How Is To Kill A Mockingbird Relate In To Kill A Mockingbird

Superior Essays
The novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” was written from a child’s point of view at the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. Harper Lee used actual event in her life to fabricate the foundation of the novel. It expressed the views of racism concerning justices with a gothic mixed in the context. The novel was centered on a child seeing everything in black and white. Lee used characters to symbolize mockingbirds. The novel experienced character persona of good and evil. There were similarities between Harper Lee’s and Scout’s, character from the novel, lives. Both were raised in a small town, single parent home, and a lawyer for a father. Lee’s brother broke his arm just like Scout’s brother, Jem. Finch was Lee’s mother’s maiden name. Dills …show more content…
The evidence clearly stated that he was innocent. Atticus, Scout’s father, proved this when he pointed out that Mayella, the rape victim, right eye was blacken; therefore, a left-handed man hit Mayella. When Tom was a child, his left hand got caught in a cotton gin, and he was too poor to it mended properly. When Tom was being sworn in, his hand kept sliding off the bible. Atticus proved that Bob Ewell, Mayella’s father, was left handed by having him sign his name on an envelope. Mr. Link Deas, Tom’s employer, stood up court and stated, “That boy’s worked for me eight years an’ I ain’t had a speck o’trouble outa him. Not a speck.”(Lee, 1960, pg.222). Another example of justice and fairness was when Boo Radley protected Scout and Jem from Mr. Ewell. The Sheriff, Mr. Tate, stated that Jem did not kill Mr. Ewell and neither did Boo Radley. When Atticus tried to argue with him, he stated, “God damn it, I’m not thinking of Jem!” (Lee, 1960, pg. 315). In court, Boo would have been found guilty because of his past and being an outcast. Mr. Tate said that Mr. Ewell fell on the knife and that neither Jem nor Boo killed Mr. Ewell, and if Atticus tried to fight it he would call him a …show more content…
A mockingbird mimics other birds. Tom symbolizes a mocking bird through the trial. After the trial, Jem was talking to Atticus about the unfairness of Tom’s verdict. Jem asked his father why Tom was found guilty, and Atticus replied discussed the injustice toward blacks. While Tom was in prison, he was shot trying to escape. A comment was made after Tom death, “Typical of a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger’s mentality to have not plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw”(Lee, 1960, pg. 275). Boo also symbolized a mockingbird because he was the town scare. Everyone thought the Radleys were insane. At the end of the novel, Boo symbolized the mockingbird when the sheriff said that Mr. Ewell fell on the

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Boo Radley 's character growth is the complete opposite. As the children mature throughout the story, they learn to carefully analyze Radley just as they were forced to analyze their community and surroundings. Jem and Scout 's opinion of Radley towards the end is very symbolic to the development and transformation that the children undergo. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses historical context, characterization and symbolism to develop the theme of prejudice and tolerance. In the 1930 's, prejudice was all very prevalent in the United States.…

    • 1429 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a novel set in the 1930’s in the fictional of Maycomb, Alabama. It mainly focuses on racial discrimination and social injustice in the South while being told through the perspective of an elementary school aged girl named Jean Louise Finch who goes by “Scout”. Scout is a very intriguing character as she is smart for her age, but lacks understanding of human nature. With a lawyer father that defends Blacks when Scout hears insults directed toward her father she gets into fights to deny that racism exists. As the book goes on Scout comes to acceptance that racism and evil exist which causes her to lose innocence.…

    • 1510 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Themes in To Kill a Mockingbird To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is a story about two innocent children, Jem and Scout, growing up in Maycomb, a town that is accustomed to racism. However, To Kill a Mockingbird is not just a story about racism. It is also a novel about courage, integrity, and empathy. First, Harper Lee shows that courage is when people fight battles even when they know they might not win.…

    • 1430 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Scottsboro Boys Trial

    • 1206 Words
    • 5 Pages

    When Scout, Jem and their friend Dill go to the courthouse to watch Tom's trial they over hear people talking about Atticus while they wait outside. The kids learn that Judge Taylor appointed Atticus to defend Tom and that he had no choice in being on the case. Harper Lee describes the children's reaction saying, “This was news, news that put a different light on things. Atticus had to, whether he wanted to or not.” (Lee 218).…

    • 1206 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    To Kill A Mockingbird is a powerful book about a small town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s. Lee uses multiple literary devices to support her ideas of America’s history in the eyes of a young girl, Scout Finch. As she grows up, problems of race confront her and her family. Her father, Atticus has positive opinion on how society should be, where everyone is treated the same. Prejudice is a problem in history that can be changed by a person’s good morality.…

