...life as a young child. The protagonist of To Kill a Mockingbird, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, is the daughter of a lawyer, a single father who raises both her and her brother, Jem. Nelle Harper Lee was also the daughter of a lawyer, Amasa Coleman Lee, who raised her, two sisters, and a brother, while their mother was suffering from a bipolar disorder. By just describing their immediate family situations, there is already a few similarities between both families. Harper Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird, is not an autobiography, but there is no doubt there is a strong sense of relativity between Harper Lee and the young Scout Finch. One of the similarities between Scout and Lee is their early exposure to racism as young children. Lee has a very strong experience with racism or segregation, due to the fact of her father being a lawyer who represented all kinds of black clients, and the developing chaos of discrimination, riots, and racism. On March 25, 1931, nine young men were accused and arrested for rape of two white women, which means that Lee would have been around at that time. Both women denied having been raped by any of the men. After a period of five trials, five of the men were sentenced to long prison sentences and many lawyers thought the sentences were motivated by racial prejudice. Harper Lee addresses this in her novel by saying, “People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for (To Kill a Mockingbird.) Another time when Harper was exposed to...
Words: 1062 - Pages: 5
...Ethical Influence Paper September 18th, 2015 Brandon McConnell To Kill A Mockingbird If you were to ask me about a book or a hero that was an ethical influence on me, I would tell you that both come from the same book/movie. It would be Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird, it is a classic example of heroism and doing the right thing and there is many readers who would agree with that statement. I read this book at the young age of 14 in middle school when I was still developing my feel for the ethics of right and wrong so it made a lasting impact on me growing up and developing as a person. Summarize the book or hero’s life in a few paragraphs; Everyone should know the story of To Kill A Mockingbird but if you don’t, let me share it with you. It happens in a little town of Maycomb, Alabama in the heat of all the racism in the South. In this little town everyone knows each other and everyone knows what happens. The main characters are the Finch family with Atticus, Scout, and Jem in their small house in the middle of Maycomb. Scout is a young girl who grew up with a lot of boys and acts that way in the way she deals with conflict. Jem is the older brother who isn’t really isn’t in the picture a lot but is in a crucial incident of the story with Scout. Atticus is a very well known coveted lawyer; everyone in town knows him and looks up to him as a person and a professional. That was short lived when Atticus did something he knew was right but society...
Words: 1361 - Pages: 6
...Throughout the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee discusses the effects of discrimination and the toll it takes on people. Through examples of sexism, prejudice, and racism, from the townsfolk of a small town in Alabama, she shows the readers the injustice of many. The victims of discrimination serve as the ‘mockingbirds’ of the story, as said by Atticus,“Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (Lee, 94). In essence, this story demonstrates the loss of innocence of many, especially Scout who is affected by sexism and racism most of all. By far, one of the most evident forms of discrimination present in To Kill a Mockingbird is racism. It impacts the actions of every single character in the book and formulates...
Words: 1020 - Pages: 5
...Faisal Amjad 11/01/15 Film Appreciation The Film and novel I decided to do on is the classic To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), which had a legendary cast starring Gregory Peck as Atticus and Mary Badham as Scout, this adaption of the book is as much a classic as the novel itself in my opinion which can be backed up by any person who is in American theater. The film received eight Academy Awards nominations and netted awards for Best Actor, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, and Best Art Direction — Set Decoration, Black and White. This film was a critical adaption of the book. Fans and critiques alike rank this among the best movies of all time, it is ranked #84 top rated movie of all time on IMDB.com, (rated by the people and critiques alike) the production was very extensive and expensive for its time, the budget for the film was about 2 million dollars and made well over $15 million at the box office and it was filmed on 35mm role of film. It was directed by Robert Mulligan, Written by Harper Lee (based on her novel "To Kill a Mockingbird"), and Horton Foote (screenplay) the movie was produced by universal international pictures....
Words: 1432 - Pages: 6
...To Kill A Mockingbird Test Is it right that a man, based of of color, is in trial and the only person standing up for him is his public defender? Harper Lee demonstrates the belief that it is hard to stand up to the majority. People should not be judged based on their race, gender, or religion. Men and Women around the United States are being judged on their race and religion. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird there was a lot of racial judging. Then there are the people that are the opposite way. Therefore people should not be judged at all. There are many victims in prison that were convicted because of their race. Every single one of these men or women that are human also. There was the same occurrence in To Kill A Mockingbird. Atticus was defending a man that was black and was accused of rape. As usual, since he was black in the 1930’s, he was guilty as charged and sent to prison. As Atticus said “As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it—whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash”.(To Kill a Mockingbird book). This is something that people all over the US...
