Preview

to kill a mockingbird

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
435 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
to kill a mockingbird
Empathy for others and understanding different perspectives are very important thematic topics in To Kill a Mockingbird. In the story Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are both ridiculed for being different. Tom Robison is ridiculed for being black. Many people assume he raped Mayella Ewell just because he is black. Boo Radley is often ridiculed because he rarely leaves his house. Since he rarely leaves his house people assume that he is a terrible person. Although these characters are assumed to be awful, in this story we find out that they are both good men.

In this book characters such as Scout learn to empathize for Boo Radley since they know he is actually a good man. Everyone thought Boo Radley was a bad person just because they had heard rumors that most likely were not true. After the death of Bob Ewell, Boo Radley was assumed to be the murderer. Mr. Tate believes Boo Radley is the murderer but he knows that Boo is still a good man. “Mr. Tate was right… Well, it would be sort of like shooting a Mockingbird wouldn’t it” (Lee,317) Since people already think Boo is a terrifying person, if they find out he killed Bob Ewell, he will be even more ridiculed and he most likely will not get a fair trial. When he says it would be like shooting a Mockingbird, he means that it would be like hurting something that never means any harm to anyone.

In this book Tom Robinson, a black man, is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white girl. Since the story takes place in the South many people are against African American people, and assume that Mr. Robinson is guilty just because he is black. Atticus knows Tom is guilty and defends him in court, but he is still convicted and sent to prison. “Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed” (Lee 275). This quote means that Atticus tried his hardest to defend Tom
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Why Is Boo Radley Evil
    • 266 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Why Is Boo Radley Evil

    In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, there is a character named Boo Radley. The children believe Boo is an evil being who goes around the town at night making flowers die and slaughtering chickens, even though it was proven that it was not him. One reason they believe Boo is evil is because he is locked up and never actually leaves the house. Boo is locked up because he started the closest thing to a gang ever seen in their small town. He also apparently stabbed his father in the leg with a pair of scissors. Scout and her brother Jem are terrified of Mr. Radley, mostly because of the rumors about him, they run past his house every single time they pass by on their way to school. They also think his father was scary and quiet, Scout likes Arthurs…

    • 266 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Is Atticus Finch Learned In To Kill A Mockingbird
    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Is Atticus Finch Learned In To Kill A Mockingbird

    One of the most important lessons Atticus teaches his children is that you can’t judge someone until you’ve climb into their skin and lived the way they live. Several characters in the book have been judged by people without understanding how they’re living their lives or their day to day problems. Boo Radley, Mayella Ewell, And Atticus Finch are all faced by judgment just based on their actions without anyone caring about what caused those actions to take place. All anyone knew about Boo Radley is that he was a recluse, who rarely comes outside.…

    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does Lee Present Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird
    • 886 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Does Lee Present Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

    He is also misrepresented by the town, they never see much of him because his father locked him away because he thought Boo brought shame and failure to the family, without ever seeing Boo the townspeople try to make assumptions about his appearance, they were usually really bad. Boo spends most of his time in the house during the day, but at night he goes around town. But besides all the negative things about him he has a nicer side, one night Jem and Scout we were walking to a costume party and Bob Ewell was following them and was up to no good. He planned to murder the finches in woods, but they started to run and Boo came out and saw them running and turned the knife back on Bob Ewell and killed him. Atticus had thought that Jem killed him in self defense but Sheriff Tate knows that Boo Radley did it, “I’m not a very good man, sir, but I am sheriff of Maycomb County. Lived in this town all my life an‘ I’m goin’ on forty-three years old. Know everything that’s happened here since before I was born. There’s a black boy dead for no reason, and the man responsible for it’s dead. Let the dead bury the dead this time, Mr. Finch. Let the dead bury the dead...I never heard tell that it’s against the law for a citizen to do his utmost to prevent a crime from being committed, which is exactly what he did, but maybe you’ll say it’s my duty to tell the town all about it and…

    • 886 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Boo Radley Figurative Language
    • 839 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Boo Radley Figurative Language

    In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the small-mindedness of the Maycomb community hiders Maycomb people to truly understand each other. Arthur Radley, also known as Boo, is assigned with negative characteristics without validation by the Maycomb community. As the story unfolds, Scout, the narrator, starts to know more about Boo Radley, Boo transforms from a mysterious and fearful person to the most heroic and sympathetic character in the novel. Scout experiences that hatred and biased will sully her knowledge of human goodness.…

