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How Does Harper Lee Show Social Pressure In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Throughout many instances throughout history, we learn that having social influence can change the way that the audience has perspectives about people. Cases such as the Scottsboro Trial shows this through the racism shown towards the teenage boys by the white people and the verdict of the trial. The case showed lots of racism towards the boys because of the color of their skin and the racism engraved into their mindsets. The case ended up being handed a life sentence for the boys by the all-white jury. Harper Lee links this similar to the novel To Kill A Mockingbird to show the racism displayed in the novel. Not only does she demonstrate the problems of racism, but also the problems that occur when having socially biased thoughts as well. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses characters such as Tom Robinson and Boo Radley to show the detrimental impact of prejudged beliefs, …show more content…

Tom Robinson speaks more about his interactions with Mayella during his trial, who falsely accused him of rape. He shares his view of the social pressure that Mayella might be facing in the case. Understanding that pressure unveils the biases that he experienced during the trial. Apart from the pressure from the society as a burden on Mayella, but also the pressure from her father as well. Tom Robinson’s sympathy shows this when starting, “I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more on the rest of 'em—" (Lee, 201). Tom Robinson’s empathy represents his understanding of the social pressure that she faces under the influence of her society. Representing his empathy towards her unveils Harper Lee’s view of the racially divided society of Maycomb and the complex structure of the race, injustice, and power that played into the trail. In addition to Tom Robinson’s representation of racism, but also a representation of prejudice throughout the

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We shouldn't judge people for their appearance, instead we judge them in their way of being, behavior, and how they treat others. Prejudice is the case in To Kill A Mockingbird, In this novel Scout understand for who Boo radley really is and Tom robinson and Boo Radley being judged. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses character and plot to reveal the theme that we shouldn't judge people for their appearance. Harper lee uses the character Scout and Boo Radley to reveal the theme that we shouldn't judge people by the rumors you might hear about them because they might not be true.

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Society shaped Harper Lee to write To Kill a Mockingbird because she grew up in an extremely racist time period. To illustrate this, on biography.com¹, it reads “Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama.” In other words, Lee was born in the heart of the south in 1926, a time before equality was widespread. The evidence highlights that Lee grew up in a very racist period in the south, including segregation and the famous Scottsboro Trials. Another example is on page 331, Scout says “Well, coming out of the courthouse that night Miss Gates was - she was goin’ down the steps in front of us, you musta not seen her - she was talking to Miss Stephanie Crawford.

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Harper lee's classic of human nature and evils of man are well highlighted through the plot of story. This novel mainly centers on the characters’ lives through racial prejudice at extreme measures. Courage is said a couple times through the book and is the defense towards bad people and dead-ended situations. Justice and equality are two important traits lacking in the town of Maycomb. Tom Robinson, an innocent black man, is under wrongful accusation of raping a young girl, Mayella Ewell.

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“To Kill A Mockingbird,” a novel by Harper Lee novel tells the story of a 6-year-old named Scout, who’s living in the 19th century during a time of normalized racial discrimination. Harper Lee uses conflict of the Tom Robinson’s case and characterization of Tom Robinson, in order to represent and point out the idea of discrimination against people of color, can lead to social racial oppression in court in American society. A characterization that’s important is Tom Robinson ( a black man). He’s portrayed as a generous man; “‘Were you paid for your services? “‘Not after she offered me a nickel the first time.

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(Lee, 224) In conclusion, throughout her book To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows us how life really was at that time. Racism was causing people to think badly of others that were different from them. She experienced segregation that divided people. She also showed us that we can overcome these things by including a character like Atticus.

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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.

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Discrimination and prejudice was very common in the early 1900s. It was displayed throw act of hate and misunderstanding because of someone's color. Harper Lee addresses prejudice and tolerance in her famous novel. She shows that it takes a great deal of courage to make social change. In the Novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, She combined her civil rights ideas and her personal experiences to write her Pulitzer Prize winning novel.

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It’s easy to be able to ignore somebody’s feelings, but it is difficult to step up and share the feelings of another. Empathy is the idea of doing just that and understanding one’s feelings. Harper Lee symbolizes empathy in many different ways throughout her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. In Lee’s novel, many characters are affected by the theme of empathy, but the characters that experience it the most are Jem when he tells Scout not to harm the insect, Scout when she shows affection for Mrs. Dubose, and Tom when he shows affection for Mayella even when she accuses him of rape. The person that it was hardest for was Tom Robinson judging that he is a negro man.

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“Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it.” Harper Lee had used the tragic situation of Tom Robinsons trial to explore many themes including, racism and differences in privilege. “To kill a mockingbird” written by Harper Lee explores many situations linked to the broad idea of racism throughout the systems of Maycomb and differences in privilege in many different ways. The quote that Atticus argues with explains that in Maycomb, all men and things are equal.

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Tom Robinson, a black man in Maycomb who is falsely accused of raping and assaulting Mayella Ewell, is being cross-examined by Mr. Gilmer during his trial. Robinson testifies, denying the allegations and that he ran from Mayella because he was scared of being punished for a crime he didn’t commit. Harper Lee uses symbolism, foreshadowing, and tone to reveal the unjust treatment of African Americans during the 1930s. Tom Robinson’s vulnerability in court symbolizes the pervasive fear black people had for being arraigned because of the unfair justice system. Harper Lee’s use of the device highlights the large issues of racial inequality and injustice during this time.

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Tom Robinson is a black man who is wrongfully convicted of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell. This novel goes through Scout's life from when she was 6, till she is 9. She lives in the town of Maycomb Alabama, and lives an innocent life until about halfway through the story, where she begins to ask questions. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout shows the readers that racial inequality creates an unjust society through the African American community, through the people surrounding colored folks, and through Tom Robinson’s Case. The first example of the consequences of racial inequality is the African American community in Maycomb.

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Harper Lee touches upon many social issues in To Kill a Mockingbird. Among these issues is the matter of racism in America during the 1930s. This novel focused on the issue of racism through the case of Tom Robinson which conveyed the strong hostility towards African-Americans in Maycomb, Alabama. Other various occasions in the novel exhibit racism’s potential and influence in this country including Aunt Alexandra's disapproval of Calpurnia, and Mr. Dolphus Raymond’s hidden life. Through the results of these instances, Harper Lee shed a new light on racism and how it will always persist in America.

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