...I believe America will never achieve true racial and social equality because racism is a very big problem in our world and it always has been. It may be getting a little better as the years go by but there is still a big issue with it. It will probably always be an issue in this world that we live in. Things have definitely gotten easier for colored people than in the past, however, white people still have it way better. Colored people are contradistinguished compared to white people. Karen Kellaher wrote ¨African-Americans were freed from slavery in 1865. But they were still not treated fairly in many parts of our country. Many people would not hire blacks for jobs or sell them homes. Blacks could not use many public buildings or even ride...
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...In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, justice is demonstrated throughout Atticus’ actions. His strive for equality can be represented by the scales of justice. Atticus believes that everyone should be treated fairly regardless of race, socio-economic or familial background. Having such an honorable and just character, propels Atticus to defend the wronged individual, Tom Robinson. Atticus believes that Tom Robinson is innocent of the crime accused against him and he believes Robinson should not receive the death penalty. Atticus knows Tom might lose this case due to the racial attitudes and prejudices prevalent in the community. When an African-American is accused of a crime, the person is undoubtedly presumed guilty. Atticus still persists in...
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...write stories which are a reflection of the attitudes and the norms of their time and contemporary Southern fiction reflects this. The southern part of the United States has always had a large percentage of people of African descent living there. At the beginning of the twentieth century, two states actually had an African-American majority; South Carolina and Mississippi. However, the White community was, and still is the socially and economically dominant group and this can be seen in much of Southern contemporary. Several aspects of race were explored by various authors and they include: Racist words against blacks Contemporary Southern fiction frequently contained a lot of racist words, lines and dialogue. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird,...
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...honest and moral characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird“ by Harper Lee and his character remains, for the most part, unchanged throughout “To Kill a Mockingbird”. As any character analysis of Atticus Finch should note in terms of the plot of “To Kill a Mockingbird” he begins as an upstanding citizen who is respected and admired by his peers and even though he loses some ground during the trial, by the end of To Kill a Mockingbird he is still looked up to, both by his children and the community as whole—with all class levels included. As a lawyer in To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch represents everything that someone working in the justice system should. He is fair, does not hold grudges, and looks at every situation from a multitude of angles. As Miss Maude quite correctly puts it in one of the important quotes from “To Kill a Mockingbird”by Harper Lee, “Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets” (87) and this could also be said of how he behaves in the courtroom. He is a skilled lawyer and without making outright accusations in a harsh tone he effectively points out that Bob Ewell is lying. Even more importantly, the subject of this character analysis, Atticus Finch, is able to gracefully point out to the jury that there although there probably are a few black men who are capable of crimes, “this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men” (208). His understanding of equality and his colorblindness allow him to...
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...and unity… TEXT COMPARISON Are we always champions of tolerance, courage and receptiveness to others? By the very definition of humanity, we must be. Humanity: benevolence, understanding and kindness towards other people. It is, arguably, our very human nature to feel compassion, courage, understanding, unity and empathy towards our fellow man. Unfortunately, prejudice and judgement also cling to the human condition like tumorous stains – traits which society still finds hard to surmount. Despite the efforts of governments, groups and individuals, humankind still finds it difficult to trust based on the soul of a person; we are more comfortable making judgements based on skin colour. Nelle Harper Lee through her 1960 novel, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ and Boaz Yakin through his 2000 film, ‘Remember the Titans,’ are text composers who tackle the ill-defined paradigms of ‘prejudice, courage and unity’ by painting a picture of the confronting face of racism. Prejudice, courage and unity are notions that are dealt with differently by both composers and, through their use of structural and linguistic features, each composer presents this concept in a manner which connects (or weakens a connection)...
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...protagonists in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, must endure this evolution with the help of their father. Atticus, an honest and righteous...
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...To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel written by Harper Lee. It is set in the 1930s in the south of the United States, a time and place when the equality between African Americans and those of white America was non-existent. Atticus Finch, one of the main characters in the book, plays a single father of two young children, Scout and Jem. It is his loving care, reasoned approach, belief in justice and equality, and courage that make him a great father and a good role model for his children. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus shows a genuine love for his two children. It is clear from the way his youngest child, Scout refers to him, that he is affectionate and protective. The final sentence of the book confirms this. ‘He turned out the light and went into Jem’s room. He would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem waked up in the morning’ It is a relationship of mutual respect between the children and their father. He speaks to them on a mature level, is never condescending and explains patiently whenever they have questions. The children feel comfortable communicating openly with Atticus and he is never dismissive of their feeling or concerns. ‘Bit by bit I told him of the day’s misfortunes. - “And she said you taught me all wrong, so we can’t ever read anymore, ever. Please don’t send me back, please sir.”’ When Scout doesn’t want to go back to school, Atticus explains the importance of learning and offers gentle advice. Although Atticus struggles to maintain...
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...Atticus. Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird takes place during 1930’s, a period known as the Great Depression. Harper Lee creates the setting in the little town of Maycomb, Alabama.One of the main conflicts that takes place revolves around a racial issue. Atticus, a father, and a lawyer, ponders the question whether he should defend a trial. The trial includes an 18 year old girl by the name of, Mayella, who comes from a family of poverty and has an abusive father. Mayella falsely states a black man by the name...