    • 839 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Is Boo Radley Misunderstood In To Kill A Mockingbird
    • 608 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Why Is Boo Radley Misunderstood In To Kill A Mockingbird

    Have you ever known what it is like to constantly do good things but never rewarded? Never acknowledged? Always assumed to be bad? To be a mockingbird means to not cause any harm to the society and do good deeds. Most mockingbirds don’t even want to be recognized. Boo Radley is a perfect example of a metaphorical mockingbird. Not everyone knows what being misunderstood is like; especially when you’re misunderstood for the wrong reasons. Just because a man keeps to himself, should he be marked as an outcast? Just because a man is rumored to have done a dark deed, should he live a lonely life? Boo Radley, a man who has been labeled by a myth, truly encompasses the qualities of a mockingbird. His status as an outcast not only leads to his misunderstood reputation, but also to his self-dependent, lonely lifestyle. Yet, the town doesn’t know he’s a harmless man who just keeps to himself. This misunderstood citizen of Maycomb, who all in all, ends up being a harmless stranger trying to help, resembles a metaphorical mockingbird.…

    • 608 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Boo Radley Rapism
    • 442 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Boo Radley Rapism

    At the start of the story we (the audience) are introduce to the main characters; Atticus, Jem, Boo Radley, Robert Ewell, Scout, Tom Robinson, Calpurnia, and more. Boo Radley in “To Kill a Mocking Bird” is the character that we 1st get to see being judge. Jem and Scout see Boo Radley at first as nothing but a “malevolent phantom" (chapter 1 pg. 8) it states “Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom” Everything that surrounds Boo Radley would be the rumors and myths. Boo Radley seems to have never came out his house unless it was needed for. As Boo Radley saved Jem and Scout from being killed by Bob Ewell, we (the readers) finally get an actually inside look into Boo Radley. Him saving them (Jem and Scout) showed that he is actually a humane person who puts others 1st before himself, who isn’t what the townspeople say he is. When he performed that act of heroism, both Jem’s and Scout’s views had been understood towards him; really realizing that Boo…

    • 442 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Does Tom Symbolize The Good In To Kill A Mockingbird
    • 796 Words
    • 4 Pages

    What Does Tom Symbolize The Good In To Kill A Mockingbird

    Tom exhibits the mockingbird because of his desire to improve other’s lives, but was still unjustly murdered because of his race. Boo Radley exhibits the characteristics of a mockingbird through his subtle, but generous deeds while being unfairly judged. The murder of a mockingbird is completely cruel and entirely inhumane, but the termination of prejudice and biases through allowing oneself to feel empathy for other’s would prevent…

    • 796 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    To Kill a Mockingbird
    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages

    To Kill a Mockingbird

    In Harper Lee’s story of To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout tells of her real life happenings. Scout tells a story of a black man, Tom Robinson, who people accuse of raping Mayella Ewell. Not only Tom receives accusations, but another case reveals that Emmett Till continues touching a woman’s hand and saying provocative things to her. The people accuse Tom and Emmett of similar things and the jury proclaims them guilty as a result of them possessing black features. The misjudging occurrences and accusations the town makes against racism and the absurd outcomes, prove the jury wrong.…

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    To Kill A Mockingbird
    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages

    To Kill A Mockingbird

    In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates determination through Atticus Finch’s ability to do what is right at all costs because he wants to set good examples. First of all, Atticus defends those who aren’t able to speak for themselves or for those who aren’t understood. Evidence of this assertion from the book is, “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.”- (pg. 39) Atticus defended Miss Caroline when Scout told him about Burris Ewell; Atticus told Scout to look at things from Miss Caroline’s perspective. Atticus knew that people shouldn’t tease Arthur Radley, so Atticus made sure his children didn’t make fun of Arthur. Atticus defended Mrs. Dubose and explained to Jem how she was the bravest person he ever knew. Second of all, Atticus accepts the trial of Tom Robinson even though the town is against him. Evidence of this second assertion is, “This case, Tom Robinson’s case, is something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience-Scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man.”- (pg. 139) Although Atticus knew that Tom Robinson was going to be guilty, Atticus still wanted to defend him. If Atticus couldn’t hold up his head in town, Atticus couldn’t represent this county in the legislature. He couldn’t even tell Scout or Jem not to do something again because Atticus could never ask them to mind him again. The town was against Atticus for defending a black man, but Atticus didn’t cave into the negative comments they were saying about him. When taking the case of Tom Robinson, Atticus took the responsibilities of protecting Tom. One of the times when Atticus protected Tom was when Atticus sat outside the jail late at night with a gun to protect Tom. Last of all, Atticus makes wise choices in regards to his children. Here are two evidences of this last assertion. “You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one…

