Explain the differences between the attitudes and outlook of Atticus and Alexandra
Explain the differences between the attitudes and outlook of Atticus and Alexandra! Even in society today, people have different views and opinion, which often leads to tension and upset within a community. A perfect example of this is shown throughout the story "To Kill A Mockingbird". We are shown in the book how two people within one family, Atticus and Aunt Alexandra can have completely different views on subjects such as tolerance prejudice and the up bringing of children. Obviously people who are very closely related and have contradicting views on certain subjects can cause conflict, which is why we have to learn to see things from other people's perspective. Atticus is a fair-minded lawyer in the town of Maycomb, he is courteous, courageous and can be described as a teacher of life's morals. He is a very liberal thinker and his self-respect and pride demand that he makes sure Tom Robinson gets a fair trial. He is a man of great courage and fights to try and stop prejudice in his community. He treats Jem and Scout with respect and allows them to have freedom so that they make mistakes and learn from their experiences. He also makes the effort to listen to their beliefs and answer any difficult questions that they have. He tries to teach them to put themselves in other people's shoes in order to see how they would react if they were them. Aunt Alexandra on
In what ways would it be fair to say that Mayella Ewell was as much a victim of Maycomb society as Tom Robinson?
In what ways would it be fair to say that Mayella Ewell was as much a victim of Maycomb society as Tom Robinson? First of all I have to say that both were treated unfairly and were judged by the society when no one bothered to get to know them. Tom was judged because he is black and Mayella was judged because to the whites she is no better then the Negroes and, even though she lives in their area, to the Negroes she is no better than the whites. Mayella's home life was no better than her social life because she was left to care for her siblings and did all she could with the amount of money she had, while her father would spend his benefits on alcohol and couldn't hold down a proper job. Soon Mayella had found someone else to help her. When she finds that Tom Robinson doesn't take her money I think she jumps on this wagon and starts to take advantage of him. As he does all these helpful jobs for Mayella it seems to dawn that this was the closest she would have for a friend. Mayella faced a hard time with her mother's death and her fathers drinking. Her father would rape her and beat her when he felt like it or when he was drunk. Also she would try to educate her siblings with her knowledge bearing in mind that she didn't have much. She would try to keep them and their hovel in order. In the book Scout had felt sorry for Mayella Ewell saying that she was probably the
Write an essay on Harper Lee's presentation of the black characters in "To Kill A Mockingbird".
Work based on Diverse Cultures and Traditions Question Write an essay on Harper Lee's presentation of the black characters in "To Kill A Mockingbird". Essay The story of To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is based in a fictional town in the southern state of Alabama, USA. The book was written and published just before the peak of the American civil rights movement. But the book became very popular in the 1960's because the atmosphere amongst the American citizens was very racially charged. The main plot of the story is that of the trial of Tom Robinson against the Ewells for his 'rape' of Mayella Ewell. He was found guilty of this charge because he was a black man giving his word against a white man. The black characters in the novel are all presented timid and well mannered. However, due to the attitudes of the society at the time the black citizens were 'below' the white citizens and were not even treated as third class citizens but more as animals, who have no feelings or rights in society. The actual trial of Tom Robinson is based on a trial that occurred when Lee was just five years old. In that trial nine black men were accused of raping two white women. These men were all innocent and it was later revealed that the women had lied. The same is true in the case of Tom Robinson. Mayella Ewell liked Tom Robinson but again due to the attitudes of society
To Kill a Mockingbird - critical review
To Kill a Mockingbird is set during the 1930's in a small, isolated town in Maycomb County, Alabama. The 1930's was a period of great change with new ideas coming to the forefront of the Western world. America was fast becoming one of the most powerful countries in the world and therefore its ideas and ways of living were being copied in every far corner of the western world. Economically America was not quite so sound. Only a year earlier America had sustained a massive crash in share prices that had affected the whole nation from the richest to the poorest everybody was facing bankruptcy and poverty. In the early 1930's racism was a large factor in the way that everyone lived their lives. A true reflection of this came on March 25th 1931; it was the day of a trial of nine black teenagers who were accused of the alleged rape of two young white women; Ruby Bates and Victoria Price. It took place in a small, isolated town (much like the one in Maycomb County) in Scottsboro, Ala. The trial was significant because it was the sign of recognition from the white population that racism was not right. Eight of the boys were sentenced to death while another was sentenced to life imprisonment. The nine black teenagers were tried in conjunction with the Jim Crow Laws. The Jim Crow Laws were legal punishments on people consorting with members of another race. The most common laws
What Does 'To Kill a Mockingbird' Reveal About the 1930s American Society?
What Does 'To Kill a Mockingbird' Reveal About the 1930s American Society? To Kill a Mockingbird reveals much about the American society in the 1930s which are the main themes that are brought up in the book. The book was written in the 1960s, it was Harper Lee's first book. It is based on the 1930s in the deep south of North America about a small Alabama town named Maycomb. After the civil war in the 1861-1865, former slaves suffered widespread racial discrimination, especially in the South. This discrimination led to other later effects the Jimmy Crow laws, first developed in a few states later spreading. A major theme is prejudice against certain groups of people like the lower white class and the black community. The segregation between the different communities is caused by ignorance about the unknown and differences between communities which can cause racism. One of the strongest themes of the book is prejudice because there are many strong examples throughout the whole book. Prejudice, strictly defined, a learned, preformed, and unsubstantiated judgment or opinion about an individual or a group, either favorable or unfavorable in nature. However, nowadays the word means a dislike to a group of people because they belong to different group or category of people. Prejudice is based on racism or generalization about a group of people; the best examples of these are ones
Why does Harper Lee choose to tell the story from scouts viewpoint?