    • 685 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Atticus Finch Quotes

    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages

    To kill a mocking bird To kill a mocking bird was a tragic story full of events depicting the life of people of color in the 1930’ although racism is a very alive theme in the novel it also has a under lying theme and meaning created by Harper Lee’s character,Atticus Finch,in the importants of morals and respect of all people no matter who they look or what they say. Harper lee did a amazing job setting up this theme by making Atticus a poster child for it and showing scout and jem the importants of the suguation at hand even if it goes against what the people in there class or on the streets say about it. In the novel Atticus does everything he can to show scout and jem the importants of loving other for who they really are, in chapter 11 scout first gets introduced to the discrimination towards Atticus do to the fact he’s helping Tom Robinson in court.…

    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Voice of Wisdom Harper Lee wrote the stunning novel To Kill A Mockingbird during a time in the United States that was tragic. In the South, if you were not white or rich you had no rights. African-Americans were discriminated every single day. Citizens of the South did not trust black men. White men believed that African-Americans just wanted to steal your money and rape your women and children.…

    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    To Kill a Mockingbird is filled with symbolism used to display different themes. A major symbol is the mockingbird. Mockingbirds are harmless creatures that just sing and make the world a happier place. Lee uses three main characters that resemble greatly to mockingbirds to get her subtle, but imperative points across. One of these mockingbirds is forced to meet his maker, another is forced is forced to kill, and the last mockingbird’s innocence is forced to slowly die.…

    • 1251 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee is written to address the horrendous issues of the 1930’s, The Great Depression, the Jim Crow Laws, and segregation. It explores a variety of themes, all of which affect the reader greatly. Its portrayal of white supremacy, injustice, and prejudice is evident in many occurrences during the novel. The way the characters react to these times of hardship, however, defines their real strength stated by Martin Luther King Jr with the quote “the ultimate measure is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy”. These significant themes, white supremacy, injustice, and prejudice, are reflected through the characters Scout Finch, Atticus…

    • 1088 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Raymond, and Boo Radley – who are identified as mockingbirds, as innocent people who have been hurt because of their interaction with evil. Some examples of this are when Mr. Underwood compares Tom Robinson’s death to “the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children” (Lee, p. 244) and when Scout believes that hurting Boo Radley would be like “shootin’ a mockingbird” (Lee, p. 280) and when Miss Maudie explains to Scout that, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy…. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (Lee, p. 93). By equating killing mockingbirds to killing innocence, the book prompts its readers to consider their choices and the impact those choices…

    • 1735 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus elaborates on why people can be considered mockingbirds because they don’t hurt or do anything to anybody. In addition, there are many examples of mockingbirds in To Kill a Mockingbird. One of them was Tom Robinson he was only trying to help Mayella Ewell. He felt bad for her situation.…

    • 538 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “To Kill A Mockingbird” is a novel written by Harper Lee and is one the most well known american novels in the world. The story is written in perspective of a young girl named Scout who throughout the story loses her innocence as she sees the reality of the world. Scout lives in a small town called Maycomb. Maycomb is flawed in several ways and to distinguish some of these flaws Harper Lee uses irony. Some of these flaws include education, racism and social classes.…

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Moral Courage Analysis Essay To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a novel based on the author’s interpretation of her own childhood. As the narrator she talks about all the things that happened in Maycomb, Alabama, where the ten year old girl lives. The somewhat “protagonist”, Atticus Finch is a lawyer and also happens to be Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, the narrator’s, dad, The story takes place during the Great Depression of America in this fictional “tired old town”. The setting and theme are key parts of this book as it allows readers to understand that Atticus proved himself to be a morally courageous person.…

    • 1104 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    To Kill a Mockingbird: Similar Creatures “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us” (103). This quote from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird refers to the notion that mockingbirds are harmless creatures, they do nothing but sing and bring happiness to the world. Although mockingbirds are harmless and benevolent they are still susceptible to a hunter’s gun.…

    • 1522 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Scout (An explanation of why Scout Finch is the very best character in this novel) To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is considered one of the most outstanding pieces of literature ever written by many. Lee creates many brilliant ideas that convey messages which have been studied by hundreds of teachers and students. Funny and entertaining, this novel not only captures the reader from beginning to end, but it portrays insightful messages that causes readers to take some concepts a little bit deeper. The time period that this book was written in was during times of hardship, discrimination, and many important events in history on the verge of taking place. Harper Lee takes these ideas of discrimination and racism and clearly shows her…

    • 1028 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays