Theme of Racism in To Kill A Mockingbird Essay

Depression. To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, provides a vivid description of life in this small Alabama town where the existence of social inequality quickly turns into conflict. Scout Finch and her older brother, Jem Finch, frequently spend time with their friend, Dill, spying on their neighbor, Boo Radley. When Atticus, their father and an honorable lawyer, is told to defend an African – American accused of rape, it exposes the children to racism and stereotyping. Harper Lee develops the…

Mockingbirds are harmless and good-hearted creatures that symbolizes innocence, however they are often misunderstood. Mockingbirds do not have intentions to harm anyone, however, they are harmed physically, mentally, or emotionally by the people around them. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy,” (90). The characters Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and Dill Harris are examples of mockingbirds in the novel, for they symbolize kindness and innocence. These characters have all…

One of the central themes in the novel, “To Kill A Mockingbird” is social injustice. The story takes place during the Great Depression, when social injustice such as; discrimination and racism were prevalent. Throughout the story the author uses Tom, a black man, and the literary elements;setting, character, and conflict to depict the inequalities he faced as a black man in a white man's community. The setting of this novel took place during a time when treating blacks unfairly in the south…

discriminate the other individuals. Over time this feeling of prejudice or racism grows into an unspoken culture where people know not to associate himself or herself with “that crowd.” During this time, many authors used racism as a theme in order to expose the injustice. In an award-winning book To Kill A Mockingbird, the author reveals to the reader the effects of discrimination during the nineteen-sixties. The theme of racism exists throughout this book as displayed through the culture of…

Imagine being a six year old child, and watching brutal racism and injustice growing up, while trying to hold on to your innocence and own opinions. That’s the struggle of Jean Louise Finch, who prefers to go by “Scout.” In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout, friend Dill, and brother Jem, must face friends and family turning on them, as father Atticus makes a life changing decision of defending a black man in court in the 1930’s, a time of racial injustice and segregation. Also…

Imagine being a six year old child, and watching brutal racism and injustice growing up, while trying to hold on to your innocence and own opinions. That’s the struggle of one Jean Louise Finch, who prefers to go by “Scout.” In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout, friend Dill, and brother Jem must face friends and family turning on them, as father Atticus makes a life changing decision of defending a black man in court in the 1930’s. They must learn how to deal with their situation…

Intertextuality, a reference to literary text in a novel used to convey a theme, is an important element to include in films which display changing in values in a society. This element is especially prevalent in Gary Ross’s 1998 postmodernist film ‘Pleasantville’. The audience is shown Pleasantville’s change in values through Ross’ use of allusions to novels; in particular Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, art works, like those of Pablo Picasso, and 1950’s sitcoms, Father Knows Best. Ross…

Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, multiple characters are treated extraordinarily unfair. Lee uses characters such as Jem and Scout to show the civil rights and racism in the south, which is very segregated during this time period. The story is told through the eyes of young child, Scout Finch. She is the daughter of lawyer, Atticus Finch. Atticus defends an innocent negro in his fight against an unjust rape trial. The novel takes place in the 1930’s. Because many characters were…

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that explores themes of intolerance, racism, and prejudice. These themes are often portrayed through the actions of the main characters, their interactions with others, and their experiences. Of all the seamlessly intertwined plotlines, the story of Boo Radley and the Tom Robinson trial were the most impactful on these characters. Boo Radley, a proclaimed “mockingbird”, was rumored to be an isolated criminal throughout the town of Maycomb but was…

caused the undue suffering of millions around the world. Even today, this problem remains to be resolved; the media continues to stereotype minority groups, such as Muslims and the LGBT. This very subject of intolerance is a major theme in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. Set in the Depression-era South, Maycomb’s placid exterior masks the town’s underlying prejudice against the outliers of convention. Written through a lens of sincerity and empathy, Lee’s novel is a unique social reflection,…