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Examples Of Discrimination In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Mockingbirds: Innocence Destroyed Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is a coming-of-age story about two children, Jem and Scout, who are raised in the racist and prejudice town of Maycomb County, Alabama. In the novel, Lee displays segregation and unfairness that different characters have to face. Through Mrs. Maudie Lee, Jem and Scout learn the definition of a mockingbird. Jem and Scout received shotguns for Christmas. Atticus gave them instructions on what to shoot and what not to shoot. Atticus tells them to shoot any birds they would like except mockingbirds and Mrs. Maudie tells them why. Mrs. Maudie Lee states, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up peoples gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us” (Lee 119). A mockingbird is a guiltless character that is surrounded by corrupt people who seek to destroy him. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley are all metaphorically illustrated, as mockingbirds because of they are all guiltless characters that are surrounded by corrupt people who wish to decline their success in life.] …show more content…

One character in particular that shows this behavior towards Atticus is Mr. Ewell, the father of Mayella Ewell who is the victim of the so-called rape. When Atticus leaves the post office, Mr. Ewell tells Atticus he will get him even if it took him the rest of his life. “Mr. Ewell approached him, cursed him, and threatened to kill him” (Lee 290). Mr. Ewell is upset that Atticus destroys his last “shred of creditability” during the trial (Lee 290). Atticus resembles a mockingbird because corrupt people, such as Mr. Ewell, try to destroy him. The man, Tom Robinson, who Atticus is defending, is also considered a

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1402 Words | 6 Pages

A critical event in the book is when Atticus accepts to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accused of raping Mayella Ewell; however, he is disfavored against by the town due to his race. In the book, Atticus says, “...The only thing we’ve got is a black man’s word against the Ewells’. The evidence boils down to you did--I-didn’t. The jury couldn’t possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson’s word against the Ewells’...” (Lee 117).

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576 Words | 3 Pages

Atticus Finch is a lawyer defending Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a nineteen year old girl. Atticus Finch is a very tolerant and responsible man who treats everyone with respect. Atticus shows that he is tolerant many times. He is tolerant when everyone says cruel things to him about defending Tom instead of exchanging words, Atticus walks away. If he was intolerant he would have picked a fight when Bob Ewell spit in his face and told him some hurtful things, instead Atticus got in his car and drove away.

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276 Words | 2 Pages

Prejudice is preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. According to Oxford Dictionary. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird prejudice is one of the main topics. This is demonstrated in the trial and The kids tresspancence into the Radley yard & Lulas reaction to Calpernia bringing Jem & Scout to the Jim Crow church.

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509 Words | 3 Pages

Goliah Sanchez Ms. Hopper E10, 5 10 October, 2016 The Mockingbirds of Maycomb To Kill a Mockingbird is an book about two kids who live in a racial town and how a black man is accused of rape. The book takes place in Maycomb County, a town that discriminates black people. Harper Lee is the author of the book and petitioned it to be a love story. A mockingbird is a bird that doesn’t cause mischief, but only sings peacefully.

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1202 Words | 5 Pages

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird has a recurring theme of prejudice. Throughout the novel the narrator Scout Finch, Arthur “Boo” Radley and colored people are faced with prejudice. Prejudice is an assumption about someone based solely on what they believe is true or on what they were told or taught. Scout experiences prejudice because of her age, Boo because he is seldom seen and colored people because of the color of their skin.

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608 Words | 3 Pages

The Prejudice of Maycomb County Prejudice has plagued the United States of America for decades, and still plays an important role in the lives of everyday people today. Moreover, it can be in the form of racism, sexism, classism, or one of many other countless methods of presumption towards others. Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, chooses to illustrate the prejudice of Maycomb County through the use of characters’ actions and dialogue. Aunt Alexandra may be full of pride, but she is prejudice nonetheless.

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885 Words | 4 Pages

“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us”. Miss Maudie, in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, is telling Scout that it is never ok to kill a mockingbird because they do not do any harm to anyone, and they are kind and are a symbol of goodness. Harper Lee uses the mockingbird to symbolize the characters, Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and Mayella Ewell. Harper Lee uses the symbolism of the mockingbird to illustrate the character of Boo Radley.

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1045 Words | 5 Pages

Prejudice is the intellectual or moral bias of a race and/or group of people based upon strict opinions. It is treating someone harshly based upon a person’s overall opinion on that race. Prejudice is usually based upon stereotypes of the victimized group that others may attach to them, being true or untrue. Prejudice has been seen throughout the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee whether it was against the African-American population or perpetrated against white folks in Maycomb by blacks. Prejudice is seen throughout the novel to be wrong as certain characters in the novel are shown to be against their group's stereotypes, whether it is blacks such as Tom Robinson or n white folks such as Atticus Finch or Dolphus Raymond.

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860 Words | 4 Pages

The novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” was written in 1960 by Harper Lee in the point of view of a young innocent girl named Scout. One of the main messages that Lee has (need a new word than – indicated or set out) is racism, it plays an important role which strongly impacts many character’s lives unfairly and changes the relationship between two. Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” shows that it is wrong to hurt someone who does no harm to you, for example, black people are innocent but no way did they have as many rights as white people did. Black people lived hard lives because society was judgemental, irrational and most importantly, racist. As Scout and Jem grow older they learn to cope, take responsibility and are introduced to new aspects of life, one of which is racism.

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857 Words | 4 Pages

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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1088 Words | 5 Pages

He was appointed to defend a black man named Tom Robinson for raping Mayella Ewell. Most townsfolk caught news of this and instantly began to give Atticus dirty looks and began calling him vulgar names. Atticus, is a very nice person who wants to do the right thing, and he has an opinion about people who disagree with him defending Tom Robinson. “They’re certainly entitled to think they, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions.” (120).

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783 Words | 4 Pages

Prejudice Brings Inequality Imagine that you are a framed black man sitting in the middle of a courtroom full of people that are mostly against you. The man that’s defending you, Atticus Finch, has just handed the floor to Mr. Gilmer, the man that’s defending the person that has framed you. You’re scared, nervous, and you have no idea what to do. You know that Mr. Gilmer is going to cut up the little dignity that you have. This is how Tom Robinson feels during the trial scene of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

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1015 Words | 5 Pages

Much of the 1960s built off the momentum of the 1950s. Not only was the birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll in the 50s, but culturally the societal pressures of conformity and obedience led to an outbreak of counterculture in the 1960s. With these new ideas and a new genre to voice them in, the 60s made way for a cultural backlash against society. One song that speaks to this discontent of societal constructs is “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones. Released in 1965, the country was rapidly changing but at the will of the men in power.

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884 Words | 4 Pages

Is lying okay? Lying is built into us as people, since the dawn of time us as humans have been lying all the time. We are built to lie, some reasons justified to protect others and others not so much. While we have so many people encouraging us not to lie, and reduce it, but many people still argue if lying is okay.

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1730 Words | 7 Pages

Scout and Jem have just received air guns from Atticus for Christmas, and they are learning what they’re not allowed to shoot at. Atticus tells them, “‘Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’. That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something” (119). This is the first time Scout hears Atticus say it is a sin to do something, which means that Atticus is being serious. We know that he hates shooting, because he has kept his skill as a marksman a secret, so when he tells the children they can try to shoot bluejays but not mockingbirds, he gives the idea that mockingbirds are special.

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