Examples Of Judgement In To Kill A Mockingbird

Societal Judgement As the years have went by, our society has judged people not only on what they look like, but also who they are said to be. Through Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, she uses Scout, the main character, to perceive the problems of society and how judgement floods the minds of people. This book takes place in the 1930’s in Maycomb, Alabama. This setting is believed to be an old, tired town where everybody knows everybody. As said in the book, “Maycomb has nothing to fear but fear itself” (Lee 6). Tensions are high as many people are suffering through the Great Depression, as well as judging the person next to them because of their skin tone or history. Scout Finch is a young girl, around the age of 6, who is beginning

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 39). The simplicity of this quote helps readers understand that judging someone, before reading into them and understanding the position they’re at in their life, is wrong. Harper Lee’s use of this idiom helps provide a simpler understanding of a harder concept as well. Throughout the entire book, there’s at least one person being judged or accused. The society of Maycomb is brainwashed into discerning people

Harper Lee uses this to unravel the title of her novel. “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. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 119). In this novel, mockingbirds symbolize the good, innocent people. It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird like it’s a sin to judge or discriminate someone. Her use of symbolism adds depth and meaning to the novel. The main “mockingbird” in this novel is Boo Radley. Boo Radley does his best to make sure people are unharmed. The gullible town of Maycomb, including Scout, believe in all the rumors they hear about Boo and settle with not giving him a chance. Boo doesn’t get the opportunity to show that he truly is a good human being and wouldn’t harm anyone unless he needed to. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird, and it’s a sin to kill or harm Boo