...the personification in To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom is helpful, friendly, courteous and kind to young and old and that also parallels the way most mockingbirds are friendly, courteous and kind. Tom Robinson helps out everyone from working for Link Deas to helping out Mayella Ewell.. Harper Lee writes “I just want the whole lot of you to know one thing right now. That boy’s worked for me eight years and I ain’t had a speck aco’trouble outa him. Not a speck.” This quote is yelled out by Link Deas during the court trial because he cares for Tom and Link knows that Tom is innocent. The importance of this quote is that it shows that he is a good person and the only people who don’t believe it are the most of the white community in Maycomb...
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...Birds of Innocence Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is an exceptional story of cowardice and courage, of prejudice and acceptance. Most obviously, it is a story of maturity and innocence. In the novel, Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley are all metaphorically portrayed as mockingbirds because of their observable innocence with others in their community and their evident kindness. While each character has noticeably different storylines and symbolic references to the mockingbird, all three have their inculpability in common. Atticus Finch is depicted as a mockingbird, not only because of his incorruption, but also because of his fatherly instincts and his unmistakable courage. In chapter twenty-nine and thirty we see Atticus’s righteousness in full light. As they sauntered home from the school pageant, Jem and Scout were attacked. Atticus, knowing that Bob Ewell has threatened him and what he loves, does not outright blame Bob for his children’s wounds and injuries. Mockingbirds are extremely territorial and protective of their young. In chapter ten we see Atticus’s shooting skills as he protects his children from a rabid dog. Another trait shown by mockingbirds is their courage when defending their...
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...Analysis of Symbolism in To Kill A Mockingbird Most people would think of love when they look at the symbol ‘heart’. A symbol is an important literacy feature that is used to represent larger or abstract ideas. Symbols are often used by authors to deepen and further extend themes. In Harper Lee’s novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, her effective use of symbols and their deep meanings contribute towards the development of some important themes. The uses of symbols, a mockingbird and blue jay, significantly develop the key theme that the coexistence of the good and evil always remain. A mockingbird and blue jay prove that the good and evil coexist by utilizing two characters, Bob Ewell and Boo Radley. First, Bob Ewell...
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...been in everything”. That quote can relate to a few other stories that we have read throughout the trimester. This quote all together to me is basically saying that everyone should look at everything in their own perspective or even be their own person. One of the novels that we have read through this trimester was “To Kill a Mockingbird”. With Hogan’s quote and this story, they can relate to something in the end. Hogan’s quote ties into the story “To Kill a Mockingbird” by basically recapturing what it is told throughout the quote. In the story “To Kill a Mockingbird”, one of the main characters...
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...The Great Depression was a period in the 1930’s where poverty had reached an all time high after the stock market crash in 1929 (McCabe). The novel To Kill a Mockingbird takes place during this time, and faces many challenges related to The Great Depression. Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, used inspiration from these real-life historical events to hook into her novel. Some of these significant historical events include the Jim Crow laws, mob mentality, and the Scottsboro trials in conjunction with racism. One of the first known influence on Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird are the Jim Crow laws. The Jim Crow laws were a collection of unrelenting anti-black laws (Pilgrim). These laws weren’t just simply a set list of rules,...
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...To Kill a Mockingbird - Complexity To Kill a Mockingbird exhibits many characters and their roles in the city of Maycomb. Among the many characters, are Jem Finch, brother of Jean Louise Finch daughter of Atticus, and Arthur Radley a relative of Nathan Radley. All of the characters in the book demonstrate one-dimensional and three-dimensional tendencies but Jem and Arthur are those that provide the greatest insight to the latter. Jem Finch is a three-dimensional character with symbols of success, virtue and an adverse personality in To Kill a Mockingbird. For example, in the beginning of the book, Jem was aggravated by the then taunting Dill Harris (a young visitor to Maycomb) so that Jem would touch the house of Radley. By touching the Radley house, he proved that he was not afraid and could take on any challenge. When such predicaments come Jem's way he will usually be able to make the best of them successfully. In addition, Jem will lash out in complete contempt for a wrong against his moral conscience, such as Mrs. Dubose slinging blasphemy at Jem's father. A good character must have a sense of morality to defend what is believed to be right, and Jem has this emblematic realism. But, a life-like character must have their weaknesses; and he displayed that on account of Mrs. Dubose's harsh words. Furthermore, in chapter eleven of To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem has to repent his wrongdoing by reading to Mrs. Dubose. Jem's moral obligation takes precedence...
