Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel that has been studied in classrooms for decades. The book explores themes of justice, racism, and innocence through the eyes of a young girl named Scout Finch, as she grows up in a small Alabama town during the 1930s. In this essay, I will analyze the major themes of the book and provide academic citations to support my analysis.
One of the major themes of To Kill a Mockingbird is the concept of justice. Throughout the book, we see how justice is often denied to those who are marginalized in society, particularly African Americans. For example, when Tom Robinson, a black man, is accused of raping a white woman, he is automatically presumed guilty by the majority of the town. Despite the
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The book portrays the pervasive nature of racism in the South during the 1930s, as many of the white characters view African Americans as inferior and unworthy of equal treatment. Atticus Finch, Scout’s father, stands out as a rare voice of reason, advocating for the fair treatment of all people regardless of race. As one critic notes, “Atticus is a moral compass in the book, pointing the way towards a more just and equal society” (Roberts 23).
A related theme in the book is the idea of innocence, particularly the innocence of childhood. Scout and her brother Jem are exposed to the harsh realities of racism and injustice, but they still manage to maintain their sense of innocence and wonder. Through their eyes, we see the world as a place of both beauty and cruelty, where good and evil often coexist. As one scholar notes, “Scout and Jem’s innocence is a stark contrast to the corruption and cynicism of the adult world” (Lee 76).
Finally, To Kill a Mockingbird explores the theme of courage, both physical and moral. Atticus Finch displays courage in defending Tom Robinson, despite the risks to his reputation and safety. Similarly, Scout and Jem show bravery in standing up to bullies and standing by their convictions, even when it is unpopular to do so. As one critic observes, “The book shows that courage comes in many forms, and that standing up for what is right is not always easy” (Davis
In society, people would usually associate with others who are the most similar to them since they tend to feel more comfortable around them. For instance, in the book “To Kill a Mockingbird”, is a story of Mayella Ewell who is a poor, white woman living in a racist environment during the 1930s. Some people will say that Mayella isn’t sincerely powerful and others might disagree. On the contrary, Mayella doesn’t have much capability when it comes down to her low financial status and her gender; however, her race is what makes her highly powerful. Mayella lives in a tremendously poor neighborhood since she “lived behind the town garbage dump”.
In the classic novel To Kill A Mockingbird, author Harper Lee takes on the malignant impact of racism, a deeply rooted problem, from a different perspective and teaches readers what it truly means to be a good person as she brings to life one of the most virtuous characters in American literature-Atticus Finch. Told through the eyes of a young child, readers learn about the heavy prejudice embedded in the people of Maycomb County and the loss of innocence that is brought upon the kids as a racial conflict spurs a series of significant events in their quiet town. Taken place during the early years of the Great Depression, Maycomb must face its biggest problem-racism. Atticus Finch is the lawyer who defends this case and ultimately brings a
“ To Kill a Mockingbird” is a story about a county in Alabama in the 1930’s, drawing attention to the the different social classes in the South and the racism that occurred during that time. Characters in difficult situations unexpectedly showing courage is one of the major themes in this book, and is shown through many of the actions that people take in this story. In the book, the word courage can be defined as the ability to withstand hatred and judgement with a high head and a grateful heart. This book has many courageous characters, including but not limited to Atticus Finch, Reverend Sykes, Boo Radley, and Dolphus Raymond.
The main characters Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Bob Ewell face moments that deal with racism all told from the perspective of a six year old girl, Scout. The intended purpose of expressing racial relations in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,”
Imagine your child is growing up in a short span, being tainted by the evils of man and the heart of the prejudice. In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem Finch are forced to age early when their father takes an unpopular side in the courtroom. His children learn the up and downs of being social outcasts who’s father is a ‘nigger-lover’. Although through the course of their unexpected summer, they absorb many aspects of life that even the adults are oblivious to. As they are progressing through their eye-opening summer, Jem and Scout Finch learn about the power of names in their society, the roles of destructive loneliness, and the loss of their innocence.
The award winning book by Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, explores various views on stereotypes and defying the standard. Atticus Finch, the father of Scout Finch and the main protagonist, must go against societal standards and follow his personal morals. He fights against the injustice in Maycomb Alabama, all while teaching his children valuable life lessons along the way. Although this book has many anti-racial themes, the characters in the story have racial beliefs that over-power its anti-racial themes, downplaying the book’s value as a teaching school.
