...Task 2: Critical Analysis Ngien Sing Jier For this semester, we are analysing a novel entitled ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ written by Harper Lee. I find this novel very meaningful and interesting to read as well. After reading and analysing the novel a few times along with the teachings of my lecturer, I can differentiate the story told from different perspectives, parts when Scout was young and parts when she was an adult. It is about the life and happenings in Maycomb County. The story is told in the first person point of view whereby Scout as the narrator, is a character in the story who tells us everything she has experienced. She can reveal only personal thoughts and feelings and what she sees and is told by other characters. Harper Lee wrote this novel based on her real life experience during childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it. “Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ takes readers to the roots of human behavior namely innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humour and pathos.” Theme is the main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work. A theme may be stated or implied. Theme differs from the subject or topic of a literary work in that it involves an opinion or statement about the topic but not every literary work has a theme. Themes may be major or minor. A major theme is an idea the author returns to time and again, becomes one of the most important ideas in the story...
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...she created Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus always treats everyone the same no matter who they are or what they do. Atticus always has a good attitude and very rarely raises his voice or shows extremities in his emotions. Atticus also is very straightforward, honest and doesn’t beat around the bush. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows Atticus as fair, consistent, and honest to illustrate equality. Throughout the novel Atticus is portrayed as a very fair man. “I asked Atticus if Mr. Cunningham would ever pay us. ‘Not in money,’ Atticus said, ‘but before the year’s out I’ll have been paid. You watch” (Lee 23). This quote from the book shows...
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...around in it.”(30) This is a lesson that Atticus Finch, from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, emphasized to his children, teaching them to view the world from another’s perspective before judging them. Atticus displays this quality of human tolerance towards his neighbors although he could have strong reasons to dislike them. He also familiarizes his children with this lesson through their own difficult situations. Atticus Finch proves to be a superlative example of human tolerance through his empathetic attitudes towards narrow-minded people including Mrs. Dubose, Bob Ewell, and the Cunninghams. Through these moments, his daughter, Scout, is ultimately able to understand this lesson taught by her father through a climatic moment with Boo Radley at the end of the novel. Illustrated through difficult situations with Bob Ewell and Mrs. Dubose, Atticus demonstrates his understanding attitude. First, when Atticus hears from Scout that Mrs. Dubose is calling him a “nigger-lover,” he understands that she is an acrimonious woman because she is a morphine addict. Later, when Jem and Scout hear that Mrs. Dubose is dead and learn about her addiction, they realize they had judged her without knowing her circumstances and see how courageous she truly was. Atticus’s tolerant attitude was also displayed when Bob Ewell spit in Atticus’s face after the trial. Atticus understood that Mr. Ewell was from a poor, untrustworthy family and Atticus had taken away all of his integrity. He...
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...For their contributions to the efforts to harm, the conscience of these people were consumed by their opposition. For example, to prove the earlier point of people's’ own conscience, Scout’s cousin, Francis, insults his own Uncle, claiming “he’s ruinin’ the family” by being a “nigger-lover” (94). Your conscience, as this quote shows, sometimes doesn’t match the majority. Even within this family, the opposition is surprising and unsupportive. Yet, Atticus reaffirms his stand in the fight for Tom and wants his kids to know his efforts, that he isn’t just doing this because he has to, but to even “live with [himself]” (120). He’s a honest man, who knows this situation isn’t right and is ready to take the fight for Tom’s...
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...One word or phrase that helps me visualize Miss Caroline is, “she looked and smelt like a peppermint drop.” The author uses a simile when describing Miss Caroline in that quote. Miss Caroline is a new native teacher. Miss Caroline often has trouble disciplining the children and does not understand the family economics of Maycomb. She seemed nice with bright colors and smelt like mint. Scout says it in an almost patronising way, as though she is mocking teacher’s naivety. Scout never loved to read until she fears she wouldn't be able to in the future. She compared it to breathing; people don't care for breathing, it's not a thing people think about they just do it. People start to think about breathing once they are trying to catch their breath...
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...At the end of the book There is a trial Were Atticus is defending an African American named Tom Robinson against the Ewell family. The Ewells are poor and extremely rude. Atticus loses to the ewell’s but during the trial Atticus also embarreses the family. In revenge Bob tries to kill Atticus’s kids. Boo Radley hears the children screaming and comes to the rescue. Arthur carries Jem home (he got knocked out) and Scout runs home. Atticus then talks to Arthur Radley and says “Thank you for my children Arthur.” in Atticus’s eyes (and the children’s) Arthur Radley is a hero. For saving them the children are no longer scared of Boo Radley. Now they are extremely grateful for what Arthur did. In conclusion, the theme rumors do not define a person is supported with Boo radley and his relationship with scout and Jem. Along with how their relationship changes from the beginning to the end of the book. Their relationship changed because Scout decided to not listen to the rumors and instead...
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...Bob told Atticus he would get him even if it was the last thing he did. This makes Jem and Scout worried because they feel threatened as well. Jem pleads, “Nothing’s happened. We’re scared for you, and we think you oughta do something about him” (Lee,292). He is seen as an enemy to the Finch’s after the trial because of his verbal and physical actions. Bob Ewell antagonizes and causes fear for these young kids, this is why conflicts arise. This grown man is not only causing conflicts for the children but their father, Atticus too. To add more on, in the book Scout and Jem were on their way home from Scout’s school play. On their way home Jem kept stopping, he explained to Scout that he felt they were being followed. After stopping many more times they were attacked by Bob Ewell. Scout alliterates, “Anyway, Jem hollered and I didn’t hear him any more an’ the next thing—Mr.Ewell was tryin’ to squeeze me to death, I reckon...” (Lee,361). This situation shows how much of an enemy and threat Bob is to Scout and...