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...To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee , is one of the many timeless classic literatures that we have come to preserve throughout the years. When considering what truly makes this story and dialogue a classic, one has to only recall the characters in which played the main roles of this narrative. Atticus Finch, one of the many characters in this story, stood throughout the entire novel with multiple divine attributes. Many times he exhibited the following aspects of a caring, wise, and protective father figure and man. An exhibition of this father’s caring characteristic was clearly manifested when Atticus’s only daughter, Scout, came home ,somewhat dismayed, yet seeking no comfort or help. However, Atticus being the caring father he was, noticed instantly that Scout had an experience that left her somewhere “in the dump”. Instead of carrying on with the many duties that he held as a...
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...Racism, Poverty, and Violence in To Kill a Mockingbird Maycomb, like other Southern towns, suffers considerably during the Great Depression. Poverty reaches from the privileged families, like the Finches, to the Negroes and “white trash” Ewells, who live on the outskirts of town. Racism violently attacks the people of Maycomb and causes many conflicts throughout the novel which causes violence amongst the citizens. Harper Lee uses the characters involved in To Kill a Mockingbird as symbols of the main themes of the story, which includes, poverty, racism, and violence and these recurring themes influence the actions of the characters in numerous ways. Poverty is repeatedly referenced throughout the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Many citizens...
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...and the symbolism of the mockingbird is shown by the use of dialogue, and characterization. In the novel, Lee expresses hypocrisy within the Society through the use of three characters. Lee shows hypocrisy with the use of Miss Gates, Scout’s third grade teacher. Miss Gates teaches the class about all the evil things Hitler does to the Jews in Germany. Showing her students why she disagrees with Hitler, Miss Gates tells the class that “over here we don’t believe in persecuting anybody. Persecution comes from people who are prejudiced” (208-209). However, while at the Missionary Society meeting Scout overhears Miss Gates talking about how Tom Robinson's conviction...
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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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...Mockingbirds are a big part of the story in Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Mockingbirds sing their hearts out, that’s just what they do. They don’t hurt others or damage any trees, they sing a beautiful tone for all to hear. As Mockingbirds sing, so do people, they have their own characteristics and ways that they express themselves in. Atticus says that it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird, and so it would be a sin to kill someone’s voice or the way they stand up for others. Three characters that I think are mockingbirds that sing their own song are Atticus Finch, Scout Finch, and Jem Finch. Atticus Finch is the person that does the dirty work, he is a wise and great father to his children, he teaches them many great life lessons...
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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 was a great and unique novel about two children that were the main character and this essay is to explain why the point of view and the characters of To Kill a Mockingbird would affect the plot and overall structure of the novel. The point of view affects the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird because the characters are all different, they are of all ages, and the people of Maycomb all have different aspects of the Tom Robinson case. These two literary terms really effect the novel and the plot of the whole story especially because of how a lot of the people of Maycomb are intriguingly different. Children in the novel and adults are of all ages and that would really effect the plot of the novel. Many reasons would effect the novel and it could’ve had many outcomes but the people of Maycomb’s aspects on the Tom Robinson case was a big one....
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...The theme to kill a mockingbird drives the novel through the innocence of the three mockingbirds. Mrs.Maudie introduces this concept by saying “Mockingbirds don’t do anything but make music for us to enjoy” (page.103). Stating this acknowledges that they don’t know any better than what they are doing. Innocence is the important characteristic that leads to the building of the characters of Mayella Ewell, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley. “I wonder if anybody had ever called her ma’am or “Miss Mayella” in her life, probably not as she took offense to routine courtesy what on earth was her life like?” (page.244) this was said by Scout as she realized the innocence of Mayella. Even though she was doing wrong in the story, by lying about Tom Robinson and accusing him of rape, being mistreated and disrespected her whole life has made her unable to see what she is doing is wrong. As Scout realizes Mayella didn’t know any better she starts to have empathy for Mayelle no...
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...Alabama town of Monroeville. Her father, a former newspaper editor and proprietor, was a lawyer who also served on the state legislature (1926-38). As a child, Lee was a tomboy and a precocious reader, and she enjoyed the friendship of her schoolmate and neighbor, the young Truman Capote, who provided the basis of the character of Dill in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee was only five years old in when, in April 1931 in the small Alabama town of Scottsboro, the first trials began with regard to the purported rapes of two white women by nine young black men. The defendants, who were nearly lynched before being brought to court, were not provided with the services of a lawyer until the first day of trial. Despite medical testimony that the women had not been raped, the all-white jury found the men guilty of the crime and sentenced all but the youngest, a twelve-year-old boy, to death. Six years of subsequent trials saw most of these convictions repealed and all but one of the men freed or paroled. The Scottsboro case left a deep impression on the young Lee, who would use it later as the rough basis for the events in To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee studied first at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama (1944-45), and then pursued a law degree at the University of Alabama (1945-49), spending one year abroad at Oxford University, England. She worked as a reservation clerk for Eastern Airlines in New York City until the late 1950s, when she resolved to devote herself to writing. Lee...
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