What Is The Importance Of "Atticus Finch" in "To Kill A Mocking Bird" by Harper Lee?
What Is The Importance Of "Atticus Finch" in "To Kill A Mocking Bird" by Harper Lee? This poignant story takes place in the rural American South during the Depression Era and courageously takes on the issue of racial prejudice. Atticus Finch, an unforgettable lawyer and an admirable widowed father of two impressionable children, defends a young black man who has been wrongly accused of raping a white woman. In a town where the prevailing attitude is anti-black, it is up to Atticus to bring his client, his children, and the town's people through the trial process to a new understanding of tolerance and of humanity within society. This novel handles an emotionally charged issue with a respect and dignity that will leave the reader with a clearer awareness of himself and the world. Atticus is a proud, dignified man with a calm temperament and a strong sense of duty and righteousness. It isn't just that everyone respects him: he also respects himself. He is forced to defend Tom Robinson because if he refuses to, then he "couldn't hold up [his] head in town" - he would be ashamed of himself. This self-pride is far more important to Atticus than mere cheap popularity. "I've got to live with myself" is how he explains to Scout about his determination to defend Tom Robinson. Of course pride is not always admirable. Proud people are often found to be conceited and snobbish; but
To Kill a Mockingbird: How Harper Lee presents the character of Atticus Finch
To Kill a Mockingbird was a book written in 1960 to portray the corruption in the USA's southern states specifically the state of Alabama. The book is a microcosm reflecting a wider range of thought in America in the 1960's. The book is a 'Bildungsroman', it follows a girl called Scout Finch who tells us about growing up in Maycomb county, a fictional county in Alabama. A 'Bildungsroman' is usually a book written in an autobiographical style and follows a specific characters rite of passage. The book is told in circular narrative the author Lee uses this to emphasise certain themes throughout the book. The book is told from a mature Scout's perspective describing her life's events. In this essay I will further discuss how Lee represents Maycomb County and discuss the methods and techniques used by Harper Lee to present the character of Atticus Finch. Arguably the most important aspect of Atticus is his maxim. His maxim is that if you attempt to stand in another's shoes you will be able to understand their point of view, this eventually leads on to appreciation and tolerance rather than prejudice and discrimination. "Atticus, when they finally saw him... he was real nice."This quote shows that Scout realises when you get to know people without judging them beforehand they are nice people. This is also shown when the children discover Arthur Radley is a normal person the
To Kill a Mocking Bird Essay. In the book, To kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee highlights the meaning of the narrative using novel standpoint, structure and irony. Harper Lee investigates the absurd attitudes of adults towards race and status
EN3UO Mr. Miller June 16, 2009 To Kill a Mockingbird An innocent child is unaware of the realities of the world until they witness through experiences and teachings, ethics and morals. A book, in the same way, consists of characters, whose experiences, feelings and thoughts convey a subtle theme or message that is usually ethically accurate. The theme represents the controlling idea of the book and the central purpose for which the author decided to write the novel. The theme of the book is usually what the author wants the reader to take away from the book. As a crucial element of a novel, the way in which the author generates the meaning of the book is significant. The author can express the theme effectively not only through the characters present in the novel but also through specific writing styles, the focus being form and text. In the book, "To kill a Mockingbird", Harper Lee highlights the meaning of the narrative using novel standpoint, structure and irony. Harper Lee investigates the absurd attitudes of adults towards race and status in the Deep South in the 1930s through the eyes of Scout Finch. The novel illustrates the conscience of a town that is suffused in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy, which is understood through a black man's struggle for justice. Harper Lee mainly emphasizes the irrationality of prejudice thoughts of a town, along with other themes
To Kill a Mockingbird Essay
How is the character Atticus presented in Part 1 of "To kill a Mockingbird"? In the book "To Kill a Mockingbird", Atticus Finch is a lawyer and the father of the narrator Scout and her brother Jem. The book is set in the Deep South during the mid 20th century. In the first part of the book it is clear that Atticus is a very different character to most of the inhabitants of Maycomb (the town that the play is set). The author Harper Lee uses many techniques to try and show the difference between Atticus and the other characters and also portray his unique personality. This essay will analyse how Atticus is presented in the first part of the book. Firstly, Atticus is shown by Harper Lee to be very liberal in regards to the treatment of his children. In the time that the book is set, children are meant to be very respectful to their parents and were only to address them as "sir" or "ma'am" however Jem and Scout are very relaxed in the manner in which they call and speak with their father. "Atticus said so," this is a quotation said by Scout to Dill after she met him. She sees her father as Atticus and not only refers to him like that to other people but also in his presence. Compared to how every other parent is addressed by their children, Atticus is treated as an equal by Jem and Finch. When he wants them to learn from their mistakes he does not force them to blindly just
Examine the different kinds of prejudice and injustice which you have found in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. How does Harper Lee convey these to the reader?
Examine the different kinds of prejudice and injustice which you have found in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. How does Harper Lee convey these to the reader? 'To Kill a Mockingbird' was written by Harper Lee in 1960. Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama, a city of about 7,000 people. She studied law at the University of Alabama and one year at Oxford University. After giving up working as a clerk for an airline she moved into a cold-water apartment in New York to concentrate on writing. She first handed this book to a publisher in 1957 but it was rejected so she took two further years to rework it before it was published as 'To Kill a Mockingbird' in 1960. The book tells a story very similar to Lee's own childhood. The town in which it is set is a small southern town just like her own with the characters matching friends and associates from her youth. It is set in the thirties and is a highly significant statement and important to that era. It was written at the time of the civil rights movement, which guaranteed basic civil rights for all Americans, regardless of race. 'To Kill a Mockingbird' was set thirty years before Lee wrote it, meaning she could use hindsight to give the story authenticity. Lee helped move the civil rights movement forward by reminding the population of the prejudice they had and showing them that something had to be done.