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...In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus is the father of Scout and Jem. Throughout the novel, Atticus teaches the readers many different lessons that can be applied to everyday life. Without Atticus, the story would not be the same. Atticus is a well known man in Maycomb County. Many people look up to Atticus and many have respect for him and his decisions. Atticus is an loving and caring father of Scout and Jem. The readers discover this when Scout states, “We were far too old to settle an argument with a fist-fight, so we consulted Atticus. Our father said we were both right” (Lee 3). Along with this quote, readers can see that Atticus does not necessarily take sides with anyone; instead, he decides things by what he...
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...To Kill a Mockingbird Tiffin University Lisa Caskey September 28, 2012 Degree Completion Program English 365 Issues in Literature Discrimination and prejudice were very common in the 1900’s. Prejudice is defined in the Webster’s dictionary as “preconceived judgment; or opinion; an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge”. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/). Discrimination is defined as “prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action, and or treatment” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/). Discrimination and Prejudice run rampant in Maycomb County, Alabama. To Kill a Mockingbird is a story based in time of the Great Depression. The book displayed acts of hate based on the color of someone’s skin. Colored people were the main ones discriminated against. But there were instances where poverty stricken families were also discriminated against. The story begins in the summer in a small town called Maycomb County. The story is told from a child’s perspective. The child’s name is Scout finch. She is retelling the story of her and her brother Jem’s childhood. Their summer consists of playing games and acting out scenarios from different books. They also act out stories made up about people residing within their neighborhood. They do this along with “Dill” Miss Rachel’s nephew who comes to Maycomb for the summer. These stories are based on assumptions and judgments of what they believe...
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...did not have a good set of morals. This would be due to lack of experience dealing with people and having to make choices, and immaturity. One event that changes Scout could be when Miss Maudie explained to her that killing mockingbirds is a sin; "Your father's right," she said. "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." (pg, 119) this teaches her to not bother innocent people for no reason, a lesson on morality. Another event would be witnessing the harsh injustice against Tom Robinson, simply because he is black. When she hears Jem say “It ain’t right, Atticus” (pg 284) and then having her father agree with that exposes her to their good morals, and thus further instilling them into...
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...spoken by Atticus Finch when he was talking to scout about people and perspectives. Atticus Finch is a very simplistic person in the story To Kill A MockingBird by, Harper Lee. Atticus is a very quite person and he expresses this by not being too brash and taking insults but also showing he's the bigger man by not fighting with his fists but with his own words. What i want to express is the way Atticus is calm, nice, smart, shows courage, is compassionate, and above all tolerant of other people and races. Atticus Finch is one of the protagonist in the story To Kill a Mockingbird and is a well rounded character....
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...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...
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...Atticus is away on a Sunday, and Jem and Scout need to go to church. Calpurnia does not want to send the kids to church by themselves, so she decides to take them with to her church. When Jem and Scout arrive to Calpurnia’s church, everyone greets them with warm hellos, that is, until Lula approaches them. Lula is not so fond of the idea that Jem and Scout are at her church, and Lula says to Calpurnia, “‘You ain't got no business bringin’ white chillun here—they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain’t it, Miss Cal?’” (158). Lula clearly does not want Jem and Scout there because they are white. That is because Lula, and the rest of the black community, is not welcome to the white church. The white people in her town are prejudice...
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...American Film Institute’s list of greatest American movies of all time and taking home many countless awards. The black and white portrayal from text to film is exquisitely captured turning pages to picture while reveling a heartbreaking reality. Through camera, lighting, and sound Robert Mulligan creates a mood to communicate the vision of Harper Lee. The film takes place in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. Robert Mulligan illustrates the story of the lives of Scout and Jem, children growing up in this small town with their friend Dill who stays for the summer. The youngsters become infatuated with getting a glimpse of Boo Radley the unseen hermit of a neighbor. This summer also entails issues facing, their attorney father, Atticus Finch. Atticus Finch defends Tom Robinson, an African American man falsely accused of raping a white woman from town, Mayella Ewell. The children catch wind of the trial and for the first time witness evil realities of the world. Jem and Scout, Atticus’s children become the targets of Bob Ewell, the father of Mayella Ewell. Bob Ewell tries to kill them one Halloween night on their way home from school, when the elusive Boo Radley shows up and saves them. Radley kills Bob in the affair. Tom Robinson is wrongfully convicted sent to prison and then eventually killed trying to escape. Throughout the film the reoccurring issues of racism, biased from social class, and stigmas to gender are tested and tried as unfairly as the Tom Robinson case. ...
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...this passage because Miss Caroline tells Scout that she shouldn’t know how to read and write yet. Scout works through her problems and adapts to her new teaching ways. Chapter 3: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb in his skin and walk around in it.” Pg.30 Reason: I liked this passage because this is when Scout learns that you have to give people chances. You can’t judge someone by what’ s on the outside, but by what is in the inside. Chapter 4: “It was the kind of box wedding rings came in, purple velvet with a minute catch. Jem flicked open the tiny catch. Inside were two scrubbed and polished pennies , one on top of another. Indian Heads.” Pg.34 Reason: I picked this quote because I liked how they described what they found. The Indian Heads were one of the things that they found in the Radley tree. Chapter 5: “There are some kind of men who - who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one , and and you can look down the street and see the results.” Pg. 45 Reason: This...
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