ipl-logo

Character Analysis: To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

847 Words4 Pages

Colton Ranilovich
Mr. Mead
Lit & Comp
14 April 2023
Lee’s fictional construct The year 1960 inspired a lot of well-known authors to write compelling stories concerning historical flaws at the time. Many things in this time period shouldn't have been seen such as racially motivated acts and segregation. As this went on, writers didn't just stand there but took it upon themself to help fix it. One of these writers was Harper Lee and her Book To Kill A Mockingbird. Her story directly reflects the time of the 1960s and what Lee saw. She was done watching innocent people be convicted or killed because no one did the right thing so she did something about it. In Lee's story, she speaks using Atticus as a beacon for delivering lessons she thought …show more content…

One of many ways the lessons of bravery are taught by Lee is when Atticus shelters the city from a Mad Dog. “Atticus’s hand yanked a ball-tipped lever as he brought the gun to his shoulder. The rifle cracked”(6). You may think, how does that make you brave? In Lee's perspective, this lesson is not meant to resemble just killing any old dog. As Atticus shoots the dog, Lee wants us as readers to make the connection that the dog resembles Racism. The Dog or “Racism” is coming for the town, and Atticus is brave enough to step up and protect innocent people from a Mad Dog, just like he will be brave enough to protect an innocent person against racism in court. Another example of Bravery taught by Lee is; “he closed it deliberately, dropped it in his lap and pushed back his hat to the back of his head. He seemed to be expecting them”(10). Harper Lee wants us to understand That doing the right thing is sometimes hard, but not doing the right thing is a very big problem. Atticus knew that people were coming to the jail to kill Tom. knowing this, he still was brave enough to show up and defend Tom. While Atticus teaches the lesson of bravery to Jem and Scout, Lee teaches the lesson to

Show More
Related

How Does Lee Use Direct Characterization In To Kill A Mockingbird

918 Words | 4 Pages

By looking at Harper Lee’s novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, one can see through Lee’s use of characterization of Atticus Finch, standing up for what he believes in is an admirable trait, which is important because in today’s community, there are people who are afraid, and decide to conform to societal norms. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee uses the scenarios where she illuminates Atticus’ courage in many forms. Due to the whole neighborhood watching, Heck Tate stated that this has to be done in one shot and gives the gun to Atticus and he shoots the dog. Scout and Jem have excitement and curiosity beaming out of them as Ms. Maudie informs them: “He’s civilized in his heart.

Read More

To Kill A Mockingbird Ethos Pathos Logos

468 Words | 2 Pages

To Kill a Mockingbird was written by Harper Lee in 1962 during the Civil Rights movement, but was set in Alabama in the 1930s. Lee’ father, who was a lawyer in the South during a time of racial prejudice paralleling Atticus, defended an innocent Black men in a case he later lost. Similar to Atticus, Lee’s father lost the case because his client was Black. Having experienced this racial prejudice first hand, Lee chose to write this novel to highlight the racial injustice that took place during the 1930s and the many effects that occured from the racism. Lee uses ethos and logos in Atticus’s speech to the jury, to inform the reader of the injustices of racism.

Read More

How Does Miss Maudie Show Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

541 Words | 3 Pages

Harper Lee’s purpose in describing Atticus the way he does in To Kill A Mockingbird is directly used to convey the theme in the story. As Atticus is described as being one who does not judge or think differently about people based on their race, gender, or religious beliefs it is used by the author to establish the theme of innocence. This comes as Atticus is just so kind to everyone around him, no matter their background, it even has Miss Maudie even talking about him as being just so consistent and holding no grudges and due to the author making Atticus be seen this way it shows off the theme of innocence as when Atticus will defend a black man in court and Scout gets picked on at school she does not understand why due to her innocence. She

Read More

To Kill A Mockingbird And Marigolds Analysis

1100 Words | 5 Pages

Lee uses the mockingbird as a symbol of evoking empathy in the novel. She writes, “I’d rather you shoot a tin can in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after the birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit them, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee119). Atticus is explaining to Scout to not kill the mockingbird because it’s a sin. Lee evokes empathy by using the mockingbird to symbolize innocence.

Read More

Atticus Finch Quotes In To Kill A Mockingbird

712 Words | 3 Pages

He was willing to take the hit on his reputation and public image to defend his values. One of the times the reader really got to see Atticus’ inner turmoil that was established from Tom’s case was when he had his conversation with Scout’s uncle, Jack. “...Do you think I could face my children otherwise?”(Lee, 100) In this quote, we can

Read More

Examples Of Bravery In To Kill A Mockingbird

561 Words | 3 Pages

He was helping Jem, despite the emotional risk that he could get attacked by Bob Ewell. Both Atticus defending Tom Robinson and Boo protecting Jem demonstrate how Lee uses indirect characterization to define bravery as helping someone despite the emotional risk. Throughout her novel, Lee secondly defines bravery as protecting someone despite physical risk. My first example of bravery is when Atticus shoots the dog acting strange in the street. Calpuria sees the mad dog on the street and warns the neighborhood.