Courage in To Kill A Mockingbird
English Laterature To Kill a Mockingbird - Courage There are many themes in the book To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee. However, one of the most important is courage. This theme is shown by almost all of the characters in the novel. Bravery is shown in the novel in different ways by different characters. Atticus is probably the most courageous character of the novel. Since Scout narrates the story and she admires her father, she describes with detail his qualities, many of which involve courage. According to Atticus, "courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what", courage is not a man with a gun in his hand, courage is when you fight for what is right regardless of whether you win or lose. Atticus fits into his definition of what "real courage" is and demonstrates it several times throughout the novel. In chapter 10, Atticus showed his children that he was a courageous man when he stepped into the street to face down a rabid dog. But shooting something wasn't really Atticus' idea of courage. He viewed courage on a more intellectual level, as a moral thing, not as something that can be proved with a weapon. Atticus wanted Jem and Scout to know that he was not courageous for being able to shoot a crazy dog dead with one shot; but he is courageous for defending Tom Robinson. He teaches them that
How Does Harper Lee Present Jem As Developing And Changing Over The Course Of The Novel?
How Does Harper Lee Present Jem As Developing And Changing Over The Course Of The Novel? Harper Lee's character Jem Finch from her famous novel, 'To Kill A Mockingbird' is very significant because during the course of the novel he undergoes a great maturation process. As he matures a great deal mentally he sees the evil in society and understands the social and emotional issues as an adult would, which helps him come to understand all the events which are occurring around him. At the beginning of the story Harper Lee illustrates examples of Jem's child-like immaturity. You are told Jem's age by Scout "When I was almost six and Jem was almost ten" (p.6) early on in the novel to help show he is still a child. Harper Lee then goes on to give more early signs in the novel of Jem's naivety when he gives a description of Boo Radley "Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch" (p.13) as you can see the description of Boo it is one of an imaginative child. I think Harper Lee has chosen to include this portrayal of Boo from Jem to help show he is still very much a child, this therefore helps set up the aging process that is to follow. There are many small incidents that show signs of Jem maturing such as Jem eventually stopping all games involving Boo. This is because he matures enough to see Atticus' point
In this essay I will be exploring Jem and Scout's journey to maturity throughout the novel; To Kill a Mockingbird
How effectively does Harper Lee present the children and growing up in To Kill A Mockingbird? In this essay I will be exploring Jem and Scout's journey to maturity throughout the novel; To Kill a Mockingbird. I will look at the techniques Harper Lee use and how well they work in portraying their growth to maturity. I will also explore influences on the children and the tree main themes in this novel: education, bravery and prejudice. The main them is prejudice which will be looked at in more detail. Jem and Scout represent a typical youth, naivety and innocence. In the first chapter, page 8, Scout says: 'Thereafter the summer passed in routine contentment. Routine contentment was: improving our treehouse that rested between giant twin chinaberry trees in the backyard, fussing, running through our list of dramas based on the works of Oliver Optic, Victor Appleton and Edgar Rice Burroughs' They have no worries through the summer and have fun. The phrase 'routine contentment' is repeated in the passage which gives the effect that this is what they usually do in the summer and were satisfied with the events they do. These are all things people generally do in their childhood and in summer. Some of the things they do seem to be menial such as 'fussing' which also seems quite childish. The atmosphere of summer is created by what they do. In summer it is a time for relaxing; with
You can't judge a book by its cover
You can't judge a book by its cover "You can't judge a book by its cover". This phrase surfaced many years ago, and is in no doubt a frequently heard phrase; however, how many people actually abide this saying? In this modern society, an increasing number of people have become more concerned about their appearances, and this is not just seen in women, but even men. The traditional ways of judging one's inner self rather than the outer appearances have long been forgotten, and only minorities of the society still believe in this. In this living society, it is no longer extraordinary or rare to hear someone saying "That girl has no fashion sense!", "He's not handsome, he's ugly!" People make assumptions of everything solely on their appearance, without ever attempting to discover its inner beauty. Such examples include grocery goods to a partner in one's relationship. Often, they are chosen based on their outer appearances. People tend to believe that if the exterior looks flawless, what is inside should definitely be perfect. Women, in particular go to the extreme. In the recent years, cosmetic and beauty products, for example, have become the best sellers among the market. Why is this so? With a large variety of products surfacing, from whitening products to anti-aging products, women become attracted to these goods, and because of all the propaganda and commercial used,
Examine the nature of prejudice in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. Are there any signs of this prejudice breaking down by the end of the novel?
Examine the nature of prejudice in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. Are there any signs of this prejudice breaking down by the end of the novel? "Scout and Jem Finch's summers drift by in a round of make-believe, fishing and fun with their friend Dill from Meridian. As the years pass and the children grow up in the small community of Finch's Landing, they begin to learn that life is not as straightforward and fair as it seemed through the eyes of their childhood. They discover why Mrs Henry Lafayette Dubose always seems so vicious, the truth about the mysterious and much maligned Boo Radley, and how people react when they are forced to choose between their prejudices and what they know is right." (Prelude). Maycomb is a very close-knit community, although most friendships are within class and race types. All the towns people are familiar with each other, and many are related by birth or marriage. This means that small 'cliques' form, giving rise to the usual rivalry between the different groups. This accentuates the differences in class, race and culture between them. This is one of the many factors making most of its residents racially prejudiced. It is apparent that although there may be some lower class white people, they are never as low as any coloured residents. Another factor is the era in which the story is set. Although the author doesn't state an exact year, the
