ipl-logo

How Does Harper Lee Use Fear In To Kill A Mockingbird

998 Words4 Pages

In 1960, a novel was released by the famous author Harper Lee, this book has then won the Pulitzer Prize, Bestseller and Brotherhood Awards, Library and Presidential Awards and the Academy Awards. The setting of the novel is placed in a small The title of this book is ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ which represents Harper lee’s perspective in America 1930s after slavery was abolished, through the narration of the main character Scout. Harper Lee’s perspective of 1930’s America is efficiently portrayed through the development of coexistence of good and evil, through her manipulation of stylistic devices and aesthetic features. The main themes portrayed in this essay are, growing up and family, courage and fear and Prejudice and Racism.

A key theme …show more content…

A main scene that explains the society in 1930s America is the rabid dog and Atticus. The rabid dog, also known as Tim Johnson is feared by the townspeople as he has a murderous disease. The rabid dog symbolises the racial intentions of society and how this disease is made from the society. Society will not protect this disease but rather fear it which is represented in the novel in pg. 104 “Every wood door within our range of vision was closed tight.” Harper Lee usage of this event signifies the 1930s American society as shunning out the coloured people because they are dominantly viewed as “misfits”. Harper Lee uses a quote to describe what courage is, pg. 124 “I wanted to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.” As Atticus talks to Jem about courage and how it’s not just holding a gun but what real courage is persistence through times of difficulty. This may symbolise the trial for Tom Robinson which Atticus knows he cannot win from the beginning because of the society’s racial profiling. This represents the 1930s American society as African Americans were considered as the lowest class which makes them an easy target for fake accusations which in result, leads to death. Harper Lee is trying to convey to not treat others according to who or what they are but according to they’re behaviour. Harper Lee usage of courage and fear in To Kill A Mockingbird is an important theme because it’s an accurate representation of those who would see African Americans as equal and those who fear them in America during the

Show More
Related

How Does Lee Show Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird

634 Words | 3 Pages

“[Courage is] when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what” (Lee 112). When courage is mentioned, one may think of “a man with a gun in his hand” (112). This is a myth that Harper Lee debunks in her book To Kill A Mockingbird. Courage is a recurring and vital theme in her book because many of the characters show the other townspeople what courage looks like.

Read More

Examples Of Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

1331 Words | 6 Pages

In a prejudiced southern town, a book's perceivable focus on oppression makes an immense narrative of innocence being surrendered to empathy and where characters met with injustice courageously choose to fight for societal progress. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, is set in the 1930s deep in the South. The town is controlled by social injustices and predicts actions. As the novel unfolds, the necessity of change for social advancement becomes evident, often at the cost of one's innocence. Though the novel appears to focus on the oppressive nature of a prejudiced Southern town, its deeper message lies in the inevitable loss of innocence required for social progress.

Read More

To Kill A Mockingbird Coming Of Age Quotes

1449 Words | 6 Pages

“It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare,” said Mark Twain. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming of age story about two young children, Jem and Scout Finch, growing up in Alabama in the 1930s and learning what real courage is through their father, Atticus, and the people of Maycomb. They learn to see the world from other points of view, which is also how they express empathy towards others, persevering and standing up for what you believe in, and putting yourself in danger to help others. One message that Harper Lee provides us with is that courage is when you persevere to do something even when it gets more difficult.

Read More

How Does Atticus Show Courage

726 Words | 3 Pages

Courage is a powerfully portrayed theme throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. First of all, courage is shown through multiple characters' actions throughout the novel. Tom Robinson is on trial for raping a white woman and is very hated throughout Maycomb. Not just any white man would stand up and defend a black man in this time period. Atticus gets plenty of backlash from people throughout the community for defending Tom Robinson in this trial.

Read More

To Kill A Mockingbird Courage Quotes

477 Words | 2 Pages

In 'To Kill A Mockingbird' the idea of living according to one's beliefs requires courage through the character of Atticus Finch. As a moral compass in the novel, Atticus embodies the importance of following one's conscience despite societal pressures. When defending Tom Robinson, a falsely accused black man, Atticus declares, "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win" (Pg 76). This quote highlights Atticus's unwavering commitment to justice, even in inevitable defeat. His willingness to confront the deeply ingrained racism of Maycomb County exemplifies the courage needed to challenge prevailing opinions.

Read More

To Kill A Mockingbird Courage Quotes

1250 Words | 5 Pages

To Kill a Mockingbird was a mixture of sorrow and suspense in Alabama during the 1930s. “To kill a mockingbird”, is a novel written by Harper Lee, published in 1960 and later achieving the Pulitzer Prize in the year 1961. It was translated to 40 languages, along with selling over 30 million copies worldwide. During this period there were a lot of prejudice people, it took real courage and bravery to do what some of these characters did through the uneasy circumstances. Atticus, Mrs. Dubose, and Boo Radley showed many exemplar actions, such as courage against their town.

