ipl-logo

How Does Harper Lee Use Social Order In To Kill A Mockingbird

689 Words3 Pages

Akshay Madan
Mr.Hermes
Pre-AP English 9
30 March 2023

Social Order To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee explores the theme of social order in a rural town in Alabama during the Jim Crow era. The novel follows Scout, a young girl who learns about the injustice system in Maycomb through the conviction and murder of an innocent man named Tom Robinson, who was accused of raping Mayella Ewell, daughter of antagonist Bob Ewell. Throughout the novel, Lee uses her characters and the events they encounter to illustrate the influence of social hierarchy and racial prejudice in the town.

One way in which Harper Lee explores the theme of social order is through the character of Aunt Alexandra. Alexandra is obsessed with upholding the social …show more content…

Atticus is portrayed as a person of equality and justice. Atticus is a well-respected lawyer who strongly believes in equal treatment for all people, regardless of their race or social status. When his sister Alexandra suggests that he fires Calpurnia, their African American maid, Atticus responds with a firm statement of his beliefs: “Alexandra, Calpurnia’s not leaving this house until she wants to” (155). This demonstrates Atticus's commitment to social equality and his refusal to let the social hierarchy dictate his …show more content…

Scout takes notice of this when she observes that "Every town the size of Maycomb had families like the Ewells. No economic fluctuations changed their status... Ewells lived like guests of the county... No truant officers could keep their numerous offspring in school... no public health officer could protect them from diseases." (170). The Ewells, a white family, were one of the poorest, if not the poorest family in Maycomb, but still held some power due to their status as "white trash." Even though the rest of the community does not like the Ewells, they are still privileged and get rights that people of color do not get in Maycomb. This was evident in the trial of Tom Robinson. Even though the entire courtroom knew that Bob Ewell was the one guilty of hurting Mayella, they still made Tom Robinson the one who was found guilty. They would rather keep this racial system going than serve justice to Macomb. This illustrates how deeply the social hierarchy has affected Maycomb and how even those at the bottom still held some power over those of different

Show More
Related

Tom Robinson Trial Essay

999 Words | 4 Pages

THE INTRODUCTION Good afternoon my name is Brooke Sauer, and it is my pleasure to represent the State of Maycomb and to serve as a prosecutor on this crucial day. On August 26, 1936, the defendant didn’t try the best he could to convince the judge that Tom Robinson was innocent. At the end of the conclusion of the case, and after you heard all the evidence, we are confident that you will return a verdict of guilty on the three charges of failing to give all he could to give Tom Robinson his freedom.

Read More

How Does Aunt Alexandra Change In To Kill A Mockingbird

479 Words | 2 Pages

In the book “To Kill A Mockingbird”, written by Harper Lee, things can change in the blink of an eye. It can go from a peaceful taciturn summer morning to all hell broken loose. And for Aunt Alexandra, change comes extremely faster then anyone would ever expect. She would be one of the most imprudent and disrespectful person anyone would know to a caring, respected person who wouldn't despise anyone by their skin or gender.

Read More

How Do Wes Moore Use Drugs In To Kill A Mockingbird

1492 Words | 6 Pages

This image shows how the people in Maycomb based their beliefs, about Thomas Robinson, by his skin color. Most whites who were at the trial, didn’t want to hear anything that Mr. Robinson has to say, because he was black. Since he was black, the whites automatically assumed Mr. Robinson was guilty. Mr. Robinson says he didn’t mean any harm toward Miss. Mayella. “Mr. Finch, I tried.

Read More

Tom Robinson Trial Essay

2060 Words | 9 Pages

It’s a hot and humid day and all of Maycomb is gathered to find out the truth behind what happened on the evening of November 21. The person in question is Tom Robinson an African American servant. He was accused by Mayella and Bob Ewell for rape of Mayella. The defendant, Tom Robinson, is supported and assisted by defence attorney Atticus Finch who is going against prosecuting attorney Mr.Gilmer. The courthouse was filled with people from all races, where the blacks sat in the balcony and the whites sat front and center in the lower level.

Read More

How Does Mayella Ewell Effect In To Kill A Mockingbird

565 Words | 3 Pages

Things in Maycomb, Alabama were pretty normal. Until one day, when news went around saying that Mayella Ewell had been sexually assaulted by an African American named Tom Robinson. This struck the town by surprise because the Ewells were not exactly the most admirable family. Mayella had very little power because of her race, class, and gender. Ordinarily being white back then was of higher rank, but considering where she came from, her race did not do her any good.

Read More

How Does Lee Present Social Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird

614 Words | 3 Pages

“He said that the Ewells were members of an exclusive society made up of Ewells” (Lee 40-41). This shows how they are divided from the rest of the people from the town. “There’s ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, there’s the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes” (Lee 302) This quote from Jem explains how Maycomb is broken up into different social classes. Social inequality caused the Ewells to be shunned in a way or looked down on which made Mr. Ewell

Read More

Racism And Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

1339 Words | 6 Pages

Idhaant Bhosle Ms.Morgan EN 100 (H) 8 March 2023 The Role of Language, Power, and Societal Status in Confronting Racism and Inequality in To Kill a Mockingbird Race has always been a defining factor in American society, shaping the way people interact with each other and the world around them. Similarly, In Harper Lee’s classic novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee explores how race structures relationships in terms of power, language, and social status. To Kill A Mockingbird is set in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s, the novel is told from the eyes of Jean Louise Finch, Scout Finch, a young girl growing up in a world where society is divided by the prejudices of others. Scout is the daughter of Atticus Finch, a lawyer, defending an African

Read More

Similarities Between Scottsboro Trial And To Kill A Mockingbird

1288 Words | 6 Pages

In a society like Maycomb’s, rude and distrustful white people, like Bob Ewell, could easily have an advantage over African Americans simply because of the way the social pyramid is laid out. On page 101, Atticus and Scout discussed the future of the case, “‘Atticus, are we going to win it?’ ‘No, honey.’” The fact that Atticus was actually positive that he would not win the case, shows that the society truly believed that Tom Robinson actually raped Mayella Ewell, even without any information or evidence.

Read More

To Kill A Mockingbird Justice Quotes

992 Words | 4 Pages

Ewell and Mayella’s reason to accuse Tom shows that they were actually a lot smarter than we previously thought. They had a foolproof plan on how to clear their names and sweep this whole situation under the rug. "Your father's no better than the ni***** and trash he works for!" (Lee 117) This quote shows that the people in Maycomb, and in general back then, acted like you had to lower yourself to even speak to black people.

Read More

Examples Of Ignorance In To Kill A Mockingbird

944 Words | 4 Pages

“People generally see what they look for and hear what they listen for” (Lee ) The people of Maycomb are constantly caught up in the racist mindset of their upbringing. The Tom Robinson case is a huge example of some of the injustice or prejudice that took place. Tom was put on trial for a crime he didn’t commit, and was unfairly convicted due to the all white jury. When an entire system seems to be turned against you, it can be hard to hold on to hope for a positive outcome.

Read More

Ordinary Acts Of Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

1194 Words | 5 Pages

Maycomb is still very segregated in the community. Not just by race, but also by the social class. In the story, Atticus finch is appointed to defend a black man named Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell. When

Read More

Should Internationalism Be Pursued Essay

491 Words | 2 Pages

To What Extent Should Internationalism be Pursued? “The most tragic paradox of our time is to be found in the failure of nation-states to recognize the imperatives of internationalism.” Earl Warren (14th Chief Justice of the USA) The author of this source is explaining the fatal flaw in how nation states are governed. This fatal flaw is the neglection and underuse of internationalism.

Read More

Tom Robinson's Innocence

1442 Words | 6 Pages

Maycomb refuses to accept Tom Robinson’s innocence and instead uses him as a scapegoat to protect the Ewell’s pride and to justify blaming him for Mayella’s circumstances which preserves Maycomb’s power over the African American community. Maycomb’s inability to believe Tom’s innocence is because his case is a “black man’s word against the Ewells” and “the jury [can’t] possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson’s word” because Maycomb deems ignorant, uneducated white people, like the Ewells, as more respectable, valuable, and trustworthy than black people (88, 108). Tom’s case demonstrates how Maycomb sees African Americans as expendable because of deep-rooted prejudices. Maycomb chooses to condemn a black man to death over damaging Mr. Ewell’s pride. Maycomb attempts to rationalize this verdict with stigmas about black people, falling back on their ingrained prejudices.

Read More

Examples Of Poverty In To Kill A Mockingbird

500 Words | 2 Pages

In chapter 17, it states “Maycomb's Ewells lived behind the town garbage dump in what was once a Negro cabin” (Lee 227). The Ewells are very poor and don't take very good care of their stuff. Another example of poverty

Read More

The Role Of Social Class In To Kill A Mockingbird

1960 Words | 8 Pages

This shows how social classes separate people even if they are from the same place. Poor people were with poor, and and middle classes people or rich people with their groups. That was not discrimination about race, it was about social classes. The highest class in Maycomb, Alabama consisted of those who were white, came from good family lines and worked for a living. This class was treated with mostly respect, but they were expected to maintain their integrity of white peoples and their own families.

Read More

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

Related Topics

Open Document