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Thematic statements in to kill a mockingbird
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The theme of prejudice is a main topic throughout the novel. The novel takes place before the civil rights movement in Maycomb County, Alabama. The story follows Atticus,Scout,Jem, and Dill as they journey through a world of prejudice towards black people. Atticus who is a lawyer is defending Tom Robinson who is accused of rape. The trial seems rigged as Tom is black and the accuser saw that as an opportunity.
In To Kill a Mockingbird one of the themes portrayed by Harper Lee is that prejudice is a disease with deep and far-reaching roots. This theme can be seen throughout the book, whether it is based on race religion or even social status. One of the first instances of prejudice that really drives the story is when Scout tells one of her schoolmates, Cecil Jacobs, to take back what he said about Atticus, to which Cecil responds, “You gotta make me first! My folks said your daddy was a disgrace an’ that nigger oughta hang from the water-tank”(102). This moves the story forward because it is one of the first instances of racism that Scout witnesses in the novel.
The story, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee is about prejudice, which reveals that prejudice can cause wrongful imprisonment. The character Tom Robinson represents the struggles and injustices faced by African Americans in the 1930s South. Prejudice was just one of the many things they tolerated during this period, and Tom shows this as he is judged on his skin and imprisoned unlawfully. Not only this, but Maycomb is a predominantly racist town, which helps develop the motif. When Harper Lee made Maycomb set in the South, it showed an aspect of life that African Americans who lived in southern areas could associate with.
Death of the Mockingbirds by the Trial of Prejudice. Prejudice can be described as an opinion or judgement of a person based usually on race or beliefs before all the facts are known. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows the effects prejudice has on certain characters as it distorts the town's view of who they really are. This claim can be supported by examining the characters: Arthur Radley, Dolphus Raymond and Tom Robinson. Arthur Radley is outcasted as a monster by the town, Dolphus Raymond must pretend to be a drunk to avoid further discrimination and Tom Robinson is found guilty in court despite his innocence.
The race prejudice exist in the society of Maycomb and it is the main topic of the novel, there is a strong prejudice against the black community, and this is view in different situations. Through the case of Tom Robinson’s, Atticus said that in the court when a white man word against a black mans, the white man always wins, that is the ugly truth and facts of life (224, chapter 23). This prove that the veridic of the case was based on the color of the skin and not for the evidence found, there was not enough evidence that prove that he was guilty, however, because he is black man accused from raped a white woman, not white jury will point out the contrary. Only a few white people like Atticus and others were on favor of Tom Robinson case.
Prejudice is when a person has a pre-determined opinion about someone or something despite not having an actual reason to think that way. We see multiple examples of prejudice and racism in “To Kill A Mockingbird”. For example, when Tom Robinson is accused of raping and beating Mayella, the majority of the county is quick to immediately assume he had to have done it specifically because he was black. Many people were so consumed with the stereotypes surrounding black people at the time that many important details were unknown until the trial nobody knew he was crippled until he went up to testify. We learn that Mayella had a bruise on the right side of her face, and even when it was proven highly unlikely he would’ve been able to harm her
Atticus said professional people were poor because the farmers were poor." In the quote from the book stated above, Atticus states how he and his children are in fact poor. He also states how there was a crash. This crash is the stock market crash, and it was the crash that started the Great Depression.
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.
Lydia Maria Child, an author and rights activist, once said “We first crush people to the earth, and then claim the right of trampling on them forever, because they are prostrate.” In the past, most people have been faced with oppression. Either it was being too short, not being the “right” race or gender, or being too low in social classes. Because of this, many can see that oppression is wrong. It should not happen.
The case of Tom Robinson and how it’s a much broader problem in society Although the 1965 Voting Rights Act marked the end of the Civil Rights Movement and the full integration of African Americans into society. There are still countless violations, injustices, and cases of racism toward minorities. There are measureless examples of Police brutality, purposeful segregation of minorities, and racism with employment and wealth. And how simply creating stricter regulation and laws in work environments, school environments, and in law enforcement can help to fix the problem.
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.
The lion is referred to as the "King of the Jungle" in the chain of life. The lion, who is superior to all other animals, is at the top of this hierarchy, and the teeniest insect is at the bottom. This cycle of life appears innocent and natural. Unfortunately, humans experience life differently. For example, discrimination against people for their race or ethnicity or in other words racism.
Throughout history and throughout life racial prejudice has unfortunately been a thing for centuries. It is an unfortunate thing and can be shown and represented in different ways in many different forms, in the story To Kill a Mockingbird is one of them. Racial Prejudice was something that was not good, people would make decisions on people by looking at their face and their skin tone rather than the actual people. The story To Kill a Mockingbird depicts a family that lives in a small, mainly all white town where we see the two children Jem and Scout and their father Atticus and within the story of these two children we see the racial prejudice that surrounds them. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird the author Harper Lee uses the theme racial prejudice by showing a clear definition of the characters using slurs towards black people, how the people of Maycomb felt towards Tom Robinson and how the people in the town talk and see black people.
Step into the world of Maycomb, Alabama, and experience the themes of racial injustice, courage, and social inequality in Harper Lee's famous novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird." This novel explores themes of race through the eyes of a young girl named Scout living in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. Scout lives with her father, and her older brother, Jem. Atticus is a lawyer defending a black man during a time of heavy racism and segregation. At the beginning of the novel Scout is a childish and curious girl who is unaware of the racism that took place in her town Maycomb, Alabama.
Through the past few decades alone we have seen plenty of examples of discrimination in society and in the American Justice System. The world has seen how police have murdered many black people in cold blood and have gotten away with minimal punishment despite their horrific actions. It is vital that we take these lessons to ensure a better world for victims of racial discrimination in America. Note examples such as the Central Park 5. A group of young black men who were falsely accused and incarcerated for rape and sexual assault by two white women.
