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Essay On Maycomb In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Recommended: Cultural perspective of to kill a mockingbird

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird has the common motif of a mockingbird throughout the entire novel. Although the novel never directly states who or what the mockingbird is intended to represent, many believe that Tom Robinson was the only true mockingbird. However, the entire black community in Maycomb has been peaceful in the manner a mockingbird should be. Having the black community as the mockingbird shows how extensive the issue of racism is in our world. The black community as a whole was the mockingbird in this novel due to their selflessness while working hard and remaining peaceful even with the injustice surrounding them; the ‘white trash’ attempted killing the mockingbird.
Due to the social hierarchy in Maycomb, black people tended to work for richer white men disregarding the fact that it was more often than not unfair. These …show more content…

A prime example of white trash lying about the black community occurred in Tom Robinson’s trial. Knowing that Tom did not do the crime, Mr. Ewell lies on oath by rudely shouting, “I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella!”(Lee 231). The emphasis of his race and lies showed the hatred towards the minority in Maycomb. Although Mr.Ewell’s actions were extremely disrespectful, Tom Robinson remains collected and does not take vengeance. In a similar manner, acts of odiousness occur to Helen Robinson after the trial. Even after the trail ending in Mr. Ewell’s favor, he remains bitter and continues with his immaturities. An example of his emotions were in his actions towards Helen in which he “‘chunked at her’ the first time she tried to use the public road,” as a form of harassment (Lee 333). The tormenting Helen had to face was belittling, however, instead of stooping down to his level, she peacefully tells her employers and friends about the situation as another example of a

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The Trial of Tom Robinson In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, racism is explored, and you are able to consider every factor in Tom Robinson’s trial. Tom Robinson, a black male, was accused of raping a white woman in the small county of Maycomb, Alabama. The woman was he was accused of raping is named Mayella Ewell.

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(Doc. A) Therefore, because of her class, the community looks down upon her and her family. After winning the trial with Mayella accusing Tom Robinson, an African American of rape, Mayella’s father, Bob Ewell, believed that he would be viewed as a hero but all he received was “okay, we’ll convict this Negro but get back to your dump.” (Doc.

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In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee conveys that prejudice divides communities and that persecution of innocent people is evil; furthermore; these two minor themes reinforce the major thematic idea that a simple assumption can divide people. When Tom Robinson is put on trial for supposedly raped Mayella Ewell, the racism in Maycomb surfaces and creates conflict. In the novel, a stranger says, “You know what we want,” ‘another man said.’ “Get aside from the door, Mr. Finch.”(172). Some drunken men want to harm Tom Robinson for the wrong that he did.

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In a society like Maycomb’s, rude and distrustful white people, like Bob Ewell, could easily have an advantage over African Americans simply because of the way the social pyramid is laid out. On page 101, Atticus and Scout discussed the future of the case, “‘Atticus, are we going to win it?’ ‘No, honey.’” The fact that Atticus was actually positive that he would not win the case, shows that the society truly believed that Tom Robinson actually raped Mayella Ewell, even without any information or evidence.

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One step Forward, Two steps Back. When most people think of intense racism, they think of the horrible ways people of color were treated many years ago. Unfortunately, many people think racism is a thing of the past, when this is, in fact, false. In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, racism is shown as common practice to many and a monstrosity to very few. Unfortunately, in the small town of Maycomb County, racism wins out as an African American man named Tom Robinson is falsely accused of raping a woman and is sentenced to death.

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In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the idea of the mockingbird represents much more than a simple bird. Tom Robinson and the mockingbird have a lot in common. They do no harm to anyone, are innocent of what people accuse them of, and face persecution from most people. In the South right after the end of the Civil war, people of color were still persecuted and regarded as unequal to the white man. This was exactly the case in the fictitious small-town of Maycomb, Alabama.

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To KIll a Mockingbird by Harper Lee uses the town of Maycomb changing throughout the story ultimately affecting the ending. Lee represents society as an ever changing factor to people life. There are a few things that attribute to this change including the case against Tom Robinson as well as the mob that confronts Atticus wanting to get at Tom Robinson. Characters such as Atticus Finch have seen this change in Maycomb and are personally affected by it.

