The Class and Caste of Maycomb County
The Class and Caste of Maycomb County "...I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks." (Lee 227). The existence of a superior and inferior stratification in societies are due to economic status, social status, and skin color between the white and black race as demonstrated in To Kill a Mockingbird (Symkowski).Today, this process of identification, while also functioning at the individual level, works itself out at the level of whole groups of people who judge themselves better or worse than other groups, not only in terms of economic property, but also on the basis of such characteristics as skin color, gender, education, sexuality, etc. That each society has such a categorical list is without doubt and Maycomb's society was no different. "There was indeed a caste system in Maycomb..." (131). Maycomb County was based on three main classes and a caste: the prestigious and "rich" of the post-depression era, pursued by the white workers which consisted primarily of farmers, who in turn were followed by what could only be described as "white trash." The caste of Maycomb was the Negroes. Roughly translated, Jem tried to make Scout understand that "there's four kinds of folks in the world. There's the ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, there's the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes....The thing about it
Using Tom Robinson’s trial as a starting point, explain what we learn about Maycomb society from reading ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’.
Using Tom Robinson's trial as a starting point, explain what we learn about Maycomb society from reading 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. Throughout the whole of the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, we learn about many aspects of Maycomb society. However, many of these aspects are revealed most clearly during the heart of the novel, the trial against Tom Robinson. He was a black accused of raping Mayella Ewell, of the disrespected Ewell family. We learn more about how Maycomb has a close society by the majority of people having one opinion about a certain subject, e.g. racial prejudice. We learn more about the three key witnesses, Bob and Mayella Ewell, and Tom Robinson. We see how they are rejected by the Maycomb community, and therefore considered to be outsiders. We learn more about the way that Maycomb residents live by a strict code. 'She has merely broken a rigid and time- honoured code of our society.' Prejudice is arguably the most prominent theme of the novel. It is directed towards groups and individuals in the Maycomb community. Racial prejudice is the fiercest form of prejudice in the novel. It is important to explore the background reasons why racial prejudice occurs in the first place. The abolition of slavery after the American Civil War had changed the legal position of Negroes in American society. The Whites now saw the Negroes as potential competitors for jobs,
Compare how Charles Dickens and Harper Lee present the experience of childhood and fear in the opening chapters of ‘Great expectations’ and the closing chapters of ‘To kill a Mockingbird’.
Charlotte Toogood 15/10/01 Compare how Charles Dickens and Harper Lee present the experience of childhood and fear in the opening chapters of 'Great expectations' and the closing chapters of 'To kill a Mockingbird'. When looking at 'Great expectation' and 'To kill a Mockingbird' I think there are many similarities between the two. Both the authors have expressed their views through children's points of views; this is what makes them so similar. If I was to compare the experiences of childhood for both Scout and Pip there would be a lot of similarly and plenty of differences. The similarly between Pip and Scout are they both show a lot of fear for people that they do not know. Scout at the start of 'To kill a Mockingbird' was scared to walk past Boo Radleys "...no nearer than the light pole on the corner". This shows a part of childhood that Scout was scared of, someone that she had never met. In 'Great expectations' Pip is scared of the convict, as he is someone that pip does not know much about. " A fearful man" this shows how similar there experiences are. The characters themselves are also similar. Scout is a very boyish character; she enjoys spending time with Jem and Dill and normally wears trousers. She does not have much knowledge but is never afraid to ask Atticus "What is rape". Pip is also like this as well, he is not to sure what convicts are and is
How does Harper Lee use language and symbolism to represent the prejudice and narrow-mindedness of common citizens in Maycomb County?
