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How Does Lee Use Conflict In To Kill A Mockingbird

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In to To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee creates an accurate depiction of the South, and their culture in the 1930s. Lee uses characterization,conflict,and diction in order to convey the idea that maturation is a process in which you will have to sacrifice pieces of your childhood and innocence to achieve. Lee masterfully creates a novel that exposes the problems that occurred in those times; even now those problems still exist in other forms. Conflict is one of the literary devices that Lee manipulates, and through the usage of conflict she portrays maturation as a process that changes your views on others as you learn more about them. One of the instances that Lee used conflict is when she wrote,”I don’t care one speck. It ain’t …show more content…

“I had a feeling that I shouldn’t be here listening to this sinful man who had mixed children and didn’t care who knew it, but he was fascinating”(268). Consequently this is another time that Lee used conflict. …show more content…

By using characterization, we can see the development, growth and struggles that the kids go through.”How could they do it, how could they? I don’t know, but they did it… seems that only children weep.”(285). In this instance, we could see that Jem is confused as to why the Jury decided on the decision that they had made. He knew that it was wrong and his innocence at that instance has been shattered; he’s started realizing that the world is not as fair as he has previously thought. During Jem’s realization, Atticus says,”seems that only children weep”, this was Atticus recognizing that only children see the wrong that has been done, because they are innocent. Another time Lee used characterization as a literary device is when she wrote,”If you had been on that jury, son, and eleven other boys like you, Tom would be a free man.”(295). This shows us that Atticus recognizes that Jem is able to make the right decision about Tom Robinson’s trial., because of his innocence. Even though at that point in time, Jem’s innocence towards the justice system was shattered, Atticus still deemed him capable of making the correct decision, especially right after that trial as Jem has grown up and realized how twisted it

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568 Words | 3 Pages

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem, or Jeremy Atticus Finch, is Scout's brother, and throughout the story he changes and matures a lot through a series of stages. First, you have the event that caused this, the trial, then you have the influence that it put upon Jem ,and lastly, how he had overall changed from the experience. After Tom's Trial, when Tom is deemed guilty and goes to jail, Jem is mad because he feels it's unfair. Jem realizes that his outlook on law was rather naive and that there's much more to it, and that his ways of thinking were childish as shown when he is speaking to Atticus, “How could they do it, how could they?’’

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723 Words | 3 Pages

Keep Your Head Held High, Don’t Let Them See You Cry Sometimes one needs to put up a strong appearance, and act as if nothing is wrong. An example would be in chapter 24 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Aunt Alexandra and her missionary circle invite Scout to join their meeting, and discuss about the poor Mrunas, an African tribe, and even about the effect Tom Robinson’s trial had on their African American servants. Atticus than appears and request Alexandra, Calpurnia, Miss Maudie, and Scout to come to the kitchen.

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674 Words | 3 Pages

Jem also opposes the town’s racism. He instead sees the incorrectness of the town in a logical standpoint. During the trial of Tom Robinson, Atticus brings up solid evidence that the attack was not from Tom, but her father Bob Ewell. Jem believes that there is no way that Tom would be declared guilty, he still believes that the town is not racist and thinks that the jury people will think logically about the case. “I peeked at Jem: his hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, and his shoulders jerked as if each “guilty” was a separate stab between them.”

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811 Words | 4 Pages

Knowing this, Jem concludes that the Maycomb County justice system needs unbiased people to join the jury. Here, Atticus is telling Jem that if he were on the jury, the outcome would have been different, “‘If you had been on that jury, son, and eleven other boys like you, Tom would be a free man. ’”(294) This shows that even Atticus, a lawyer, agrees with Jem that the justice system is wrong. With Atticus agreeing with him it shows that Jem is saying intelligent things and that he is not saying things that are random and

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770 Words | 4 Pages

Atticus is a very successful lawyer and is going to take on the case of Tom Robinson being accused of raping a white girl. The case’s verdict of accusing Tom guilty impacted Jem’s perspective pretty hard, Jem was very mad that the jury accused him guilty even though Atticus made a very valid point on why there was no way Tom raped and beat the Ewell girl (girl who claimed Tom raped