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Showing them the harsh reality of life with honesty and fearlessness. During this time the Great Depression was hitting the southern town of Maycomb. This novel compares many of its characters to mockingbirds, a symbol of pure innocence. One summer, Atticus, who is a lawyer, finds himself in the middle of a controversial case, involving a African American man, Tom Robinson and a white woman, Mayella. Despite the town throwing hatred towards Atticus and his family, he doesn’t back down because he takes pride in helping the innocent.

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To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a novel that explores the ideas of injustice towards “mockingbirds” people of minority difference in the 1930’s that were charged guilty for just living. During this novel, there is a man named Tom Robinson who is being falsely accused of raping a privelliged white woman from a racist family. This white family is a prime example of racism during this terrible American era. Tom represents a mockingbird because he did nothing wrong, brought the normalized racism out into the light to be questioned and he was a victim of a cruel reality that is still being portrayed in today's world. Tom Robinson resembles a mockingbird because he is not a harmful man and he was truly innocent.

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Especially poorer whites feared that, following Claudia Johnson argumentation, the “breakdown of the class and, especially racial boundaries” (Threatening Boundaries 4) would deteriorate their standard of living, which is the case in Maycomb’s society as especially the family of the victim is considered “white trash” (Lee 33). 3.1.1 Social Coexistence in Maycomb Maycomb in To Kill a Mockingbird is segregate in its diverse class stratification and reflects the social, economic and political atmosphere in the United States at that time. The wealth belongs to a small white upper class, the rest is divided into different classes and increments, but poor whites feel they are in competition with blacks for a decent living and the whites-only advantage was their skin color. Generally, there is the idea that segregation results in discrimination, but Deborah Kenn argues that “indeed, discrimination is one of the most powerful enforces for segregation” (2). This discrimination starts with the low income of blacks, followed by housing prizes and segregated education.

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Tom Robinson represents a mockingbird slain by injustice and racial prejudice. Robinson is a gracious African American unjustly convicted and executed for a crime he did not commit. He was a caring person, concerned for Mayella Ewell’s well-being despite her skin color. Robinson did not make any effort to push Ewell away from her approaches, but decided to flee without harming Ewell in any way. As it was a custom to lynch a black man accused of raping a white woman, the Maycomb folk attempted to lynch Robinson for entertainment.

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Essay In the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee, there are many important messages shown throughout the book. However the primary focus was set on racial prejudice that existed in the 1930s-1940’s in the fictional town of Maycomb County. The racism in the novel was very much a reality in 1930s-1940s America. A very good example of the racial prejudice that existed was in the courtroom during Tom Robinson’s trial, an innocent Negro man held against his will for a crime he did not commit.

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To Kill a Mockingbird “Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don't pretend to understand” (Lee 117). The residents of the beat-up town face many hardships in To Kill a Mockingbird. Some of these hardships include being stuck in poverty, domestic violence, and racism. Racism is the most prevalent hardship in Maycomb. The author vividly writes Maycomb’s grim disease.

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In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee teaches us about the town of Maycomb County during the late 1930s, where the characters live in isolation and victimization. Through the perspective of a young Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, readers will witness the prejudice that Maycomb produces during times where people face judgement through age, gender, skin colour, and class, their whole lives. Different types of prejudice are present throughout the story and each contribute to how events play out in the small town of Maycomb. Consequently, socially disabling the people who fall victim from living their life comfortably in peace. Boo Radley and his isolation from Maycomb County, the racial aspects of Tom Robinson, and the decision Atticus Finch makes as a lawyer, to defend a black man has all made them fall in the hands of Maycomb’s prejudice ways.

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Racism is arguably the main theme in To Kill a Mockingbird, it is widely present in Maycomb being displayed by the majority of the townspeople. Throughout the novel Harper Lee explores the damaging effects of racism and how it can affect its victims, this is made clear during the trial of Tom Robinson. The trial of Tom Robinson also shows us the deep-rooted prejudice the town holds and how it has been passed down through generations. These points are further proved by this quote from Jem, "That's what I thought," said Jem, "but around here once you have a drop of N**** blood, that makes you all black." chapter 16.

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