Read More

Examples Of Atticus Finch Showing Courage

863 Words | 4 Pages

Atticus shows determination by fighting for an African American while being discouraged by the white citizens of his town. When Scout asks Atticus why he’s defending Tom even though people of the town had started talking bad about it , he says “‘Scout, you aren’t old enough to understand somethings yet, but there’s been some high talk around town to the effect that I shouldn’t do much about defending this man. … the main [reason] is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town.’”

Read More

How Does Lee Show Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird

1105 Words | 5 Pages

“Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.” (Omar N. Bradley). Atticus demonstrates bravery many times throughout the plot. One of which is when he protected Tom’s life while he was in the jail, and the town's men came to lynch him. Though his children came to protect him, the thought is what counts.

Read More

Literary Analysis On To Kill A Mockingbird

691 Words | 3 Pages

Courage is shown through Atticus many times in the book. A time in the book where Atticus showed courage was when he had had to shoot the rabid dog. He did not want to do it but he had to or the dog might have hurt someone badly. Another time where

Read More

To Kill A Mockingbird Quote Analysis

1422 Words | 6 Pages

This scene shows that Atticus has the courage to step up to help the people he loves no matter what it means. Even though Atticus does not want to shoot the rabid dog, due to him never wanting to use his talent of shooting to make a scene. He realizes though, if he doesn’t shoot the dog the people in the town will be in danger so thus he has courage and steps up. This is courageous because he had to put his personal preference out of the way to help those he loved. Another moment that Atticus shows courage in his actions is when he is defending Tom Robinson in the jailhouse.

Read More

To Kill A Mockingbird Courage Quotes

477 Words | 2 Pages

In 'To Kill A Mockingbird' the idea of living according to one's beliefs requires courage through the character of Atticus Finch. As a moral compass in the novel, Atticus embodies the importance of following one's conscience despite societal pressures. When defending Tom Robinson, a falsely accused black man, Atticus declares, "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win" (Pg 76). This quote highlights Atticus's unwavering commitment to justice, even in inevitable defeat. His willingness to confront the deeply ingrained racism of Maycomb County exemplifies the courage needed to challenge prevailing opinions.

Read More

Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

1302 Words | 6 Pages

Harper Lee, a skillful and well-known novelist in the 1960s, utilizes various life lessons in her writings. In her acclaimed novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the prominent theme revolves around the loss of innocence and the journey of maturation. Scout, the main character and narrator of the story, discovers how cruel and unfair the world can be as a young child. She develops an awareness of the social inequality in her community by witnessing Tom Robinson’s trial. Scout and Jem faces the bitter reality of racism through the living conditions in Maycomb, Alabama.

Read More

Symbolism In To Kill A Mockingbird

1117 Words | 5 Pages

Firstly, Lee depicts the mad dog to represent racism and foreshadows Atticus’ willingness to shoot it, which shows that he wants to abolish racism. As the dog, Tim Johnson, walks down the street, everybody runs inside and locks their doors, fearing the abomination that stands before them. But as everyone does so, Atticus “takes the gun and walks out into the middle of the street…” where no one will stand, facing this monstrosity of an animal. “The rifle cracked. Tim Johnson leaped, flopped over and crumpled on the sidewalk...

Read More

To Kill A Mockingbird Courage Analysis

822 Words | 4 Pages

"Courage is when you know you 're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what" According to Atticus Finch, an honest lawyer in Harper Lee 's novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. "Real courage" is when you fight for what is right regardless of whether you win or lose. Atticus fits into this definition of what "real courage" is and demonstrates it several times throughout the novel.

Read More

Character Analysis: To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

755 Words | 4 Pages

To Kill A Mockingbird     Scout Finch once said “Atticus had promised me he would wear me out if he ever heard of me fighting anymore; I was far too old and too big for such childish things, and the sooner I learned to hold in, the better off everybody would be”. Harper Lee writes in the book To Kill A Mockingbird in the perspective of a young girl named scout who throughout her life grows up in Maycomb, a small city, where racism is big. Scout matures and loses her innocence throughout the story.     For starters, she learns how to have self control. Scout had just started school and Cecil Jacobs, a boy at her school, was teasing Scout about calpurnia, the Finch’s cook.

Read More

More about Character Analysis: To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

Related Topics

Open Document