To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, tells the story of a young girl named Scout Finch and her older brother Jem as they are exposed to the injustice and segregation in their town of Maycomb, Alabama. Scout is a tomboy and enjoys reading, writing, acting, and spending time with her older brother Jem and their friend Dill. The novel takes place in the 1930s when there are very stereotypical views and when the Jim Crow laws and prejudice and widespread around the south. When her father, Atticus Finch, a lawyer, defends a black man named Tom Robinson in a case against a white lady named Mayella Ewell, Scout faces criticism about her father from the society. Afterwards, the jury decides to convict Robinson even though he was clearly innocent,
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When Scout comes home from school and is talking to Jem, she tell him, “‘Well, she went on today about how bad it was him treatin’ the Jews like that…coming out of the courthouse that night Miss Gates was…talking with Miss Stephanie Crawford. I heard her say it’s time somebody taught ‘em a lesson, they were gettin’ way above themselves, an’ the next thing they think they can do is marry us” (330-331). Miss Gates said that it isn’t right to persecute because of prejudice. This is ironic, because after the court case and Tom Robinson has been convicted, she is using prejudice views to describe court case in which Tom is almost being persecuted. The irony makes Scout wonder about how could say something is terrible, but then do it themselves in a different context. Thus, Scout is exposed to more about the views of people and how unjust not just the society, but also the people who make up the society are. Scout also sees this earlier on. During the missionary tea with Aunt Alexandra and the other women, Grace Merriweather is also ironic. She states that she is a very religious person who feels sorry for the poorer societies in Alabama, but does the opposite when it comes to the black community. AS a result, Scout begins to question the character of the other people in the book. She asks Jem, “‘Miss Gates is nice lady, ain’t she?” (330). Due to the hypocrisy which Mrs. Gates shows, Scout learns that people may be more complex than they seem at first, and that one never really gets to know someone until you see them outside of their own daily life. Thus, the event of Mrs. Gates talking to the class about Hitler causes Scout to gain perspective on
When Scout comes home from school and is talking to Jem, she tell him, “‘Well, she went on today about how bad it was him treatin’ the Jews like that…coming out of the courthouse that night Miss Gates was…talking with Miss Stephanie Crawford. I heard her say it’s time somebody taught ‘em a lesson, they were gettin’ way above themselves, an’ the next thing they think they can do is marry us” (330-331). Miss Gates said that it isn’t right to persecute because of prejudice. This is ironic, because after the court case and Tom Robinson has been convicted, she is using prejudice views to describe court case in which Tom is almost being persecuted. The irony makes Scout wonder about how could say something is terrible, but then do it themselves in a different context. Thus, Scout is exposed to more about the views of people and how unjust not just the society, but also the people who make up the society are. Scout also sees this earlier on. During the missionary tea with Aunt Alexandra and the other women, Grace Merriweather is also ironic. She states that she is a very religious person who feels sorry for the poorer societies in Alabama, but does the opposite when it comes to the black community. AS a result, Scout begins to question the character of the other people in the book. She asks Jem, “‘Miss Gates is nice lady, ain’t she?” (330). Due to the hypocrisy which Mrs. Gates shows, Scout learns that people may be more complex than they seem at first, and that one never really gets to know someone until you see them outside of their own daily life. Thus, the event of Mrs. Gates talking to the class about Hitler causes Scout to gain perspective on