How does Harper Lee use language and symbolism to represent the prejudice and narrow-mindedness of common citizens in Maycomb County? Harper Lee utilises language and symbolism extensively in her first and final book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Throughout the novel there are numerous accounts of racism and prejudice. The novel is set in a small, fictional town in the 'Deep South' of America called Maycomb in the 1930's, a time when prejudice and discrimination was very prevalent in society. Although bigotry and segregation were pointed in majority towards blacks, other accounts towards whites were also heard of, though not as commonly. During the course of the novel, there are acts that are so discreet that you almost don't catch them, but along with those, there are blatant acts of bigotry that would never occur in our time. Lee addresses many of these feelings in her novel. Through Lee's clever use of the symbol of the mockingbird, prejudice and narrow-mindedness of society can be seen directed at two major characters; Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. The mockingbird is used to symbolise loss of innocence. At first glance, Tom and Boo seem very different: one lives with his wife and children among friends, the other lives in isolation with his brother. One has his fellow churchgoers take up a collection on his behalf, while the other has no one think much about him except some
To Kill A Mockingbird Full Summary
Part One: Chapter 1 Summary The chapter opens with the introduction of the narrator, Scout Finch, her older brother Jem (Jeremy), and their friend and neighbor, Dill (Charles Baker Harris). It quickly moves into an overview of Finch family history. Their ancestor, a Methodist named Simon Finch, fled British persecution to eventually settle in Alabama, where he trapped animals for fur and practiced medicine. Having bought several slaves, he established a largely self-sufficient homestead and farm, Finch's Landing, near Saint Stephens. The family lost its wealth in the Civil War. Scout's father, Atticus Finch, studied law in Montgomery while supporting his brother, John "Jack" Hale Finch, who was in medical school in Boston. Their sister Alexandra remained at Finch's Landing. Atticus began his law practice in Maycomb, the county seat of Maycomb County, where his "office in the courthouse contained little more than a hat rack, a spittoon, a checkerboard, and an unsullied Code of Alabama." His first case entailed his defense of two men who refused to plead guilty for second-degree murder. They instead pleaded not guilty for first-degree murder, and were hanged, marking "probably the beginning of my father's profound distaste for criminal law." Scout then presents Depression-era Maycomb ("an old tired town when I first knew it"), describing the summer heat and the slow pace
The novel To Kill a Mockingbird somewhat demonstrates that prejudice is too strongly engraved in society for any one person to make a difference.
The novel To Kill a Mockingbird somewhat demonstrates that prejudice is too strongly engraved in society for any one person to make a difference. The novel portrays the events leading up to, and the results of a case in which a black man, Tom Robinson, is falsely accused and convicted of the rape of a white girl. The story is told through the eyes of Jean Louise (Scout) Finch as she reminisces about her childhood at the age of about six. Scout recognizes through the course of the novel that there are many prejudices facing society and that most members of the community happily and openly accept the injustice caused through these prejudices. Racial, sexual and social prejudices are exhibited in the novel, although the racial and social prejudices are those of the most fundamental significance to the outcome of the novel, as it is these prejudices that define the differences between life in Alabama in the 1930's, where the novel is set, and other places in America at the time. At this time, there was great international economic depression, which caused people to be very uneasy about change. This made people particularly uneasy about accepting anything that may further dampen their economic state, and so they were not likely to change their views about social classes. This may account for the lack of compassion seen in the book by the higher class white people to the lower class
To kill amockingbird Trial report.