Harper Lee’s novel, To kill a Mockingbird, is a book about the Finch family, living in Maycomb, Alabama, during the early 1930s. The book is told through the perspective of an 8-year-old girl called Scout, and it's about the struggles she and her brother Jem, age 11, face when their father Atticus takes a case defending a black man accused of raping a white girl. Lee embraces the idea of nonviolent resistance and shows how sometimes it can be the most powerful influence in change, how hate is not the way, and she pushes the reader to consider their worldview about the differences among people. The Author shows her belief in nonviolence in many ways throughout this book.
Harper Lee, a skillful and well-known novelist in the 1960s, utilizes various life lessons in her writings. In her acclaimed novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the prominent theme revolves around the loss of innocence and the journey of maturation. Scout, the main character and narrator of the story, discovers how cruel and unfair the world can be as a young child. She develops an awareness of the social inequality in her community by witnessing Tom Robinson’s trial. Scout and Jem faces the bitter reality of racism through the living conditions in Maycomb, Alabama.
By far, the largest concern brought upon this novel is its depiction of racist scenes and its use of racial slurs. The most prominent character that correlates with these themes is Atticus Finch, the father of main characters Scout and Jem. From the start of the novel, it is evident that Atticus is presented as a savior-like figure and is worshiped by the townspeople for the duration of his career as a lawyer. One of Atticus’s most famous quotes teaches moral character, for example. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”(Lee 33).
To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Imagine living in a world of false accusations and judgment. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Scout and Jem grow up in a small southern town and learn lessons from issues they continuously face. To Kill A Mockingbird is a story of a young girl maturing in a dramatic world filled with the challenges of racism and prejudice, a world that teaches her how good and evil can exist together within a community. Throughout the novel, Scout learns several life lessons about compassion through characters and events she engages with and encounters such as Atticus, the Trial, and Boo Radley.
Final Essay Outline: Thesis Statement/opening paragraph: In the story To Kill A Mockingbird, discrimination and the act of being prejudice is common among the main characters, on both the receiving and serving end. Certain characters, like Scout and Jeremy Finch, Bob Ewell, and the town folk truly create the main problem and set the theme of the story. For example, when Bob Ewell accuses Atticus Finch of being an african-american lover, because he is defending Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson was accused of raping Mayella Ewell, according to Bob. Boo Radley is accused of being dead by Scout, Jem and Dill.
In Harper Lee’s historical fiction novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, two children live in a chaotic world of racial injustice and poverty. In this book, two siblings named Jem and Scout Finch grow and mature in a mysterious area of people battling and supporting racism. Throughout this book, Harper Lee uses symbolism to provide the view of racism. While doing this, she also uses selective choices of diction to shape the story. Harper Lee wrote To Kill A Mockingbird with a purpose, to bring awareness to racial injustice through hidden symbols and diction.
To Kill A Mockingbird Essay Introduction To Kill A Mockingbird (TKAM) written by Harper Lee is a novel that reflects the notions of conscience, courage, and conviction through the eyes of Jean Louise (Scout) Finch. The novel takes you on an investigation with this little girl, Scout as she matures and grows by lessons taught to her by her wise father, Atticus Finch. Scout is living throughout the Great Depression in her small town Maycomb Country and experiences prejudice and racism through the events which span across the novel. Scout matures into a genuine and respectful girl and learns many important lessons from her father which teach her how to see the good in people and to never judge a person based on the colour of their skin or their
In Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," the young protagonist, Scout Finch, demonstrates a remarkable level of maturity and understanding of the world around her. Through her experiences in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama, Scout learns the importance of seeing things from other people's perspectives, developing empathy, and embracing a multitude of viewpoints. This essay will explore how Scout's values, such as justice, equality, and acceptance of differences, contribute to her growth and shape her outlook on life in Maycomb. Consequently, Scouts' outlook on life shows us how she sees life in Maycomb. "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view."
Think back to when you were little kid around 7 or so and you had no worries about life or anything. All you would think about is candy and toys and nothing about the world of adults. No worries of the weather or what the grown ups would talk about. Scout’s childhood innocence takes a turn from her care free days to the real world of racism and bad people. In To Kill a Mockingbird Scout witnesses the trial of Tom Robinson and how racism is taught to her unknowingly from it.