...“It's the people who don't recognize the racism within themselves that can be the most damaging because they don't see it” This quote can easily summarize the whole the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, the novel takes places during the Great Depression in a small town in Maycomb Alabama, the story is told in a first person point of view through the eyes of Jean-Louise a.k.a Scout Finch, she lives with her brother Jem Finch and their widowed dad Atticus Finch who is a well known lawyer, this means that the family is well of economicalle compared to the rest of the society. Fast forward one year Atticus is chosen to advocate for a black Tom Robinson against a white Mayella/Bob Ewell. Atticus Finch, in his closing argument, addresses three main points of the Tom Robinson case: first he asserts that Mayella Ewell has done two things wrong, one of them is that “she tempted a negro”, and the other one accusing Tom Robinson of rape to”get rid of the evidence; then he contends, that it was wrong to accuse Tom Robinson of rape; finally, he concludes by saying that all men are created equal, but people use this phrase out of context, to satisfy all conditions....
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...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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...INTRODUCTION Grabber: get your reader interested. If using a quote, lead into it and cite it. Lead in with speaker identification and qualifications. As Atticus said to his daughter Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird “It is a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee). Transition: Connect your grabber to your next sentence. Mockingbirds represent those who are innocent in the novel. Background info: Discuss any pertinent information about the author or story details necessary for the reader’s comprehension The book is about a man who is on trial for rape. That man, Tom Robinson was black and the town was ruled under very unfair social standards. His lawyer Atticus Finch knew he was not guilty. So he was trying to protect his children from Maycomb's corrupt town by...
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...“Prejudice is the child of ignorance” (William Hazlitt). Throughout the book To Kill a Mockingbird people judge others before they truly have a right to judge. In the town of Maycomb, Alabama many individuals make judgements about Boo Radley and Tom Robinson before they know the truth. Scout Finch is a rare breed in this time, with her father defending Tom Robinson and her brother Jem and her interested in finding more about Boo Radley she constantly gets a chance to make unprejudiced judgements on people. Harper Lee helps the reader better understand prejudice using symbolism , imagery, and metaphors throughout the story. Prejudice was common throughout the story To Kill a Mockingbird, this could be seen through symbolism. It is a sin to kill a mockingbird, this is explained when Miss Maudie says “they don’t do one thing...
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...“To kill a mockingbird” by Harper Lee is based on the central idea that is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Atticus tells Scout this when he gives them guns. After, Atticus tells her it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. She goes to ask Miss Maudie why it’s a sin. Miss Maudie explains it’s a sin because they don’t do anything but sing their hearts out focus. This refers to the thesis statement because it deals with Miss Maudie, Atticus Finch, and Tom Robinson. Miss Maudie is true friend and she has good moral as Atticus. Miss Maudie implies “Indoors, when Miss Maudie wanted to say something she settled her fingers on her knees and settled her bridgework. Then she did and waited. ‘I simply wanted to tell you that there are some men in...
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...Stereotypes are saying bad things about someone because they belong in a certain group or race Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird both are based on the theme of stereotypes. In the next 3 paragraphs I will talk about stereotypes in To Kill a Mockingbird, The Merchant of Venice, and finally compare the stereotypes in both. There are many stereotypes and these 2 stories contain many that are alike. One big theme in To Kill a Mockingbird is stereotypes. First of all there is a stereotype that scout should wear a dress and act more like a girl because she is a tomboy. Aunt Alexandra says this. “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches”(81). This shows that Aunt Alexandra wants Scout to be more like a lady. Secondly there’s Tom Robinson who is black and wrongly accused. Tom was accused of raping Mayella Ewell and in the end the jury voted him guilty even though Atticus explains the evidence is in Tom’s favor “To begin with, this case should have never come to trial”(203). This quote shows that Atticus’s evidence is perfectly clear and Tom isn’t guilty but in the end because Tom is black the jury assumes he is bad and votes him guilty. Finally black people don’t have the same rights as white people. For example Calpurnia brings Scout and Jem to church and a lady gets mad and asked Calpurnia why she brought white kids to the black church day. “I wants to know why you...
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...Innocence in To Kill a Mockingbird To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, published in 1960, is a novel about a little girl who experiences a trial. This novel takes place in Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. In the book, a mockingbird is a symbol of innocence. Children have innocence and when the ¨kill¨ their own innocence, they grow up. Scout is a little white girl who doesn't quite understand the world yet. In the book, She keeps her innocence but is later attacked. Tom Robinson is an African American man who was convicted of rape. A crime he did not commit, which he was sentenced to death for and killed for running away. Boo Radley is a man who was said to be a monster but in reality saved scout and her brother Jem. In the book,...
