In this portion of the story, Scout also begins to experience the ideologies of the world first hand due to exposure of the Tom Robinson case. When Scout witnesses how the townspeople treat Tom because of his race, she begins to understand the extent of prejudice in Maycomb County. Over time, Atticus’s influence and this early exposure to prejudice helps teach Scout to accept people as they are, and to not judge others for their…
Scout and Jem are asked/encouraged to think about Boo Radley as a man, not a monster. Calpurnia makes certain that Scout does not treat Walter Cunningham like he is lesser than the Finches. Atticus advises the children that they are needed/demanded to trear black people and even people like Mrs. Dubose with…
When they arrive back home in the early morning hours Scout is clutching a blanket that was slyly given to her by Boo Radley himself! As the strange incidents begin to slow down, Atticus works on a rape trial defending a black man. With the controversy of racism and prejudice as prominent as it is in Maycomb, Atticus’ pure-hearted act is almost social suicide and he is called many appalling names such as “nigger lover”. Atticus’ sole mission is to teach his children his candid, honorable and just ways and to show them not to be dragged into society’s wrongful thinking. The name calling pushes Jem and Scout to extreme animosity and causes them to commit misdemeanors such as: Scout losing her temper and punching her cousin and Jem cutting up a neighbor’s flowers because of her awful words about Atticus.…
Atticus Finch believed that every man should be treated fairly. He let people know his views by defending a black man, Tom Robinson, much to the dismay of the townspeople. He also taught his children to not have prejudices against black people. He tells them “As you grow older, you 'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don 't you forget it—whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash (224). " The moral lessons Atticus teaches Scout contrasts with the culture of Maycomb where the white people continue to treat black people as less than themselves.…
Atticus expects his children to stand up for what they believe in, and he does the same himself. He does not feel that he can tell them one thing and do another. Finally, Atticus is always guiding Jem and Scout with advice so that they will become more compassionate people. Atticus sets a good example for the children when Mr. Ewell confronts him. Even though he is provoked and insulted, Atticus simply has a “peaceful reaction”.…
has done nothing as well, Tom Robinson. He also explains the amount of judgement and hatred people have for someone who commits such a sin. He encourages them to treat people with respect no matter the circumstance. In this extended metaphor Harper Lee uses the mockingbird which represents innocence to show the factors of killing an innocent person.…
Throughout “To Kill a Mockingbird” a strong recurring theme is Justice and judgment. To illustrate this, when Atticus is telling scout why he is defending the negro man scout asks him “You mean if you didn't defend that man, Jem and me wouldn't have to mind you anymore” (Lee,86). This illustrates Atticus teachings on Justice and Judgement to scout because if you believe in something even if others do not you wouldn’t be true to yourself, Atticus's point is that if he did not do the right thing he could no longer expect his kids to listen when he tells them to or sit in church because it wouldn't be true to the church either. It is through Atticus’s judgment that he has chosen to fight for justice for a man that many believe don't deserve…
Elizabeth Janeway says “Growing up human is uniquely a matter of social relations rather than biology. What we learn from connections within the family takes the place of instincts that program the behaviour of animals”. To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel written by Harper Lee that tells about civil rights and racism in the 1930s. The story takes place in a small town in the south of Alabama. The main characters are Jem and Scout, who are two siblings living in that town.…
As the two of them face repercussions from the narrow-minded town of Maycomb for their father’s highly abhorred actions, they begin to see that the line between good and evil is not nearly as clear-cut as it once used to be. Additionally, Jem and Scout learn several essential values such as empathy, fairness and…
April 17th, 2016, Liam Stack published an article through the New York Times, where a college student from the University of Berkley was returning home from Iraq when he took a phone call. The call was with his uncle, telling him that he would be home soon; however, his uncle only speaks Arabic, so the student spoke Arabic as well. When the person next to him overheard him, he immediately contacted the flight attendant, who removed him from the plane and was put under interrogation. After 30 minutes of explaining, the student was released from the airport. However the fact that this student was held because of xenophobia, or in this case, “Islamaphobia”, proves the fact that today in the U.S., we hold prejudices that limit the marginalized…
Atticus, in contrast to many other characters in the novel, does not accept the institutionalized racism that is entrenched into Maycombian society. Instead, he fights racial prejudice because he views it as fundamentally flawed and stemming from a lack of empathy and understanding for those outside one’s social group. Furthermore, Atticus’ emotional investment in Tom Robinson’s case shows the personal level on which racism affects him. When discussing with Scout why he was defending Tom Robinson, Atticus explained, “… every lawyer gets a case at least once in his life that affects him personally. This one’s mine, I guess.”…
This strength of character is taught to the children early on, as Atticus asks them to rise above the abuse people will hurl at Scout and Jem during the court case. It’s a startling realisation for the…
(page 39) One of Atticus’ central roles in this book is teaching Scout important life lessons, and not only does he preach these lessons, but he practises them too. “So if spitting in my face and threatening saved Mayella one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take.” (page 218) Atticus is facing great adversity, and yet he still makes it a point to be a respectful figure that his children can look up to.…
Throughout history, society’s expectations have largely impacted people’s opinions and behavior because of constant environmental pressures. The impacts shown throughout movies, books, and history amplify society’s effects on a person’s moral value and beliefs and are created based on set standards. Although many people fall under societal pressures and neglect to stand up for what is right, there are some who try to change society for the good, even if they are standing alone. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is presented as a moral compass for Maycomb citizens and he bravely works against stereotypes and injustices while facing insults and being publicly shamed. Despite becoming a public target for not following social rules, Atticus…
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee ‘The consequences of evilness on others and how good and evil can coexist in a person’ One main theme, which is commonly seen throughout ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, is the coexistence of good and bad people in society, and how the evilness of people can affect others. The protagonist, Scout, and her brother, Jem, think that everyone in Maycomb is good, from their childish perspectives. Throughout the story, Jem and Scout both start to develop and they learn how to not be affected by the malice of others. They learn through their father and from experience.…