To kill a mockingbird Trial report Today was the day everyone had been waiting for, the courtroom soon filled every seat. The courtroom filled with voices, laughing, shouting, and crying. The judge slammed down his hammer and demanded silence in the courtroom. On the right of him was Tom Robinson, who had been accused of raping a very poor white girl named Mayella Ewell, and from the same race; a white man named Atticus Finch defending him. Sheriff Heck Tate was the first witness. He testified that on the 21st November, at night he was leaving his office to go home when bob came in very excited and told him that he should get to his house quick as some 'nigger' has raped his daughter. He set off as fast as he could and found her lying on the floor in the middle of the front room on the right as he went in. She was pretty well beat up. Her head bloodied, bruises on her arms and neck, and her right eye blackened. She claimed to have been beaten and raped by Tom Robinson. Mr. Tate went to Tom's house and brought him back, she identified him as the one so he took him in. Sheriff Tate added that he personally felt a left-handed person had battered Mayella; her principal wounds were on her right side. The next witness, Robert E. Lee Ewell, Mayella's father, described coming home at sundown, hearing her scream like a 'stuck hog' inside the house, but to find Tom attacking his
“Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself.” (Scout Finch, Chapter 1, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’). Discuss how the historical, political and social setting of Harper Lee’s novel ‘To Kill a
Catherine Spillman 11L "Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself." (Scout Finch, Chapter 1, 'To Kill a Mockingbird'). Discuss how the historical, political and social setting of Harper Lee's novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird' contributes to the fears that are present in Maycomb County. 'To Kill A Mockingbird' is set in a small town in Maycomb County, Alabama, in the 1930s, which was a dark period in time for America as it had been hit by the Depression. Up until 1929, America had been doing very well, becoming a much richer country. However in 1929 when stocks had soared to an all time high, in September they plummeted. This day in history is known as Black Thursday and is remembered as the Wall Street Crash of '29. The crash hit people's interests hard and Americans all over lost a lot of money. Banks had to spend all of the money they had on regaining the economy, and agricultural needs were ignored, and didn't seem as important as other things like industry. Landowners had let out land to farmers to grow crops in, and when the Wall Street Crash hit them, they wanted to regain their land, as it was all they had. Therefore, the crash hit farmers the most and the Deep South was hit very badly because so many people were farmers by trade. There were many black people in the South of America, especially Alabama, and there was great
What is a Mockingbird?
What is a Mockingbird? "It's a sin to kill a mocking bird" (90). When Atticus Finch says this in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, what does he really mean? Mockingbirds are simple creatures; they don't cause anybody any harm. They are innocent in every way. So why kill them? Atticus is trying to tell his kids that it is wrong to persecute some one who did nothing bad towards them. This is one of the main themes in To Kill A Mockingbird. Many characters in the book symbolize "mockingbirds" to show that an ordinary person can be accused wrongfully. Boo Radley along with Scout and Dolphus Raymond, are all great examples. They are all targeted at without thought or reason and they are forced to fight or live with it. Boo Radley is one of the best examples of a "mockingbird" in the novel. While Boo Radley is inside, he is getting the worst reputation in town; "Any stealthy small crimes committed in Maycomb were his work" (9). Without thought the townsfolk pinned all criminal activity on him and labeled him guilty with no fair trial. Yes, he did make some pretty horrible choices in the past, but that doesn't mean he can't change. There is no reason to accuse him because of some thing he did in his teenage years, when he was growing up and trying to fit in. He joined a gang to have trustworthy friends, but that didn't work out so well, "The boys backed around the square in a
In the short story To Kill A Mockingbird, author Harper Lee suggests that in certain situations people have the potential to show acts of courage
In our society it is generally believed that in order for someone to show courage, they must show it through physical acts of peril. The only type of courage that is ever heard of or praised is when someone nearly puts their life at risk to show their bravery. In the short story To Kill A Mockingbird, author Harper Lee suggests that in certain situations people have the potential to show acts of courage, great or small. Lee proposes this through characterization, plot and outcome. Throughout the novel there are many characters who show that they have courage. Atticus Finch teaches his children many lessons, and one of the most significant ones is his lesson on courage. He tries to show his children what true courage is, and that it can be shown in many different ways. Atticus shows his own courage when he steps up to shoot the mad dog, and the children learn something they never knew about their father. Atticus, however, does not want his children to feel that what he did was an example of real courage. Perhaps the most courageous thing Atticus had to do was defending Tom Robinson. The lesson he teaches Scout is that real courage is shown when you know you're beat but you try anyway. "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win"(76). Atticus knows he will not win the case, but his morals tell him to try anyway. "...if