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1986 Words | 8 Pages

Atticus says this so that some people may form a new opinion if Tom is guilty or not guilty. After Atticus’s closing argument prior to the verdict, Jem was very confident based upon the evidence presented that Tom would be not guilty, after the trial Jem was very upset and crying about the harsh reality of the case case, while he is talking to Atticus about this he says, “It ain’t right, Atticus”(Lee 242). Jem is finally maturing and realizing the harsh reality of Maycomb and the racism and prejudice in people's minds throughout their society. Jem learns that just because of the way you were born you are not given the same opportunities that others have just because of one factor, the color of your skin, not the way you act, or your reputation, but the color of your skin, something so little, but has such a massive impact on everyday life.

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1105 Words | 5 Pages

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was published in 1960 and is set in the American South during the 1930’s; Lee grew up during this harsh time, which paints a vivid and clear picture of what it was really like during the events that had unfolded. “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen” (Winston Churchill). In the plot, there is many themes that can define the characters, and how they carry themselves in life. Some are good standing people, some abuse their power, and a couple of them don’t understand and are innocent. In this story, created by Lee, there are three common themes that help shape both good and bad characters, morality, courage, and justice.

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647 Words | 3 Pages

When the guilty verdict was returned, the severe injustice destroyed his childhood naivety. Obviously, the adversity in this scene is the extreme racial prejudice against Tom. Jem’s individual identity is shaped from this whole trial because of the unfairness of the racial prejudice of the jury in court, as it leaves him disillusioned and his childhood innocence lost. His faith in the Alabama justice system is diminished because he realises it’s very flawed. “It was Jem’s turn to cry” (p.284) “It ain’t Atticus.

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280 Words | 2 Pages

Freedom of press Thomas Jefferson’s quote “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press and that cannot be limited without being lost.” is completely accurate. If the freedom of press was restricted it would get rid of all we fought for during the revolutionary war. With it, it allows people to voice their opinion.

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741 Words | 3 Pages

Jem displays empathy towards Tom Robinson because he feels that just because of Tom’s colored skin he is not treated fairly. Tom Robinson is convicted guilty for taking advantage of a white woman. Tom was clearly innocent but still given the death sentence. Jem cries about the ruling in the court and Atticus help him understand that somethings happen just because the color of someone's

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716 Words | 3 Pages

Jem reacts, “It was Jem’s turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd.. ‘It ain’t right, Atticus,’ said Jem” Jem knows what is right and he knows that the verdict should have been not guilty. He is crushed by the fact that skin color is the driving reason that Tom Robinson’s life will never be the same and eventually gets shot. This goes back to my original claim that even though Atticus doesn't necessarily want the kids to know about the trial and the verdict, he understands that he can’t always protect them from the times they live

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743 Words | 3 Pages

Harper Lee uses Characterization to show the reader of her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, how different people and events impact children as they grow up and shape the kind of adults they will turn out to be. She shows how the people of Maycomb influenced Jem and how Scout’s view was changed by a single person. Lee also makes it evident that one event can change children’s entire perception of the

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1049 Words | 5 Pages

This shows us a deeper meaning of the theme because Jem is deeply upset about this ruling because he thought that it was self-explanatory that Tom was innocent, but he didn’t realize that the town would never let a black man win a case over a white man. Harper Lee uses effective ideas in this scene because Jem’s outburst of tears shows us how much it means to him instead of not showing how Jem felt at

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822 Words | 4 Pages

Jem, a young and smart boy develops and matures through many unique situations in the novel. Jem is exposed to the harsh belief, judgement and circumstances of the court at a very young age. Following his father, Jem involves himself in the trial between Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell yet takes Tom’s side due to his father's involvement. Jem slowly loses faith in the justice system and is faced with a loss of innocence as explained by Scout“It was Jem’s turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd.

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1531 Words | 7 Pages

Best Overnight Diapers Your child is likely to experience a diaper rash for at least once in their diapering years and the most common reason for a diaper rash is excessive moisture. According to recent studies, a child is likely to use 3,000 diapers in a span of one year. Most children use diapers for the span of two years.

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