Racism and Morality in To Kill a Mockingbird

The Main Themes in To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee wrote one one of the most influential and important books in American history; this legendary book was called To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960. This book was set place in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. Harper Lee wrote this book as a “social commentary” to describe what actually happens in society. For this reason, in To Kill a Mockingbird, the three main themes that strike the characters in this book are racism, bravery, and morality. This book, taking place during the Great Depression, showed copious amounts of racism everywhere. Everybody was discriminating towards all types of people; the African-American population was discriminated more…

Prejudice, Innocence, and Morality in To Kill A Mockingbird Society has evolved fifty-four years since Harper Lee published, To Kill a Mockingbird, yet the novel reverberates throughout society today because it keenly accentuates the coexistence between good and evil through prejudice, innocence, and morality. Prejudice displays the cruel oppressive nature of humans and emerges as a major theme throughout the Tom Robinson trial, the controversial epicenter of the novel. Unfortunately,…

Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, grew up in the minute town of Monroeville, Alabama. Growing up in the South during one of the most racially unequal periods in recent history was very hard for a young girl like Lee because she didn’t understand the injustice happening to the African-Americans, just like Jean-Louise Finch, one of the young girls from the novel. Lee’s father was a lawyer and this inspired her to attempt to become one as well, but…

To Kill a Mocking Bird is one of the most widely recognized pieces of American literature. Through the eyes of a child, Harper Lee takes the reader on a journey that examines one of the most controversial topics in history of the nation – civil rights. From Scout’s innocent perspective, Lee challenges cultural norms and stereotypes, and asks the audience to question their personal concepts of courage, justice, and morality. Summary Lee begins by introducing the audience to Scout, her family and…

Racism hits home for numerous members of Harper Lee’s audience, creating feelings of anger, compassion, empathy, sympathy, frustration, etc.. The trial of Tom Robinson is the source of the majority, if not all, of these feelings. When a young, innocent Negro man is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, Atticus Finch is called to serve as his defender during his trial. “‘I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this…

In To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee uses the characters to represent racism, morality, and justice. Atticus Finch representing morality, Sheriff Tate standing for justice, and the low life of the town Bob Ewell represents racism. Throughout this novel she often uses symbolism to display all of these themes. “I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit’em but remember it is a sin to kill a mocking bird”…

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee discusses tough moral topics like racism and prejudice views, through the eyes of a child. The character Scout demonstrates a child’s obligation to pursue morality. But a child’s moral obligations depend on their moral foundation. Because children are naïve, they see situations ingenuously, unlike adults imbued with prejudice or racist ideas. Because Scout is a child she has that sense of naivety but can be more accountable for what she does because of the…

Shakespeare's Macbeth and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird are both timeless literary classics that are taught in many schools across the world today. Although the two works deal with different themes and contrasting stories, the two works are similar in terms of the warning that each work encapsulates. In both Macbeth and To Kill a Mockingbird, a warning against committing a morally wrong act is presented, a character disregards this warning to further their own intention and temporarily…

teach To Kill a Mockingbird. On the one hand, Harper Lee’s first book presents a rather simple and static Atticus Finch and her new book transforms him into a more dynamic and realistic character. On the other hand, Go Set a Watchman eventually became To Kill a Mockingbird for a reason- it presents a powerful message of hope that when taught properly, students benefit greatly from it. However, despite the fact that many people believe that To Kill a Mockingbird is a strong enough book to be…

Someone once said, “Morality is defined as doing what is right, regardless of what everybody else is doing.” In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the citizens of Maycomb can be described as followers. This often leads to disgraceful and harmful behavior towards people, including uncalled for judgment. The citizens of Maycomb are following their peers and are participating in many sinful acts, instead of being there own person and being seen as righteous. This is very evident in the way that…