    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    To Kill a Mockingbird
    • 1225 Words
    • 5 Pages

    To Kill a Mockingbird

    Prejudice is a foggy window which we all look out of. It impairs not only sight, but our thoughts and actions. When looking through the window, not everyone can see past the fog. Sometimes, we see people with differences; they are what we may not want them to be; whether it be because of color or sex, race or religion. Tom Robinson, a black man, is accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell, and is brought to trial. The townspeople of Maycomb believe in Tom’s guilt whereas Atticus and his children believe likewise. There are distinct views concerning Robinson’s innocence- views influenced by prejudice in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. When people rely on prejudice to create authority, they are blinded by ignorance.…

    • 1225 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    To Kill a Mockingbird
    • 1306 Words
    • 6 Pages

    To Kill a Mockingbird

    “It takes one step at a time. Small changes eventually add up to huge results.” Life lessons are important in the way life is understood. Without life lessons to teach the importance of life there would be much suffering and unhappiness. To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel written by Harper Lee. It was written in the early 1960’s about a young girl named Scout and her family about the racism that was provoked in the town. Harper Lee, in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, illustrates three main lessons with the Tom Robinson trial: Stand up for what you believe in, racism is painful and avoid mob mentalities.…

    • 1306 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    To Kill a Mockingbird
    • 984 Words
    • 4 Pages

    To Kill a Mockingbird

    In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout learns valuable lessons on the evil of prejudice present in her Southern town of Maycomb, on the true nature of courage, and on the dangers of judging others before "...climbing into their skin and walking around in it." Set in the mid 1930s, Scout Finch is a young girl living with her older brother, Jem, and her lawyer father. Being a kid, Scout has the simple duties of a minor, to have fun and to stay out of trouble. But along the way, she also learns many important things. Although the majority of her hometown is prejudiced, Scout's innocent mind remains non prejudice and caring of others. To her, all is equal, so therefore, should be treated equal. There is no doubt that Scout's character is one whom is an individual, someone whom will stick to her own perspective no matter how cruel and racist other people can be. In her adult world, Scout learns to treat all people fairly with dignity and respect.…

    • 984 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    To Kill a Mockingbird
    • 834 Words
    • 4 Pages

    To Kill a Mockingbird

    Everyone makes judgments about others, there is no way around it, what a person should work on though is not to “snap” judge other people. To Kill a Mockingbird by Haper Lee demonstrates how being quick to judge is wrong. To Kill a Mockingbird is globally known, winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and selling over fifteen million copies. To Kill a Mockingbird shows how judging a person before you get to know them generates a hateful, prejudice environment based on false pretenses.…

    • 834 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    To Kill a Mockingbird
    • 585 Words
    • 3 Pages

    To Kill a Mockingbird

    In the book To Kill a Mockingbird there are a lot of interesting people with different characters. There are those who are brave and those who are cowards. For example Atticus is the bravest character and his son Jem is also brave. On the other hand there are the disgraceful people like Bob Ewell who is the coward. There are several events that take place in the book that show the characteristics of each of these three characters.…

    • 585 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    To Kill a Mockingbird
    • 870 Words
    • 4 Pages

    To Kill a Mockingbird

    The 1930’s in the United States could be described as a reformation period in response to the worst economic collapse in national history. The Great Depression was a battle for all aspects of the American society and in particular, the South, because of its meager efforts for racial equality. The South is well known for being a stronghold of reactionary principles and in To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee composed an earnest tale focused on the lives of two children in Maycomb County. The consistent bigotry exposed in the narrative reveal a principle that African Americans did not receive- the opportunity to receive a fair trial and a slim chance of being found innocent. But who is responsible for not enforcing the laws that are written in the Constitution? The duty of this action falls highly into Maycomb’s restraints on tolerating change and diversity. Whether it was the poor farm families, the middle class townspeople, or the civil force, the historic racial complications set by the slave era established a dreadful social system that unfortunately underlies the rules that operate Maycomb.…

    • 870 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics