, plots, and