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Literary analysis essay on to kill a mockingbird
Themes of to kill a mockingbird
Themes of to kill a mockingbird
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On July 11, 1960 Harper Lee published her first novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. To date over 40 million copies of this chart topper have been sold to the public. The story is told from a child’s point of view and how she survives the challenges of racism and growing up. To Kill a Mockingbird also illustrates that challenging the opinions of others can aid in one’s moral improvement; Jem Finch experiences the most developmental progress through expanding his moral ideas and beliefs. Coming from a strong moral figure like Atticus, Jem is expected to become a respectable young adult.
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, one of the most significant themes is unjust decisions are made due to race and social class. For example, a group of men showed up in dusty cars at the Maycomb County jail, where Atticus was late at night. Outside the jail, “in ones and twos, men got out of the cars. Shadows became substance as lights revealed solid shapes moving toward the jail door” (Lee 80). One man asked “he's in there, Mr. Finch?” referring to Tom Robinson (Lee 80).
Isaiah 59:8 illustrates, "The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths. " Clearly, Scripture recognizes the existence of flaws of the behavior in man. Injustice comes in many forms. Racism, prejudice, false judgment, and stereotyping are all skewed perceptions. These distortions spill over into behaviors and human interactions, often resulting in the suffering of the innocent.
Most people probably don’t show integrity everyday of their lives. There are many examples of Integrity in To Kill A Mockingbird and in our world today that show that a little integrity can go a long way. Atticus showed great integrity throughout the whole book as well as Boo Radley during the final chapters of the book. When times are tough, it can be hard to show integrity. When people send their children to schools they cannot afford and “steal education”(Hechinger
Hypocrisy Everyday when I walk through the halls of Crosby-Ironton High School; I hear girls whispering that another girl's dress is too short or that she is a drama queen. I look at the girls whispering and see that their dresses could be longer too and that they are being just as much as a drama queen as the girl that they may be talking about is. Everyone is different in their own way, and that's true, however, we all have one trait in common and that is that we are all hypocritical in ways that we may not even notice. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, hypocrisy is a major theme and through certain characters it is demonstrated.
Harper Lee is the author of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird which has prevalent themes of tolerance and hypocrisy. The novel realistically portrays how innocence in children may shift due to being exposed and influenced by the ideas of the adults to whom they have given their trust. Not only does this factor into what they think as adults, but they are also guided by their own innocence in their attempts to not let it be corrupted. These children are doing their best to maintain their innocence while being taught the importance of empathy and tolerance, even in the many faces of hypocrisy. The reader is able to feel empathy for many scenarios in the book involving social expectations based on trivial and grievous judgments.
Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird is about a little girl who experience many outcasts in her life. The story take place in a small Alabama town during the great depression. This was also a time where many Caucasian disliked African Americans. Jean Louise Finch “Scout” is a young girl who grows up in Maycomb. The book uses Mockingbird as a symbol for outcast.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that show the life of a southern state od Alabama during the “black racism” time period, where majority of the people had the mentality that (quote) with the exception of a few. To chosen to portray it from the eyes of Scout Finch, from a child’s point of view. Living in Maycomb, in the midst of a conservative society of the 1930’s and 20’s Southern America Scout Finch is an extra ordinary child.
Everyone deserves the same rights. No person should be treated differently . It doesn’t matter how much a person goes to church, or if they know their commandments. It should be based upon what they are accused of and not who they are as a person. In Salem both sides are put to test.
Humans live in a world where moral values are very clearly set determining what is good and what is bad. We know what scares us and how racism should be treated. Nevertheless, this was not the case back in Alabama during the 1950s. In the famous novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee narrates the lives of the people of Maycomb, Alabama, focusing on the story of Scout and Jem Finch, and the case of a said to be rape. In this emotion filled narrative, readers learn how life was back then not only in general, but for the separate social statuses that there was.
Henry Kravis once said,”If you don 't have integrity, you have nothing. You can 't buy it. You can have all the money in the world, but if you are not a moral and ethical person, you really have nothing. Morals are the principles on which one 's judgments of right and wrong are based. The morality of a person define what a person’s decisions will be, or could this be influenced by other things.
The main theme of the book is that fairness and justice are two virtues that are extremely hard to find. The central question, “How can a virtuous person continue to believe in these morals and not get discouraged?” is portrayed by the central characters Atticus and Scout. The deeply ingrained prejudice, that people of color cannot hope to live up to those who are “high class and white ” is explored and exposed. Sexism and class warfare are other conflicts within the story line. People in Maycomb are discriminated against because of the color of their skin, their social class and their gender.
The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place in the town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. The author Lee demonstrates some major themes such as social inequality, intolerance, education, legal justice and bravery through this character. The title To Kill a Mockingbird symbolises innocence where Lee explores this through the eyes of Jem and Scout who are kids of Atticus Finch. He is one of the most honest, patient, kind, fair, respected and admired men in Maycomb during the Great Depression. Atticus is known for his moral character throughout the book.
Harper Lee once wrote that “Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what”. Moral courage means doing the right thing despite the risk of any consequences. Anyone can have moral courage, no matter who you are. Many authors often use different literary elements to develop themes in their writings. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the literary elements mood and imagery to teach her audience about doing the right thing or moral courage.
Hypocrisy In To Kill a Mockingbird Hypocrisy is the "moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess." In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, there are many instances of hypocrisy. Many people, at the time were very prejudiced against African-Americans and as a result there were many hypocrites in the Southern States. Some examples of hypocrisy and hypocrites in the book are Aunt Alexandra, Miss Gates, and Mrs. Merriweather.
