How does Harper Lee convey her emotions about racism?
How does Harper Lee convey her emotions about racism? In the book 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee, Lee conveys her emotions about racism in the small county of Maycomb through the eyes of the Scout, the narrator of the novel. Harper Lee conveys her emotion about racism through the language the white people refer to the black people; calling them "nigger" and not talking to them in person. The white people of Maycomb talk about black people using negative language. The only person who didn't talk about black people in a negative way was Atticus Finch and he taught Scout, Jem and Dill not to call them "niggers" as it was a pejorative term that should not be used. However, other people like Mrs Maudie and Miss Stephanie would still call them "niggers" because of it being passed down through generation to generation. There are also characters such as Mrs Dubose and Aunt Alexandra who are straight minded in their ways and refuse to change their opinions on black people. Mrs Dubose treated Jem and Scout differently because their father was working to defend black people; she shows this by shouting "Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for!" which shows that the racist views have been embedded into the Maycomb community. Aunt Alexandra shows her racist view about black people by talking to Atticus about sacking Calpurnia. "you've got to do something
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
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
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
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
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
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
To Kill a Mockingbird: GCSE Coursework
To Kill a Mockingbird: GCSE Coursework By Michael Skuse 10Wi2 The theme of prejudice is central to the novel. A number of characters are discriminated against. Making close reference to the text discuss what you think Harper Lee wants us to learn about society as illustrated in her novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird' set in 1930's America. In this essay I will give my opinions on why in 'To Kill a Mockingbird', Harper Lee included a lot of prejudice and controversial issues in the 1930's. Also I will explore the ideas of why she would want the readers of the book in future generations to learn about the kinds of society in America in the 1930's. I feel that the book 'To Kill a Mockingbird' has many different ways of showing prejudice. One of the main displays of prejudice in the book is the court case and the apparent rape of Mayella Ewell which Tom Robinson is automatically accused and convicted of just because he is black. In this 1930's society white people are believed more than black people as black people are considered untrustworthy automatically because of their race. Because the book is set in the 1930's in America the racism in the society is not as strong as it used to be but it is still around and people cannot trust black people as much as white people just because of principle, for example the jury in the court case probably want to say that Tom Robinson is not
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
How does Harper Lee build up tension throughout the novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird'?
How does Harper Lee build up tension throughout the novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird'? Harper Lee includes many events in the novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird' to build up tension. In general, there is not so much tension in the first part of the novel, but it slowly builds up to the climax of when Bob Ewell tries to kill Scout and Jem. I am going to talk about the other events which lead up to this. The first thing that Scout talks about in the novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is Boo Radley. The name "Boo" gives off quite a scary thought about who he is because Scout and Jem do not know how he is and are scared of him. They call him the "malevolent phantom" where malevolent means showing wish to do evil on others and phantom being a mysterious figure. This builds up tension as they are being prejudiced to someone they do not know much about and only through rumours. Additionally, Scout beats up Walter Cunningham because she gets into trouble since Walter does not have any lunch money and she stood up for her. Walter could represent Scout and Jem later in the novel where they got attacked for something that was not their fault by Bob Ewell. This foreshadows the later events and builds up more tension for the reader. Also, during one winter, they had the "coldest weather since 1885". Scout responded to this with "The world's endin'" which shows that there is going to be a change in