English Essay Why does Harper Lee choose to tell the story from scouts viewpoint? Harper Lee chooses to tell the story from scouts viewpoint because it allows the readers to see Scout mature and grow as the narrator and as a person. During the novel Scout learns many things and as we are viewing the events from her viewpoint we are able to see this more clearly. As Scout has grown up and changed, she can now see how things really were, and she can now begin to understand what happened. She can now see and understand the prejudice that was shown to Tom Robinson, Walter Cunningham, Miss Maudie and even herself. In the Novel Atticus teaches Jem and Scout to be polite, caring kids. He taught them to have great sense of love for their neighbour and told them things that would help them get on in life. Scout was very lucky to have someone to guide her along the way. Although she was faced with "the real world", she had lots of people who would willingly explain to her and guide her. Because Harper Lee tells the novel from Scouts perspective we are able to see this more clearly. Also we are able to see Scout mature during the book. She goes from a six-year-old child with little understanding of the real world to a ten year old who has been taught a lot of important lessons at a young age. She had to learn, very quickly, that life would not always be easy and fun this is shown
How does Harper Lee use humour in To Kill A Mockingbird?
How does Harper Lee use humour in To Kill A Mockingbird? The author Harper Lee was born in Monroeville, Alabama, which may be the model for the fictional town of Maycomb where the story is set. She published the book in 1960 and has not written any more novels. She uses irony as one of her main types of humour. A sort of humour or light sarcasm, which adopts a mode of speech, means irony. It is a Witty language used to convey insults. In the book there are 3 main characters, they are Scout, Jem and Atticus. Scout is a young girl with an older brother named Jem. They both have a father, Atticus, who is a lawyer and works in the courthouse. At the start of the book the humour starts with Jem and the Radley place. Jem and his friends see the Radley house as a scary house because no one ever goes in or comes out. Dill decides to bet with Jem that if he can touch the house then he will swap a book with him. I think that there is humour here. It's just a house and it seems to be a bit amusing that Jem would touch the house just to get a book. "I won't say you ran out on a dare an' I'll swap you The Grey Ghost if you just go up and touch the house". This is a childish doing, which makes it amusing. In chapter nine of the book it is Christmas and Aunt Alexandra and Jack her husband come round to the Finch's house. Scout starts to swear in this chapter and there is humour in it. It
How does the trial of Tom Robinson expose Prejudice in 1930’s America?
How does the trial of Tom Robinson expose Prejudice in 1930's America? Prejudice is an attitude or judgement towards someone without any proper evidence or facts. In the Southern states of America, in the 1930's, prejudice against black people was very common. Many black people did not have the right to vote, were denied equal education and were not allowed in the same places as white people. The abolition of slavery after the civil war gave black people the same legal positions as many white people in America. This made their lives harder because white people saw them as competition for jobs during the depression in the 1930's. In the book 'To kill a mockingbird', prejudice is the main theme and is directed towards groups and individuals who seem to be outcasts in the Maycomb community. The trial of Tom Robinson uncovers a lot of the prejudice in South America during the 1930's. One type of prejudice, which is evident in the book, is the hatred towards the black people and fear of outbreaks of violence, which can happen, such as lynchings. The lynch mob were a group of men that 'took the law into their own hands', denying the victim a fair trial, which is the most basic form of justice. In the book, the lynch mob decides to kill Tom Robinson before his trial, which shows the underground violence that surfaces before the rape case starts. It also shows how the lynch mob
To Kill a Mockingbird Jem, Scout and Dill are all young people who learn from people and events around them. How does Harper Lee show them learning and developing?
Jem, Scout and Dill are all young people who learn from people and events around them. How does Harper Lee show them learning and developing? The children all learn from Atticus throughout the novel, but they also obtain their knowledge through events and other adults. Scout and Jem are separated by age while Dill is separated through family lie, though he returns each summer to Maycomb, where he stays with his Aunt Rachel but spends most of his time with the Finches. The lessons learned by the three of them, however, are all in the first part (chapters 1-11) while they have the chance to put them into practise in the second half. This is one way in which Harper Lee allows the children to develop, as her manipulation of structure is important and effectual in this way. Scout, as the youngest, usually learns her lessons from Atticus and Jem but, although he is older, Jem learns from Scout's mistakes and actions. She is fascinated by the Radleys and the 'legend' of Boo and Harper Lee shows this at the beginning of the novel through Scout's thoughts and feelings, which are illustrated via her narration. Dill fuels this fascination and the investigation into the Radleys continues. However, she is susceptible to the acceptance of the rumours and gossip in Maycomb, which lead to her belief and portrayal of Arthur Radley (aka Boo) as an entity, lacking feelings and personality.
How does Scout develop and mature as the novel progresses?
Atticus says, "Scout , you're not old enough to understand some things yet..." How does Scout develop and mature as the novel progresses? Scout Finch, who is a six-year-old girl at the beginning of the novel To Kill a Mocking Bird, is nine by the end of it. The novel, written by Harper Lee, is written in a very adult style because Scout is recounting memories of her childhood in Maycomb County, Southern Alabama. Scout is a very lively, intelligent girl but has a hot temper, which gets her into a lot of trouble with the adults. Unlike the typical late nineteenth century American female stereotype, of a woman staying home sitting on the porch while the man of the house goes and earns the money, Scout enjoys taking part in boyish activities with her older brother, Jem, but when she starts school, she does not just take part in the curricular activities, but also begins to learn about life and the way her society works. There are many events in the story that contribute to Scout's learning experiences, such as fights with Walter Cunningham, reading to Mrs Dubose, going to church with Calpurnia, the outcome of the Tom Robinson trial, and meeting social outcasts like Boo Radley and Dolphus Raymond. The story is set in the 1930s, where there is racial segregation in Alabama as a result of the American Civil War and the economy is corrupt due to the Wall Street crash (this was
