Bibliography: Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1960.
Bibliography: Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1960.
Thanks to Atticus’s wisdom, Scout learns that though humanity has a great capacity for evil, it also has a great capacity for good, and that the evil can often be mitigated if one approaches others with an outlook of sympathy and understanding. Scout’s development into a person capable of assuming that outlook…
However, after Tom Robinson is convicted for a crime that he clearly did not commit, Atticus’ mercy for humanity begins to waver. Even though he knows that this case was inherently against Robinson, he still feels distraught that the jury was prejudiced enough to declare a man guilty, only because of the color of his skin. After the verdict, Atticus “... left the courtroom, but not by his usual exit. He must have wanted to go home the short way, because he walked quickly down the middle aisle toward the south exit… He did not look up.” (Lee, 215). Throughout the novel, Lee has created Atticus as the wise figure who seeks the goodness in everything.. He teaches Jem and Scout to walk in one’s shoes before judging them and that the surface of one's life does not accurately portray what is within. This scene shows that human malevolence can change Atticus’ attitude, despite how strongly he feels that every human has a part of them that is pure. Lee’s juxtaposition of Atticus’ character gives the reader insight on how an incident that involves the abuse of human virtue can change one’s attitude and…
Scout overhears Atticus saying “I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness...without catching Maycomb’s usual disease. Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up…”(117). The “usual disease” is that Maycomb residence are extremely racist and prejudiced towards negroes. He knows that even if he had all of the evidence in the world, Maycomb would not side with a black man. Atticus only hopes that his children will not turn out like this, and that they will think about others and not be full of prejudice, unlike the town that they live in. He even says that the reasonable people go mad when a negro is involved/ Another example is when Scout overheard people talking about the case. After hearing them talk about knowing that Atticus was appointed to the job, she thought “But did this explain the town’s attitude? The court appointed Atticus to defend him. Atticus aimed to defend him. That’s what they didn’t like about it.” (218). This quote means that the people of Maycomb do not think about the situations of others. Atticus did not volunteer for the position of Tom’s lawyer, but was appointed to it. Despite this, he is treated horribly by the once reasonable people of Maycomb. They look past his situation and just think about him defending a black man, which is doing his job. Atticus is a…
“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). In the Maycomb County there is a lot of whites, blacks and even some mixed. There are some that are wealthy and some that are not. Some get along and others do not. Even in a small town, they all live so differently. Throughout Harper lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, hypocrisy, injustice and evil is envisioned in an adult society. Miss Gates and Lula contradict themselves. Atticus is harassed, Tom Robinson gets accused for a crime he did not commit. Bob Ewell tries to kill Scout and Jem and Maycomb is loaded with rumours of Boo Radley,…
It is much easier to point out a flaw than to understand a flaw and accept it. Compassion can be shown in many ways in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee. Scout being able to appreciate Walter Cunningham, Atticus trying to free a wrongfully convicted man, and Atticus remaining very poised around Bob Ewell are just a few examples. This book has many great morals, paired with comedy and realism. Having such diverse characters helps prove that no matter who someone is, showing compassion when needed, can mend and create strong bonds with unlikely…
By looking around, it is easy to notice racism, bigotry, and class warfare between everyone. A kid gets harassed because they are attracted to the same sex. A man gets shot simply because he is black. A teenage girl is attacked because she is an Atheist. Although the same events that happen in Lee’s novel may not happen in today’s world, the underlying problem of racism, bigotry, and class warfare, can still be seen. Harper Lee shows in her novel that all of that could be solved simply by walking around in other people’s shoes to understand that they are also humans with feelings, emotions, and loved ones. If people could just realize that the gay kid, the black man, the atheist girl, and everyone else they encounter are not much different from themselves, the world would be a better, safer, more loving place to live in. In To Kill A Mockingbird, so many lives could have been spared if they were seen as people, not discriminated by the color of their…
Atticus’ decision to defend Tom Robinson shows a ton of courage. Since the story takes place during segregation, a white man defending a black man is frowned upon. Atticus still accepts the case even though he knows he will receive hate from the racist townspeople. Atticus represents Tom Robinson because his conscious makes him feel like it is the right thing to do. He also wants to set a good example for his children and teach them that all people deserve to be treated fairly.…