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...To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a chilling historical fiction novel that centers around the trial of an innocent black man who is accused of raping a white woman. The novel is set in Alabama during the 1930s, and it follows an old lawyer and his family in the small town of Maycomb. Atticus Finch, the lawyer and father, is often called upon by the town for help due to his stature. He is level headed and focuses on the belief that everybody deserves to be treated equally. It is this belief that leads him to being chosen to represent Tom Robinson, the accused black man, in court. Because To Kill a Mockingbird is set in Alabama during the 1930s, the odds that he will be found innocent are exceptionally low, so Atticus must do everything...
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...Innocents In the book To Kill A Mockingbird,by Harper Lee she uses a lot of symbolism throughout her story. Symbolism is a literary device where the author uses an object to stand for an idea. One of Lee’s famous symbol is an mockingbird.A mockingbird is a symbol of innocent. In her novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses Tom Robinson, Mayella Ewell and Boo Radley as human “mockingbirds” to contribute to the overall theme of innocence. The first character Harper Lee uses is Tom Robinson.Tom Robinson is an poor black man with an wife and three children. He is 25 years old and is known as a respectable kind young man. His left hand was crippled and caught in a cotton gin when he was a young boy. In the begin, Lee uses Tom Robinson as a mockingbird because he was innocent man who was accused of raping a young woman named Mayella Ewell.And he was shot seventeen times.Atticus...
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...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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...mysterious “Boo Radly”, a main conflict in the story, builds up a suspenseful tone to the story. When Scout finally sees Arthur Radly, Scout’s superstitions disappear, and she finally comes to peace with her curiosity. Through this quote, the author reminds the reader of the main themes of the book, such as prejudice and the innocence of children. In current times, the world is full of prejudices and...
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...In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, there are several instances where the symbol of the mockingbird appears.The mockingbird symbolizes innocence, which makes it a sin to kill mockingbirds. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy… that’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (p. 119) is a quote by Miss Maudie that best describes the meaning of the mockingbird symbol. The symbol embodies innocent people, who have been injured or destroyed through contact with evil. Harper Lee does a great job in portraying the mockingbird symbol by shedding some light on the innocents in the book, and focusing on the most prominent mockingbirds, Tom Robinson, Arthur (Boo) Radley, and Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinson is a crippled Mockingbird, who has been wrongfully...
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...debt (McCabe 12).” This quote is a great description of the time period the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee took place. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a book about a young girl growing up in a small town in Alabama. Throughout the book, there are many historical references including the Jim Crow laws, mob mentality, and the Scottsboro trials. One of the very first historical references in To Kill A Mockingbird is the Jim Crow laws. The Jim Crow laws were a set of laws that were made to separate Blacks and Whites (Pilgrim). They separated colored people from white people and made a mindset among people that white people were better than Blacks (Pilgrim)....
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...what I believe is the most important role in the story To Kill a Mockingbird. Events such as Tom Robinsons trial emphasize this point. Also points such as the game Scout and Jem conjured up to be about Boo Radley’s life. Some points of the book where Aunt Alexandra talks about others as if they are less than them shows that she is basically the living embodiment of racial and social discrimination. These all show the strong tension between the people of Maycomb and those who they believe are different. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee emphasizes the theme of inequality and prejudice through metaphors, tone and characterization. My first piece of evidence to support the theme of prejudice in the town of Maycomb is when Aunt Alexandra was talking to scout about inviting Walter Cunningham (Jr.) over for dinner and Scout is complaining why Aunt Alexandra wont let her play with him and she says, “I’ll tell you why…Because—he—is—trash, that’s why you cant play with him.” This is an example of a metaphor used to describe that Walter is “Worse than them” essentially. This supports the theme of inequality by showing that Aunt Alexandra doesn’t want Scout playing with Walter because she believes they are in some sort of higher “social class”. For my second piece of evidence I have another quote from Aunt Alexandra. This time she is speaking with Atticus about getting rid of Calpurnia because she is black. The quote reads, “You’ve got to do something about her…You’ve let...
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...why. During the time period in To Kill a Mockingbird everyone ( The Townsfolk) looks at everyone and if you do something wrong you're going down for it. During To Kill a Mockingbird throughout the book scout gets criticized by wearing what she wants and to other people's point of view she needs to act and look like a girl. Scout struggles with this because she wants to act and look her own way. In To Kill a Mockingbird no one will get in scouts way to be herself. Atticus has to deal with everyone thinking about him in a certain way because everyone is criticizing him for defending a black man. During this book there are a lot of stereotypes that the finches and Tom Robinson has to deal with. To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee shows that people criticize other people's lifestyles if it isn’t normal to them, which make them feel better about their life. In this book a lot of people seem to criticize people on how they live and how they do things in their own way. Some...
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