Words: 721 - Pages: 3
...Atticus Finch, Two men who were counter opposites. But were alike in the fact that they were both the mockingbirds of the world. In To Kill a Mockingbird, a Pulitzer Prize winning novel, the story is told of true character and honest integrity. The story being told by author Harper Lee, tells of a black man by the name of Tom Robinson. Tom is accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Mayella is the daughter of the Bob Ewell, the trashiest man in Maycomb. Atticus Finch, an average lawyer and single father of two is assigned the case. Atticus knows that due to Tom´s skin color and the common sickness of Maycomb (racism), they are going to lose the case, but he knows that Tom is innocent therefore he goes on with the case. It has been questioned if it made sense for Atticus to defend Tom, but it did make sense for Atticus to defend Tom, because he was selfless and because he was optimistic. The first reason it makes sense for Atticus to defend Tom Robinson is because he is...
Words: 826 - Pages: 4
..."To kill a mockingbird is to destroy innocence". In Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout narrates the story in first person point of view. The novel shows how growing up in times of depression, racism, and poverty can change an individual or even a society. The story takes places in Maycomb County. The time is set in the early 1930s where poverty and racism plays a major roll in the United States. The tone of the story is very serious and shows the reader a piece of reality. The mood is very sympathetic but the reader may also feel humor from Dill, Scout, and Jim, three of the main characters. The setting plays a major roll in the plot because the racism during that time contributes to the conflicting opinions of...
Words: 902 - Pages: 4
...It’s easy for me to apply this story to my personal life as a teacher. The district that I work in is well known for its affluent personas and well to do neighborhoods. The communities that make up the district are historically middle to upper class communities with white doctor’s lawyers and a sprinkle of Hispanic Americans and other well educated people, historically. In recent years the community has been changing and I’ve noticed a different group of people moving in. It’s being diversified to say the least. Single African American mothers and fathers are now moving in and in my opinion to an extent the community wasn’t prepared for it. The school I work in is a special school for this district. It’s surrounded by homes that are not the norm, not the upper middle class that the older community is made up of. Because the cliental is changing and lots of African Americans are moving in and the community isn’t changing it created a friction in the school at times. The students of these parents which are totally different then what the community is used are constantly faced with prejudice and discrimination. The African American students are constantly judged and have to prove they are not something before they get a chance to show who they truly are. These African American boys are fighting against stereotypes and can be put through extreme circumstances. Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are similar to these African American boys at my school. They are characters...
Words: 715 - Pages: 3
...The Man in the Moon (1991) Review/Film; A New Boy In Town Captures Her Heart Everything about "The Man in the Moon," Robert Mulligan's effortlessly old-fashioned family drama set in a small Southern town, has a rosy glow. It's a reminder that Mr. Mulligan, a seasoned film maker whose credits include "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Summer of '42" and "The Other," can direct with real tenderness and without fake emotion. His latest film unfolds gently and gracefully, in a climate where the warmth isn't merely a matter of weather. Until its final reel, when it strains badly to accommodate an almost biblical stroke of retribution, "The Man in the Moon" is a small, fond film that achieves a kind of quiet perfection. The story concerns two sisters, and Mr. Mulligan can find something evocative even in the way the elder braids the younger one's hair. The latter, 14-year-old Dani (Reese Witherspoon), is just on the verge of real beauty, while the slightly older Maureen (Emily Warfield) has already gotten there. The girls' family, which is beautifully evoked, exists at all different stages of development, from their toddler sister to their pregnant mother (Tess Harper) and the father (Sam Waterston) who is wary of his daughters' prospective suitors. In his or her own way, each member of this family longs for a boy. When one arrives, in the form of a handsome teen-age neighbor named Court (Jason London), he affects the girls' family in powerful ways. The coltish Dani becomes smitten with...
Words: 1495 - Pages: 6
...In the book “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee social inequality is shown throughout the whole story from beginning to end. The chain of inequality starts at the top with the Finch’s hovering above everyone else than the average neighbors next, the Cunninghams, Ewells, and at the very bottom the negroes. This theme was shown roughly almost every single chapter with the key points of the Tom Robinson and his court trial against Bob Ewell. This happens in the real world today with terrorism and all sorts of other stuff. Social inequality is shown constantly through this novel. Social inequality is shown in many ways that we all encounter everyday. There are many people in poverty striving for food to feed and support their families similar to the Cunninghams in the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird”. They are near the bottom of the chain with no food, home, or maybe even a loss of friends and family. Some rich people have no respect for them so they don’t offer them any help or even money because they believe they should keep their money since they’re on top of the chain similar to the Finch’s but the Finch’s care for the people in poverty in the book. In chapter 19 Tom Robinson says “No suh, not after she offered me a nickel the first time. I was glad to do it, Mr.Ewell seemed to help her none, and neither did the chillun, and I...