Imagine being a person that is highly admired and respected. To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel by Harper Lee, tells the tale of prejudice in a place named Maycomb County during the 1930’s. The story is told by the narrator, Scout Finch, who is the daughter of Atticus Finch. Atticus Finch is a lawyer that represents Maycomb County. In Maycomb County, Atticus Finch is a respected citizen because he is a good father to his children, hard working, and not prejudiced.…
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.…
When the judge assigned him the job of defending Tom Robinson, he knew that he had to accept the case because if he rejected it an innocent man would die without a fair trial as everyone on the jury was white and they would not side with a man who was black. Atticus, himself knew that even though the odds were against Tom Robinson he would not be able to face himself everyday knowing that he did not try to stop this injustice. When he made up his mind to stand up and help Tom Robinson, Atticus went through the extremes of defending Tom with only a small gun when a mob came over to the county jail with the intention of killing his client and making his family face the prejudice and danger that went along with his defending someone black at that time. He even gained dangerous enemies such as Bob Ewell. Although he lost the case, Atticus was still able to think of himself in an honorable way because he knew that he stood up for what he believed…
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Jean Louise Finch, also known as Scout, has a particularly innate personality. Scout always does what she is told, unless she is with her brother Jem. When they are together she does whatever comes naturally to her. Scout is especially good, unusually intelligent, and remarkably unselfish.…
Even though Atticus is just seen as a lawyer in the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird", Jem and Scout, his kids, come to realize what kind of a great father he is. Many people think a gun is used to kill innocent people or animals. Atticus shot this mad dog because if he had not, the dog would have been danger towards others. Miss Maudie tells Scout and Jem "forgot to tell you the other day that besides playing the Jew’s harp, Atticus Finch was the deadest shot in Maycomb County in his time" (Lee 98). This demonstrates that Scout and Jem come to understand and value Atticus when they see him come and kill the dog. Before this innocent happened they thought that Atticus was just a man who solved cases, but they never knew about the other side of their father. Atticus in this story is a lawyer who defends a black male named Tom Robinson. One of Atticus’s reason to defend Tom Robinson was that if he didn’t then he couldn’t be able to hold up his head in town and couldn’t represent this county in the legislature. He also couldn’t even tell Scout or Jem not to do something again. Jem and Scout come to admire Atticus when they figure out that Atticus is standing up for what he believes in even though most of the whole county doesn’t. Finally Atticus speaks to Jem about courage. He tries to develop that relationship with Jem by making him see things the way he does. For instance he talks about Mrs. Dubose to Jem and says “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what” (112). This proves that Jem comes to admire Atticus through his speech because Atticus is using another person as an example then himself. He is using Mrs. Dubose as an example and tried to make him understand that she died beholden to nothing and no one. The reason Atticus explained it this way was because, he wanted Jem to understand…
One person’s actions can change the world. This can be seen in To Kill a Mockingbird. In this story, Scout Finch tells the story of when her father, Atticus Finch, takes on the task of defending Tom Robinson, a black man, in a rape case. This proved to be a highly controversial ordeal that shakes up their old, little town of Maycomb County, Alabama. Racial prejudice runs high in Maycomb during the Great Depression, the time in which this story takes place. In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch has a significant influence on Maycomb County and the residents living inside of it.…
At this time period defending a black man, was not something an average lawyer should have done. But Atticus, stood for justice and had pride in himself and his job of standing by the law, to fight for what is right. He would. Often have to explain to his daughter why he was fighting for a black man, and Atticus would also say, that if he did not defend Tom Robinson, he would be unable to tell them what to do anymore because they would not be able to…
Every child begins life as a naïve mockingbird, a recurring motif in the fictional novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. This novel is set in a small 1930’s town called Maycomb, Alabama, and the symbol of the mockingbird within this town illustrates the undeserved punishments of some and the enlightenments of others. The mockingbird is a symbol of innocence and compassion. Several characters living in Maycomb, such as Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, and Jem Finch, are symbolized by mockingbirds because of their innocence and the love they show to those around them.…