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Literary Analysis Of To Kill A Mockingbird

685 Words3 Pages

Daniel Golembiewski
Mrs.Stanley and Mrs.Galione
English I CP
2 March 2023
To Kill a Mockingbird Literary Analysis What would you do if you were falsely accused of rapping another woman? Would you try to fight it? Well, welcome to the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. In the novel, racism is a widespread occurrence around the small town of Maycomb. There are also lots of courageous men and women that do things that others wouldn't do. Reputation is very important in Maycomb the way you are treated depends on it. Racism, Courage, and Reputation are the dominant themes expressed throughout the novel. Racism is something that is widespread throughout Maycomb Alabama in To Kill a Mockingbird. Anywhere you go there would be racism it …show more content…

These people stood out from the crowd and were different. The novel states “Atticus sighed. “I’m simply defending a Negro—his name’s Tom Robinson” (Lee 100). Normally no man in Maycome would help a Negro. But Atticus was different he wanted to do the right thing no matter what other people thought. After the trial, there was some controversy between the Ewells and the Robinsons. The Article states “I know every last one of you’s in there a­layin‘ on the floor! Now hear me, Bob Ewell: if I hear one more peep outa my girl Helen about not bein’ able to walk this road I’ll have you in jail before sundown!” Mr. Link spat in the dust and walked home” (Lee 334). Mr. Link went out of his way to help a black woman no one else in the town (besides Atticus) would go out there way to do …show more content…

In To Kill a Mockingbird everyone knows your reputation and they all have their own opinions about you. In the novel “Mr. Raymond sat up against the tree trunk. He had been lying on the grass. “You little folks won’t tell on me now, will you? It’d ruin my reputation if you did” (Lee 268). Even telling one person a true fact about someone can ruin their entire reputation causing everyone to think about them differently. When you have a bad reputation you get talked about and everyone knows your business. In the novel, it states “Burris Ewell was flattered by the recital. “Been comin‘ to the first day o’ the first grade fer three year now,” he said expansively” (Lee 35). Burris Ewell is an example of a bad reputation so throughout the book he gets talked about in a not-so-nice

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The Trial of Tom Robinson In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, racism is explored, and you are able to consider every factor in Tom Robinson’s trial. Tom Robinson, a black male, was accused of raping a white woman in the small county of Maycomb, Alabama. The woman was he was accused of raping is named Mayella Ewell.

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214 Words | 1 Pages

Bob Ewell is the person I chose to do my essay on because he is racist and abusive to his family. In the book he accuses Tom Robinson of rapping his daughter when he clearly didn’t. Also he doesn't respect atticus because he was appointed to defend Tom, saying “What kind of man are you?” (Lee). Along with all of the other things that he says thinks that Tom Robinson should have been killed before he even went to trial saying “ I don't know why I didn't kill him myself instead of goin’ to the sheriff?”

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458 Words | 2 Pages

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee conveys that prejudice divides communities and that persecution of innocent people is evil; furthermore; these two minor themes reinforce the major thematic idea that a simple assumption can divide people. When Tom Robinson is put on trial for supposedly raped Mayella Ewell, the racism in Maycomb surfaces and creates conflict. In the novel, a stranger says, “You know what we want,” ‘another man said.’ “Get aside from the door, Mr. Finch.”(172). Some drunken men want to harm Tom Robinson for the wrong that he did.

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1402 Words | 6 Pages

A critical event in the book is when Atticus accepts to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accused of raping Mayella Ewell; however, he is disfavored against by the town due to his race. In the book, Atticus says, “...The only thing we’ve got is a black man’s word against the Ewells’. The evidence boils down to you did--I-didn’t. The jury couldn’t possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson’s word against the Ewells’...” (Lee 117).

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712 Words | 3 Pages

“‘Maybe it slipped his mind,’[Scout] said… He called back:’Atticus is a gentleman, just like me!’”(113) This excerpt shows that Atticus taught his children yet another lesson, that people shouldn’t boast about their talents. They also learned that bragging about your accomplishments is rude, and that people have the right to keep things from others. Atticus shooting the mad dog and revealing his secret both taught his children more life lessons, ones they couldn’t ever learn in

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845 Words | 4 Pages

Therefore, some people pissed to Atticus. The people, who live in Maycomb, say such ugly things about Atticus Finch, a white man, for defending Tom Robinson in court, because Atticus believe Tom and he tried to defend Tom seriously. Long time ago, many people believed that black men is not good, polite, and NOT believable, so they were treated like slaves. Now in real life, people who believe idea of racism by skin color are less than before. However, some people

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1762 Words | 8 Pages

During the trial of Tom Robinson, Atticus is the defending lawyer. He tries to turn the jury towards Bob Ewell the father of the rape victim. Atticus shows the jury that Mr. Ewell could have easily beat his daughter. The main idea that Atticus uses is that Tom Robinson didn’t hurt Mayella Ewell it was Bob Ewell. Although, at the end of the trial, Tom is found guilty and Bob Ewell grows a personal vendetta against Atticus.

