Miss Alabama

Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” traces the story of Arthur Radley’s subtle change from the beginning of the book to the end. He goes from being viewed as a horrible monster who comes out at night, to finally being understood as a recluse who encases himself to escape the ever present racism and hostility in MayComb. As the story commences Arthur is akin to a caterpillar undergoing metamorphosis, even though he does not really change much, yet he is viewed and perceived as something-or…

Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird and The Black Eyed Peas’ song “Where is the Love” both tackle the problem of racism and overall intolerance of others. Lee’s novel takes place in the 1930s and focuses on the Finch family as the father, Atticus, takes on a case where he is defending a black man from the accusation of a white man and women. On the other hand, “Where is the Love” addresses discrimination as a whole and seems to question your empathy for other people. When placed side by…

Courage The dictionary definition of courage is “the ability to do something that frightens one” (courage). But maybe that is not the only definition. The concept of courage is essential to understand the book To Kill a Mockingbird. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee develops the theme of courage throughout the actions of the characters Atticus, Mrs. Dubose, and Boo. Atticus displays a great deal of courage from the beginning of the book until the very end. He first demonstrates…

The stories Saving Sourdi and A&P have two interesting main characters Nea and Sammy. Nea is a young Asian American girl that is from South Dakota and Sammy is a Nineteen year old boy from Massachusetts. In both of their stories they try and rescue people from situations that they make out to bigger than it is. Nea trying to save her sister and Sammy trying to save three girls that come into his store. They are both rescuers in their own sense but, they both ultimately end up falling short.…

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird contains a title that is very relevant to the plot of the story. The mockingbird is used as a symbol of innocence, and the “killing” of it represents characters like Scout, Jem, and Boo Radley losing their innocence. The story, as told through the eyes of Scout, shows her journey from an innocent six year old to a nine year old who no longer sees the world in such a pure way. This loss of childhood shows clearly how the title relates to the storyline. Similarly…

The novel “The Secret Life of Bees” deals with important social issues. The book is written by Sue Monk Kidd, which deals with racism and prejudice in the 60s from the perspective of a white teenager, Lily Owens. Racism and prejudice are the most important issues, and probably the main social issues. Racism is defined as: “Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior” (Oxford Dictionaries, u.d.). In the…

Mayella Ewell is the most lonely soul in Maycomb County. The butterfly effect contributes by destroying solitude’s surroundings. “Miss Mayella...Who are your friends?....Friends?”(Lee 245). Mayella is confused and offended. She has no concept of what friends are and has never felt the compassion of having them. Mayella Ewell’s alienation creates a ripple onto the lives of the entirety…

Scout Finch, whose real name is Jean Louise Finch, is the main character and narrator in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. Throughout the book, Scout grows from a small 6-year-old to a 9-year-old, but most of her character traits remain the same. She has so many different traits that make her so interesting to get to know as a narrator and a character. As you read the book, it’s very clear to see Scout is not an ordinary girl. She is a tomboy, who’s very stubborn and impulsive. She has a…

This regional historical fiction novel written by a young Alabama woman, Harper Lee, claims universal appeal as she takes the readers to the roots of human behavior. The novel referred, To Kill a Mockingbird, is set up in the 1930’s and portrays a childhood in a sleepy Southern town located in the state of Alabama. Near the end of Chapter 10, Maudie Atkinson, one of Maycomb's most open-minded citizens and lives across the street from Jem and Scout. says, “Atticus Finch was the deadest shot in…

Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a story about two young siblings, Jeremy Atticus Finch, or Jem, and Jean Louise Finch who is mostly referred to as Scout and is the narrator of the story. To Kill A Mockingbird takes place in the deep south called Maycomb, Alabama. Jem and Scout are the major characters in the story, however, there are very important minor characters. Calpurnia, Dill, Heck Tate, and Walter Cunningham are all minor characters that have a significant impact. Minor characters are not…