Themes in To Kill a Mockingbird
“The book to read is not the one which thinks for you, but the one which makes you think”(Harper Lee). The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, is set in the South in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. The novel shows the many things that are wrong with society; however, she also sheds a light on the good. In To Kill a Mockingbird many themes appear in the novel. Harper Lee brings to light three very important themes of courage, the killing of innocence, and the idea of morality.
Courage, the strength in the face of pain or grief. In To Kill a Mockingbird a character that shows amazing courage is Atticus Finch. Atticus shows amazing courage in the scene where the rabid dog comes galloping …show more content…
Jem is a character that shows this theme throughout the novel. “It was Jem’s turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. “It ain 't right,” he muttered, all the way to the corner of the square where we found Atticus waiting”(212). Jem is destroyed by the unfair trial, and everything that is completly wrong with the society they live in. Unfortunately, that isn 't the only way that Jem’s innocence was destroyed. In the end of the novel Jem and Scout are walking home from the pageant; suddenly something happened. “Heck? Atticus Finch. Someone’s been after my children. Jem’s hurt. Between there and the school house”(263). Bob Ewell was trying to kill Jem and Scout to get back at Atticus. It killed Jem’s innocence not just mentally but physically as well. Another character whose innocence is destroyed is Tom Robinson. Tom’s innocence was destroyed the moment he was accused of sexual assault. “I told him what I thought, but I couldn 't in truth say we had more than a good chance. I guess Tom was tired of white men’s chances and preferred to take his own.”(235-236). Tom knows he’s not going to win the trial, and that destroys him mentally. Boo is another character in the novel that shows the destroyance of innocence. Boo is portrayed as a man that is mentally ill, a bad person, or a creep. “People said he went out at night …show more content…
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus shows morality throughout the book. Atticus shows morality by taking the Tom Robinson case. “If you shouldn 't be defendin’ him, then why are you doin’ it? For a number of reasons, said Atticus. The main one is, if I didn 't I couldn 't hold up my head in town, I couldn 't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn 't even tell you or Jem not to do something again”(75). Atticus shows morality by taking Tom’s case even though he knows people don 't agree; however, in his heart he knows it 's the right thing to do. Also, Atticus shows morality by always having Cal stay and work for him. “... you’ve got to do something about her, Aunty was saying. You’ve let things go on to long, Atticus, too long.” Aunt Alexandra wants Calpurnia out of the house now that she’s there, she feels that Cal is unneeded. But Atticus feels differently, he knows that without this job Calpurnia wouldn 't be able to support her family or herself. Another character that follows the theme of morality is Miss Maudie. Miss Maudie understands that how the community thinks is immoral; therefore, something needs to change, and Miss Maudie thinks Atticus is the one to do so. “I simply want to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father’s one of them”(215). She tells Jem that their are always going to be some men that
“The book to read is not the one which thinks for you, but the one which makes you think”(Harper Lee). The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, is set in the South in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. The novel shows the many things that are wrong with society; however, she also sheds a light on the good. In To Kill a Mockingbird many themes appear in the novel. Harper Lee brings to light three very important themes of courage, the killing of innocence, and the idea of morality.
Courage, the strength in the face of pain or grief. In To Kill a Mockingbird a character that shows amazing courage is Atticus Finch. Atticus shows amazing courage in the scene where the rabid dog comes galloping …show more content…
Jem is a character that shows this theme throughout the novel. “It was Jem’s turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. “It ain 't right,” he muttered, all the way to the corner of the square where we found Atticus waiting”(212). Jem is destroyed by the unfair trial, and everything that is completly wrong with the society they live in. Unfortunately, that isn 't the only way that Jem’s innocence was destroyed. In the end of the novel Jem and Scout are walking home from the pageant; suddenly something happened. “Heck? Atticus Finch. Someone’s been after my children. Jem’s hurt. Between there and the school house”(263). Bob Ewell was trying to kill Jem and Scout to get back at Atticus. It killed Jem’s innocence not just mentally but physically as well. Another character whose innocence is destroyed is Tom Robinson. Tom’s innocence was destroyed the moment he was accused of sexual assault. “I told him what I thought, but I couldn 't in truth say we had more than a good chance. I guess Tom was tired of white men’s chances and preferred to take his own.”(235-236). Tom knows he’s not going to win the trial, and that destroys him mentally. Boo is another character in the novel that shows the destroyance of innocence. Boo is portrayed as a man that is mentally ill, a bad person, or a creep. “People said he went out at night …show more content…
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus shows morality throughout the book. Atticus shows morality by taking the Tom Robinson case. “If you shouldn 't be defendin’ him, then why are you doin’ it? For a number of reasons, said Atticus. The main one is, if I didn 't I couldn 't hold up my head in town, I couldn 't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn 't even tell you or Jem not to do something again”(75). Atticus shows morality by taking Tom’s case even though he knows people don 't agree; however, in his heart he knows it 's the right thing to do. Also, Atticus shows morality by always having Cal stay and work for him. “... you’ve got to do something about her, Aunty was saying. You’ve let things go on to long, Atticus, too long.” Aunt Alexandra wants Calpurnia out of the house now that she’s there, she feels that Cal is unneeded. But Atticus feels differently, he knows that without this job Calpurnia wouldn 't be able to support her family or herself. Another character that follows the theme of morality is Miss Maudie. Miss Maudie understands that how the community thinks is immoral; therefore, something needs to change, and Miss Maudie thinks Atticus is the one to do so. “I simply want to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father’s one of them”(215). She tells Jem that their are always going to be some men that