To Kill a Mocking Bird is one of the most widely recognized pieces of American literature. Through the eyes of a child, Harper Lee takes the reader on a journey that examines one of the most controversial topics in history of the nation – civil rights. From Scout’s innocent perspective, Lee challenges cultural norms and stereotypes, and asks the audience to question their personal concepts of courage, justice, and morality.
Summary
Lee begins by introducing the audience to Scout, her family and Dill, and the notable inhabitants of Depression-era Maycomb, Alabama. Jem, Scout, and their partner-in-crime, Dill, go on many adventures together, the most recent of which is their quest to make Boo Radley come out. The trio are fascinated by Boo, …show more content…
These themes include: civil rights, perspective, good and evil, and morality; each of these themes plays a major roll in the lives of those in Maycomb County. The townspeople struggle when it comes to being morally just, and they generally do not make the right decisions; however; throughout the story you see equality evolve.
One is able to see the themes of To Kill a Mockingbird most in how Atticus interacts with his children, Jem and Scout. First, one sees the social inequality in the Tom Robinson Case. Tom was obviously innocent. However, Tom was convicted just because he was black – this shows a lack of equality within the community towards people of the African American race.
Inequality creates another theme of the coexistence of good and evil in the world. As Atticus’s children see this play out, they struggle with the idea that good can exist in a world where so much evil and injustice can be prevalent; this concept leads to the theme of morality.
Atticus does and excellent job of teaching his kids the right way to do things, even if it is not always viewed as the right way by society. Atticus shows Jem and Scout that the most important thing is how they fight through the evil in the world and show a good side – the side most people are not able to …show more content…
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
Summary
Lee begins by introducing the audience to Scout, her family and Dill, and the notable inhabitants of Depression-era Maycomb, Alabama. Jem, Scout, and their partner-in-crime, Dill, go on many adventures together, the most recent of which is their quest to make Boo Radley come out. The trio are fascinated by Boo, …show more content…
These themes include: civil rights, perspective, good and evil, and morality; each of these themes plays a major roll in the lives of those in Maycomb County. The townspeople struggle when it comes to being morally just, and they generally do not make the right decisions; however; throughout the story you see equality evolve.
One is able to see the themes of To Kill a Mockingbird most in how Atticus interacts with his children, Jem and Scout. First, one sees the social inequality in the Tom Robinson Case. Tom was obviously innocent. However, Tom was convicted just because he was black – this shows a lack of equality within the community towards people of the African American race.
Inequality creates another theme of the coexistence of good and evil in the world. As Atticus’s children see this play out, they struggle with the idea that good can exist in a world where so much evil and injustice can be prevalent; this concept leads to the theme of morality.
Atticus does and excellent job of teaching his kids the right way to do things, even if it is not always viewed as the right way by society. Atticus shows Jem and Scout that the most important thing is how they fight through the evil in the world and show a good side – the side most people are not able to …show more content…
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