...Are You Worthy Of Compassion? In Harper Lee´s To Kill A Mockingbird, there are many instances of compassion and evil. Scout has compassion for Mayella Ewell even though her life is filled with evil things. Atticus is benevolent to Mrs. Dubose, even when she talks about him, he sends his children over to help with her addiction. Atticus also defends Tom Robinson with the knowledge that they will lose the case. We all deserve compassion in our lives, even if it does not seem like it. At the trial, Scout says, “It came to me that Mayella Ewell must have been the loneliest person in the world,” (Lee 191). Scout felt compassion for Mayella because for her to feel like she was loved, she had to try and seduce a black man into her home. It is wrong to tempt people to do things, but back then it was intolerable for a white woman to entice a black man, or vice versa. It was not right for Mayella to try and coax Tom, but that does not mean...
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...To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a masterpiece of American literature. The minor characters in To Kill a Mockingbird played an important role; these characters are very relevant to the novel. The role of the minor characters in the book is significant because they outline strong themes and they portray elements of human nature. Minor characters such as Dolphus Raymond, Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose and Link Deas demonstrate strong themes such as courage, compassion and kindness such themes are very relevant to the novel. Link Deas is a marvelous minor character. Link displays courage in the novel. During the Tom Robinson trial Link gets up and says, “ I just want the whole lot of you to know one thing right now. That boy’s worked for me eight years an’ I ain’t had a speck o’ trouble outa him. Not a speck.” (Lee 195) It takes a lot of courage to speak out during the trial just to support Tom Robinson. Link is also very kind. He shows kindness because “He walked her the short way, by the Ewells’.”(Lee 249) It is very kind of Link to walk Helen home and commanding Bob Ewell to stop teasing Helen. As well as showing kindness Deas is compassionate. This is correct because “ Mr. Link Deas made a job for Helen. He didn’t really need her, but he felt bad about the way things turned out.”(Lee 249) Link shows compassion by hiring Helen he knows that she will struggle without Tom’s presence. Link Deas displays courage, kindness and compassion within the novel. Mrs. Henry Lafayette...
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...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...
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...This essay is going to be about how Atticus is a hero. Atticus is a very nice guy. He help Scout read, and and he help defend Tom Robinson. Everyone in Maycomb Alabama didn’t want him to defend Tom Robinson. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the character of Atticus Finch represents Lee’s idea of social justice by demonstrating heroism, righteous. and compassion. In To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee present heroism, by teaching others to read even though the teacher condone it. For example the Novel says “Atticus has to been teaching Scout to read since she was little” (Lee, 25). Atticus still teaches Scout to read even though the teacher condone it. Lee show that Atticus does care about what the teacher says and does the...
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...In the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, one consistent theme is based around how Atticus Finch positively impacted the town of Maycomb. The location was Alabama during the 1930’s. During this time period, citizens of Maycomb showed extreme chauvinism towards one another. For people to not give into this way of life truly must have been very audacious. One person that proved to be able to show such audacious acts was a man named Atticus Finch. Atticus Finch willingly defended an African American which in the time period was perceived as very taboo. Out of all the characters in the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper lee a man named Atticus Finch proved to have the most courage and by the end of the book the most moral growth. The fact that he went against the normal way of life in his town, and willingly defend an African american by...
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...com). Courage appears all around us in all different types, such as in tv shows, movies, books, and in real life. For example, there are many controversial types of courage shown in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. To Kill A Mockingbird is about the people who live in an imaginary town in Alabama, called Maycomb, during the Great Depression. When racism and justice collide head on in Atticus’s courtroom, it is important to be courageous and brave no matter what the circumstances. Three examples of courage from the book are, when Jem stands up to save Atticus at the jailhouse, Boo Radley secretly laying the blanket over Scout, and Mrs. Dubose quitting her morphine addiction. The first...
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...universal scholars and philosophers, this idea does not fail to become a real motif in some of the greatest discussed literature known to humanity. Moreover, among these exceptional classics, stands a prominent example of to kill a mockingbird, an “unforgettable novel of childhood in a sleepy southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it” (Lee 282). This “[c]ompassionate, dramatic and deeply moving” classic of American Literature by Harper Lee not only portrays society as a whole, however, it also accomplishes the task through the use of countless dynamic characters, symbols and allegories (Lee 282). Among...
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...Innocence is the state, quality, or fact of being innocent of a crime or offense. Innocence is one of the many recurring themes of To Kill A Mockingbird. Jem and Scout have an innocent point of view in life. The children believe the color of your skin shouldn't matter, however they soon realize ignorance in the people of Maycomb. “Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy… But sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (quoted by Atticus/Ms. Maudie) Tom is nothing but a hard working innocent black man in the town of Maycomb county. Mockingbirds are symbolic to Tom Robinson because Tom is being falsely accused of rape to the white trash of the town, Mayella Ewell. Mockingbirds are innocent and all they want is to bring pleasure to those around them; Tom is innocent and all he wants to do is help Mayella with the chores around the house because he feels pity. However...
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...To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, was published in July 11, 1960. Harper sets the time period during the Great Depression, from 1933-1935, in a fictional city called Maycomb, Alabama. To Kill a Mockingbird tells the story of a young girl named Scout Finch and witnesses her father attempt to prove the innocence of a black man who was unjustly accused of rape. Throughout the trial, Scout witnesses as her father tries his hardest to prove that the black man is innocent even though the outcome of the trial has already been decided. A few of the important characters are Atticus Finch, Scout Finch, The Ewells, and Tom Robinson. Scout and her brother, Jem, are both young children, and do not understand. The story is structured around...
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...still finds it difficult to trust based on the soul of a person; | |we are more comfortable making judgements based on skin colour.” | Prejudice, courage 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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...Despite the drawbacks for his own family, Atticus was wise to defend Tom Robinson. The author of To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee, states the issues of courage, class, gender roles, and compassion. The character, Atticus defends Tom Robinson’s case. Atticus had his own values and beliefs for what he was willing to fight for. No matter what the circumstance was, he was always confident for what he believed in. Although Atticus knew that he would lose, he would always stay determined to show his town that Tom Robinson is a human being with equal rights, like everyone else. Since his message did permeate the society as well, everyone in the courtroom stood in respect as he passed by them. Unlike most of the white folks in his town, Atticus...
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...abundant of people still view women, blacks, and age in a stereotypical way today. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows many different types of prejudice in the 1930’s, which affect the characters decision making and their views toward others. The prejudice we see most often in this book is racism. Women did not have the same rights as men back in the 1930’s. Ageism plays a big role as well in the book which affect the characters view towards others. To begin, Harper Lee demonstrates a lot of sexism towards women. Back then women did not have any choice, you were born a women, you have to act like one. Women are considered weak in the 1930’s. They were supposed to do things only women must do. Such as staying...
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...To Kill a Mockingbird To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, is a critically acclaimed novel narrated by Scout FInch, following an important three years in her life. This novel became an instant best seller, an Academy Award-winning film, and a winner of the Pulitzer Prize. This book in some states are part of the English curriculum to be taught in high schools, while in other states it is banned from school libraries. This book arises much controversy because it is based around white supremacy in the South, and how African Americans were harshly treated. It reveals the ugly truth on how society handled cases in the court and the biased verdicts as the result. It also reveals the existence of good and evil in a small town, and how some adults...
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..."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...
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...you climb into his skin and walk around in it”. Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird, this is Atticus’ main teaching, and it guides Scout’s decision-making process. Because of this teaching, Scout learns that compassion solves problems more effectively than violence, and begins to rely on a deeper understanding of a situation in order to see past prejudices and view a person’s character. This is due to Harper Lee’s perspective on the use of compassion to judge a person’s decision. Lee uses compassion, rather than hatred, to overcome discriminatory practices. Furthermore, Lee views compassion to be the ultimate weapon against discrimination because stereotypes and prejudices are not intrinsic to human life, and therefore, compassion can be taught in place of stereotypes and prejudices....
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