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Social class and sexism take a major part in the lives of the people of Maycomb and affect the way they treat each other. Tom Robinson, a young man accused of a crime because of his race, is a main example of the blindness to prejudice in this novel. Throughout the novel the author discusses the issue of racism and its effects on people. When Atticus Finch took on defending Tom in court, people told him that he would lose the case because of Tom's race. Atticus was upset over the fact that the courts were biased, no matter how much evidence shows that they were innocent.

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691 Words | 3 Pages

To Kill A Mockingbird Literary Analysis Throughout To Kill A MockingBird, by Harper Lee there are many acts of courage. This is shown in Atticus Finch, Jem Finch, and Boo Radley. Atticus shows the most courage in the book but all three of these characters show true courage in some way, shape, or form. Boo Radley showed a lot of courage, but he was not in the storyline as much as Atticus. Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird, courage is defined as standing up for people and doing what’s right.

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1724 Words | 7 Pages

The town is very racist, and most believe that African-Americans shouldn't be treated equally by themselves. However, Atticus is not one of those people. Instead, he defended African Americans' rights and did so using his powers in court by defending an African American in court. He and his family threatened to stop protecting the African-American man, Tom Robinson, but that didn't stop him from trying to preserve equal rights. Harper Lee writes, “Movin’ him to the county jail tomorrow,’ Mr. Tate was saying, ‘I don’t look for any trouble, but I can’t guarantee there won't be any”(Lee 194).

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1088 Words | 5 Pages

He was appointed to defend a black man named Tom Robinson for raping Mayella Ewell. Most townsfolk caught news of this and instantly began to give Atticus dirty looks and began calling him vulgar names. Atticus, is a very nice person who wants to do the right thing, and he has an opinion about people who disagree with him defending Tom Robinson. “They’re certainly entitled to think they, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions.” (120).

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915 Words | 4 Pages

Option 2 Literary Analysis To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a novel set during the 1930s in a small town in Southern Alabama called Maycomb. The story is told through the narrator, Scout, a young girl who lives with her father, a lawyer, and her older brother Jem. As a child, Scout is portrayed as a stubborn and obnoxious little girl who loves to read, play with her brother Jem, and fantasize about her mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley. However, her life gets turned upside down when Scout’s father agrees to do something that is deemed unacceptable in the south; he agrees to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who is accused of raping a white girl. Instantly, Atticus and his family go from being respected and beloved by their town, to being

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1244 Words | 5 Pages

In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee teaches us about the town of Maycomb County during the late 1930s, where the characters live in isolation and victimization. Through the perspective of a young Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, readers will witness the prejudice that Maycomb produces during times where people face judgement through age, gender, skin colour, and class, their whole lives. Different types of prejudice are present throughout the story and each contribute to how events play out in the small town of Maycomb. Consequently, socially disabling the people who fall victim from living their life comfortably in peace. Boo Radley and his isolation from Maycomb County, the racial aspects of Tom Robinson, and the decision Atticus Finch makes as a lawyer, to defend a black man has all made them fall in the hands of Maycomb’s prejudice ways.

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816 Words | 4 Pages

To Kill a Mockingbird Literary Analysis There is an abundant amount of fear and wondering about the unknown in the world. A prime example of this idea is in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. This modern classic is set during the Great Depression in the small-town of Maycomb County. Everyone knows each other and gossip disperses among the town rapidly.

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858 Words | 4 Pages

Though most of the town Maycomb feels negatively and discriminates the African-Americans, characters like Atticus show us how one person can impact his surroundings if he has high morals. Although he couldn’t change the mindset of the other town residents , he made sure that his own children didn’t discriminate people, purely on the basis of their skin colour. Racism can be seen even in the first few chapters of the book. These racist comments by nonracist children typify the culture in which they were growing up.

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