Words: 616 - Pages: 3
...Commentary by Kerri McDonald The genre of my story is romance; however it changes slightly nearer to the end of my story into a horror. I’d liked to have read this book because I like reading about romance and horror separately, so the two ideas together would be interesting for me. I think that people in high school and college from the age of 13-20 would mostly like this story, particularly for female readers as they like romance more than male do. It shouldn’t matter whether you’re married, single or engaged, this story can entertain the reader and make them want to read on. I have written my story in first person narrative (in the past tense), as it’s easier to portray the senses, thoughts and feelings of the protagonist. My story is told from the perspective of an inside viewer, Katie. My inspiration to write my story was Debora Hill and John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’. Michael, the murderer, kills people and in the end he gets away while the main character that he was trying to kill, Laurie, was still living. I have chosen to name my killer Malcolm because it sounds similar to Michael. At the end of my story he gets away after killing Lewis Jones, which is very similar to Debora Hill’s story, as Michael just disappeared after the reader thinking that he’s dead from falling out of a window. Laurie lived and so did my character, Katie. Michael reappears again and again throughout the story, but he is ignored. This technique makes the reader realize that...
Words: 892 - Pages: 4
...bouraghda assia llcer l1 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD : the family and social values To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee might be the greatest novel of the 20th century. The story puts the finger on family and social values that has made it appealing to all generations of readers. The narrator uses the small town of Maycomb and the Finch family as the basis of her story for describing family values. "Maycomb was an old town, but it was an old tired town when i first knew it" p.5 Nearly all the families in TKAM are atypical, even if the Finch seems to be the most normal in the novel. in fact Atticu's family is still unusual: it is a single-parent family and his children call him by his first name. Harper Lee uses the 1st person narrative to put the reader in the shoes of Scout, a tomboy daughter of Atticus Finch. Scout is an intellingent and neither She nor her brother Jem have any close friends, but only Dill who comes to visit each summer. Atticus is one of the only parents that takes time with his children. Him and Scout would read everyday for example. the only motherly touch in the house comes from Calpurnia, the african american housekeeper. Nevertheless, the Finch serves as role models I mean The novel traces the life of Scout, her brother Jem and Atticus over many years. Meanwhile, Harper Lee uses great descriptors and try to show the values of the other dysfunctional families found in Maycomb: The Ewells are "the disgrace of Maycomb for three generations" in...
Words: 629 - Pages: 3
...Growing up is something everyone has to do if they want to understand everything in the world. To Kill a Mockingbird is about Scout seeing the world around her and how she grows up because of things she learns throughout the book.In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows Scout growing up every single chapter by telling her experiences that Scout had as she goes from total innocence, awareness, to full understanding. It took Scout 2 years to fully understand her society. Throughout the chapter you can see Scout grow up and become more like Atticus and think like him. Scout starts growing up when she tells Atticus that she wants to quit school because Ms.Caroline wants her and Atticus to stop reading, Atticus says, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point...
Words: 922 - Pages: 4
...In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the public heavily influences the development of some character’s personalities. Characters such as Tom Robinson, Boo Radley and Atticus Finch are judged by the public purely by their associated stereotypes and outward appearance. Although the public’s opinion contributed to the interpretation of each man, the misjudgement the characters face daily impacts their lives internally, socially and emotionally. Due to family playing a paramount role throughout the novel, influencing the internal workings of the family dynamic, it begins destroying the Finch’s family mentality. This is heavily noted as Jem progresses through puberty. Illustrated clearly when Scout begins seeing her and Jem’s relationship slowly...
Words: 625 - Pages: 3
...“To Kill a Mocking Bird”: Teaching Tolerance Through Empathy Mary Ellyn Fogarty December 8, 2012 America in the mid 1950’s and 1960’s was undergoing a profound social metamorphosis. Events such as, in 1954, the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, with the Supreme Court ruling public school segregation illegal, which many believe sparked the civil rights era, in 1956 Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a bus to a white man, “precipitating the Montgomery bus boycott, led by Martin Luther King Jr.” (To Kill a Mockingbird: Civil Rights Era, 2012), in 1957 federal troops were sent to Little rock Arkansas to protect nine African American students who were going white high school, per the court ordered desegregation of school, were challenging and for some forcing the way in which Americans lived, their beliefs and their treatment of African Americans that had been indoctrinated into their consciousness from the time they were born and many did not understand why this treatment was inappropriate, prejudice and unconstitutional. For some these changes were viewed as not an intrusion or criticism of their way of life but as...
Words: 3144 - Pages: 13