Read More

To Kill A Mockingbird Loss Of Courage Essay

479 Words | 2 Pages

These are just a few of the instances where courage is evident in this novel. Before reading To Kill a Mockingbird I believed courage was the ability and willingness to use strength to get your way. However, Harper Lee’s words have changed my perspective on the idea of courage. Atticus defines courage as “…when you know you 're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what” (Lee 115).

Read More

To Kill A Mockingbird, By Harper Lee

816 Words | 4 Pages

Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ explores a racist society and the effects it has on certain individuals by highlighting prejudice, societal outcasts and social injustice prevalent in Maycomb, a typical southern American town in the 1930’s. Harper Lee mainly focuses on the characters Tom Robinson, Boo Radley and Atticus Finch by framing the novel in a certain way to explore their cruel relationship with an unfair society. She explores the societal issues within Maycomb through the characters' hardships and struggles. Prejudice, which is mainly in the form of racism, is explored by Lee throughout the novel, compelling readers to realise the unfairness in society by displaying a black man, Tom Robinson, in a predominantly white society who

Read More

Examples Of Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird

820 Words | 4 Pages

Harper Lee successfully demonstrates the theme of courage through the characterisation of Atticus. One such instance is when a lynch mob surrounds him at night, wanting to kill Tom Robinson. Walter says “‘You know what we want, get aside from the door, Mr Finch.’ ‘You can turn around and go home again, Walter,’ Atticus said pleasantly.” (pg. 153)

Read More

To Kill A Mockingbird Real Courage Essay

568 Words | 3 Pages

Real courage is often seen as the ability to face danger and overcome fear. However, Harper Lee, in her novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird', suggests that real courage is the ability to stand up for what you believe in, even when faced with opposition. In this essay, I will examine the idea of courage as depicted in 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and argue that standing up for one's beliefs, despite the potential consequences, requires true courage. Initially it is clear that in Harper Lee’s 'To Kill a Mockingbird' courage can be in the form of standing up for what you believe in. This is shown within Atticus Finch's decision to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman.

Read More

To Kill A Mockingbird Good And Evil Essay

885 Words | 4 Pages

Concluding the statement, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is a book by author Harper Lee, containing many content and morals which are to be explored. The book is set during the ‘Great Depression’ in Southern Alabama, in a county described to be very slow, wet and hot. The novel is narrated in a first-person perspective through an adult recounting her past as a 6 year old, who didn’t understand much of the things she observed around the adults. Her innocence as a child allowed her curiosity to ask any question and as an observer, she is able to describe the context enough for the readers to understand, even if the child Scout didn’t. The theme ‘coexistence of good and evil’ is one of the major messages in the book and is shown in every corner of the county.

Read More

How Does Atticus Show Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird

828 Words | 4 Pages

To Kill a Mockingbird - Courage "Courage is when you know you 're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what" According to Atticus Finch, an honest lawyer in Harper Lee 's novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. "Real courage" is when you fight for what is right regardless of whether you win or lose. Atticus fits into this definition of what "real courage" is and demonstrates it several times throughout the novel. "The only thing we 've got is a black man 's word against the Ewells '.

Read More

Examples Of Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

893 Words | 4 Pages

Atticus displayed courage by putting his life on the line and killing the rabies infected dog as well as standing up for Tim Robinson when no one else would. Like Atticus, Jem displayed a great amount of courage when he touched the Radley house and by defending Scout against Mr. Ewell. Scout showed courage by putting herself before a lynch mob ,in the process she saved both Atticus and Tom Robinson, as well as walking Boo Radley home .This instantaneous bravery that arises within a person in dangerous or threatening situations helps people step out of their comfort zones for the better. Courage is the ability to perform even if all your instincts are screaming for you not

Read More

Theme Of Community In To Kill A Mockingbird

1580 Words | 7 Pages

The novel To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the segregated South of the 1930’s. The book is told in the eyes of an eight year old girl, Scout Finch. Her father, Atticus Finch, is an attorney who is struggling to prove the innocence of a black man incorrectly accused of rape. The historical context of the book lets one see the social status of different groups during the civil rights era. The story explores who fits into certain societies, who is respected in the community, written and unwritten rules concerning family, gender, age, and race, expectations of certain people, and what conflicts arise out of tension.

Read More

To Kill A Mockingbird Cultural Analysis

1395 Words | 6 Pages

In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee presents a large social atmosphere that includes many different cultures and extremes. The story takes place in the southern town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. This novel illustrates how the southerners perceived different ideas about each other and social norms. It is told through the eyes of a young girl, Scout Finch, as she is growing up and becoming influenced by societal attitudes. Throughout the course of this book Scout learns many lessons including: how a society functions, why there is conflict between different cultures, and what makes cultures different from each other.

Read More

More about How Does Harper Lee Use Fear In To Kill A Mockingbird

Related Topics

Open Document