“The Power of Influence”
Sarina Aryal
A perspective can be defined as how a person regards their surroundings, and is a critical factor to determine their personal beliefs. If an individual can look at a situation in an unorthodox perspective, their position can be altered. This concept is presented in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. In the novel, Lee displays varying perspectives on a court case between a black man and a white family. Atticus Finch, the lawyer appointed to the case, changed the perspectives and beliefs of individuals regarding equality, by getting them to look past the promoted beliefs of society.
The majority of Maycomb residents see themselves as a higher class of people than the coloured community. Many of the …show more content…
Essentially, Atticus is longing for change in society on behaviour to others of different class. In the trial, the jury consisted of a group of farmers, who were admient that Tom was guilty. They based this conviction off of Tom’s race and their bias to the victim of the case. Throughout the trial, Atticus brought up many strong arguments that allowed for the jury to sympathize with the individuals associated with the case. The jury began to approach the case in a different manner. Lee wanted readers to notice the altered views of the jury towards the case. This is emphasized through the amount of time the hearing has taken.“ The old courthouse clock suffered its preliminary strain and struck the hour, eight deafening bongs that shook our bones.” (Lee, pg.209). To tailor society, people must recognize and begin to implement ethical concepts. Atticus gets his children to see that class, race or gender should not have an effect on anyone 's chance to equality. One of the ideas that Atticus shares with his kids, through the case is: “Thomas Jefferson once said that all men are created equal” (Lee, pg.205). Even though concepts such as this are already established, society tends to use it to their advantage as shown in this quote: “there is a tendency in this year of grace,1935, for certain people to use this phrase out of context, to satisfy all conditions.”(Lee, pg.205). Jem, Scout, and Dill are able to look past Tom’s race and see him as an equal individual. Dill’s emotions during the trial revealed that Atticus had affected his perspective and truly impacted Dill’s stance on equality. His anger stemmed from how he thought that “It ain’t right, somehow it ain’t right to do ‘em that way. Hasn’t anybody got any business talkin’ like that-it just makes me sick” (Lee, pg.199). Within the book, Lee also showcases the transformation of Scout’s views on Maycomb, and she begins to realise that individuals can be
Sarina Aryal
A perspective can be defined as how a person regards their surroundings, and is a critical factor to determine their personal beliefs. If an individual can look at a situation in an unorthodox perspective, their position can be altered. This concept is presented in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. In the novel, Lee displays varying perspectives on a court case between a black man and a white family. Atticus Finch, the lawyer appointed to the case, changed the perspectives and beliefs of individuals regarding equality, by getting them to look past the promoted beliefs of society.
The majority of Maycomb residents see themselves as a higher class of people than the coloured community. Many of the …show more content…
Essentially, Atticus is longing for change in society on behaviour to others of different class. In the trial, the jury consisted of a group of farmers, who were admient that Tom was guilty. They based this conviction off of Tom’s race and their bias to the victim of the case. Throughout the trial, Atticus brought up many strong arguments that allowed for the jury to sympathize with the individuals associated with the case. The jury began to approach the case in a different manner. Lee wanted readers to notice the altered views of the jury towards the case. This is emphasized through the amount of time the hearing has taken.“ The old courthouse clock suffered its preliminary strain and struck the hour, eight deafening bongs that shook our bones.” (Lee, pg.209). To tailor society, people must recognize and begin to implement ethical concepts. Atticus gets his children to see that class, race or gender should not have an effect on anyone 's chance to equality. One of the ideas that Atticus shares with his kids, through the case is: “Thomas Jefferson once said that all men are created equal” (Lee, pg.205). Even though concepts such as this are already established, society tends to use it to their advantage as shown in this quote: “there is a tendency in this year of grace,1935, for certain people to use this phrase out of context, to satisfy all conditions.”(Lee, pg.205). Jem, Scout, and Dill are able to look past Tom’s race and see him as an equal individual. Dill’s emotions during the trial revealed that Atticus had affected his perspective and truly impacted Dill’s stance on equality. His anger stemmed from how he thought that “It ain’t right, somehow it ain’t right to do ‘em that way. Hasn’t anybody got any business talkin’ like that-it just makes me sick” (Lee, pg.199). Within the book, Lee also showcases the transformation of Scout’s views on Maycomb, and she begins to realise that individuals can be