Examples Of Hypocrisies In To Kill A Mockingbird

TKM Essay

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, characters Scout, Jem and Dill proceed to uncover Maycomb's hypocrisies like racial and prejudices against people or action. There are many hypocrisies in their society such as racism and complaining about others but still at their house. But the hypocrisies of Maycomb are very blatant to the children but not to the adults who engage in them who seem not to care. Scout and the kids are able to see the hypocrisies since they are taught not to be biased to anyone, so they understand the actions of what other people do. There are many hypocrisies in Maycomb such as racism and people complaining about people while being in their house. For example: Mrs. Merriweather

As shown in the text, Mrs. Merriweather says “Hypocrites, Mrs. Perkins, born hypocrites,” and then “She said there wasn’t a thing Atticus could do to make being shut up easier for him,” This shows that Mrs. Merriweather was saying that people were hypocrites and it was a sin that was on their shoulders, but on the other hand she was talking about how Atticus can’t shut up, but is eating his food, drinking his tea and enjoying time in his house. This also shows that the adults which engage in it seem not to care and not notice it. They don’t understand their actions. Another hypocrisie is when Ms. Maudie says it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird, but Tom Robinson gets convicted of rape and sentenced to death, even though he was innocent. Nobody seemed to care, and they didn’t understand what happened. For example, “'Your father's right,' she said. 'Mockingbirds

The kids were taught by Atticus to be nice to people, not to be racist and not judge anyone on how they are. For example, "You aren't really a n*****-lover, then, are you?" Scout asks Atticus that. Then “I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody... I'm hard put, sometimes—baby, it's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you." This shows that Atticus is not biased and teaches his kids that the kids look up to Atticus so they’ll follow his steps on treating people. Atticus tries not to be biased to other people and it shows when he says “I do my best to love everyone”, this’ll make hypocrisies and biases more blatant to the kids since they are not engaging in them, and were taught not to and to realize them. Another example is when the kids are in court watching Tom Robinson and Dill burst out crying because he realizes how unfair it is for him. "It was just him I couldn’t stand...That old Mr. Gilmer doin‘ him thataway, talking so hateful to him." Dill also says, "It was the way he said it made me sick, plain sick...The way that man called him ‘boy’ all the time an‘ sneered at him, an’ looked around at the jury every time he answered—." This shows how the kids (dill in this explanation) realize the hypocrisies since they are so blatant, but see