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...Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird is considered a modern-day hero for his intolerance towards racism, especially in that time period. His disapproval towards racism is most apparent when he fought for Tom Robinson. Fighting for an African-American man in the 1930’s was unspeakable but not only did he defend him, he gave it all he had. Atticus knew he would never be able to win this case yet he still tried which is more than any other white lawyer would have done for anyone in the black community. Atticus even has a reputation for being the same in courtrooms as in the streets as opposed to the only other lawyer in the book, Mr. Gilmer. As Atticus states, “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for...
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...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...
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...To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee The extract under analysis is taken from the Harper Lee’s first novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”. The book published in 1960 was very successful and won great critical acclaim, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for its author. The plot and the characters are slightly based on the author’s thoughts about his family, as well as on events that took place in her hometown. The narration is done from the first person by Jean Louse “Scout” Finch. The scene is a small town Maycomb in the state of Alabama. Atticus Finch, Scout’s father, is appointed by the court to defend Tom Robinson, a good fellow being accused of raping a white girl Mayella Ewell. He has no hope for justice just because he is black. Atticus, a person of very strong moral views, is sure in his defendant's innocence. The article could be logically divided into four parts. The first part, the introduction, begins with Atticus half-way though his speech to the jury. He presents logically organized arguments, showing his experience, knowledge and justifiability. However, after going over the evidence he starts acting unusually and it shows his excitement. His manner of speech changes as he appeals people in the court to give up the prejudices and be just. The development of the plot is the Atticus’ speech when he underlines all the pieces of evidence proving that it’s not Tom Robinson, but Mayella Ewell who is guilty. Mr. Finch quotes Thomas Jefferson’s words – “all men are...
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...Statistics say that about 62 million people have died or have been killed due to racism and the caste system, within the past century.In Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” minor characters such as Mrs. Dubose and Aunt Alexandra exemplify traits such as racism and give off negative remarks and vibes to minorities, especially those of a dark skin tone. This book is not the only instance that speaks of division between county. We have seen it happen on the news and even been taught about it in History Class. The world we live in is far from perfect and discrepancies regarding social status’, don’t help the cause of creating a better environment for the future. If people don’t acknowledge their emotions and leave them to grow and form grudges,...
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...is one of the most homogeneous states in the country. According to The United States Census Bureau: “The total percentage of black people in Vermont in 2015 was 1.3% whereas the total percentage of white people in Vermont was 94.8%.” In Vermont, people who are not white stand out and are sometimes not accepted. Similarly, discrimination occurs in the book To Kill A Mockingbird, which takes place in the 1930s when racism, discrimination, and hatred were more visible. Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird tells the story of the main character Scout and her brother Jem dealing with the discrimination that separates their town of Maycomb. Lee reveals the theme of being an individual in society by depicting characters throughout the book who strive to find equality in a conformist community to teach the reader that discrimination is still occurring even after the Civil War. Harper Lee shows the theme of being an individual in society through Calpurnia not being accepted at her own church when she brought white children. Calpurnia is one of the many characters in To Kill a Mockingbird that is distinctly impacted by either racial discrimination or social class profiling. Calpurnia is a black housemaid working for the Finches. Calpurnia is not allowed at Jem and Scout’s church because she is a person of color, although she is allowed to bring them to her black church. Calpurnia knows the community of the black church will not be accepting of her decision. In Chapter 12, Lula questions...
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...To Kill A Mocking Bird BY HARPER LEE Novel Analysis I.BACKGROUND IN FORMATION ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nelle Harper Lee (born April 28, 1926) is an American author known for her 1960 Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which deals with the issues of racism that were observed by the author as a child in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. Despite being Lee's only published book, it led to Lee being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom of the United States for her contribution to literature in 2007.Lee has also been the recipient of numerous honorary degrees, but has always declined to make a speech. Other significant contributions of Lee include assisting her close friend, Truman Capote, in his research for the book In Cold Blood. II.INFORMATION ABOUT THE NOVEL Classification- To Kill a Mockingbird is embodied by Atticus Finch, who is virtually unique in the novel in that he has experienced and understood evil without losing his faith in the human capacity for goodness. Atticus understands that, rather than being simply creatures of good or creatures of evil, most people have both good and bad qualities. The important thing is to appreciate the good qualities and understand the bad qualities by treating others with sympathy and trying to see life from their perspective. He tries to teach this ultimate moral lesson to Jem and Scout to show them that it is possible to live with conscience without losing hope or becoming cynical. In this way, Atticus is...
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...In “The Courthouse Ring: Atticus Finch and the Limits of Southern Liberalism,” Malcolm Gladwell criticizes former governor of Alabama, James “Big Jim” Folsom. He compares him to literary hero Atticus Finch from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Most people believe that both were noble people for taking the stance against racism that they did, but Gladwell presents them both in a different, less heroic image. Though I do not personally agree with Gladwell, I do understand why he believes the way that he does. In the article, Gladwell introduces the reader to “Big Jim” Folsom by providing a brief description of the man himself. He notes that Folsom was a charismatic man who believed in racial equality in time where Jim Crow laws were in full effect. Also, most politicians would not have dared to venture into the deep-south on such a platform, but Folsom made “a proud and lonely stand for racial justice” in many ways such as not segregating the audience who attended his speeches. In Alabama, politics generally had a “friends and neighbors” effect, meaning that people generally voted based on personality rather than political issues and the state was divided into smaller island communities that were each run by a “courthouse ring.” Though he was considered something of a radical for his stance on racism, Folsom was not actually looking for a drastic change—he simply wanted privileged whites to be more amiable to black people. In spite of public disapproval, Folsom invited black...
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