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Christopher Metress To Kill A Mockingbird

998 Words4 Pages

For a long time after the publishing of To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch, the father of Jem and Scout, was championed and even deified in some cases. He was revered for his vigilant defence of a black man, Tom Robinson. This book came out in a time when racism was taught at home. For many whites in America, especially in the South, this was the first time their eyes had been opened to the injustice of racism. The reason so many people chose Atticus to be their champion of morality was because he represented strong morals and was believed to be one of the first of his people to stand up against the way things were. For a while, the pedestal Atticus was perched upon was up so high that he was of god-like status. But as time …show more content…

In this essay, Metress speaks on how Atticus has some flaws in To Kill a Mockingbird; for example, the only thing Atticus does for change in his community was defend Tom for no charge and he did so to his best ability. Also, Atticus, when describing why he chooses to not turn down the case, uses the word “I” more than anything else, suggesting he did it for himself more than he did it for Tom or for anyone else. Metress quotes Freedman in his essay: “Here is a man who does not voluntarily use his training and skills - not once ever - to make the slightest change in the pervasive social injustice of his own …show more content…

You can look at how when To Kill a Mockingbird first came out, America adored him. They found his one act of defending Tom Robinson to be so heroic that they put him on a godlike pedestal. The way they took to him so dearly shows how ignorant and blind they were to injustice on blacks many people in America. As time went on and people changed, however, they began to see the ways in which Atticus really wasn’t any sort of perfect man at all. Now nearly 50 years later, we are able to appreciate the truth about his flaws. Maybe that’s why Lee waited to long to put it out there, maybe she was waiting until her audience was morally mature enough to accept and learn from the true colors of Atticus

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"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view ... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." (Elibrary database). Even though through most of the story Atticus’s beliefs about the case are not backed by anyone, he still holds strong in what he believes in and in that steadfast way. Atticus comes out a more respected man for proving to everyone that you do not know a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.

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The main character in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird is Atticus Finch, a middle aged man living in Maycomb Alabama. Even though he is a southerner he isn’t racist and he believes that everyone should be treated equal, Atticus teaches his children empathy and not to discriminate against other people, he does his by telling them “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Even though Atticus treats everyone as equals he gets affected by the town and their prejudice way of thinking. Because Atticus accepts Tom Robinsons case he gets called a “nigger lover” and him and his children get treated differently by the town.

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727 Words | 3 Pages

A mockingbird is a harmless songbird that offers only its beautiful voice. To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming of age novel written by Harper Lee. This story took place in a small rural town called Maycomb County, in the 1930’s where everyone knew each other and all the townspeople were infected by a disease called gossip. This gossip harmed the “mockingbirds”, because all of them were “shot down” physically and metaphorically. Harper Lee implied that there were distinct characteristics that parallel mockingbirds.

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224 Words | 1 Pages

Atticus is a courageous man and is also a good influencer to his kids, Scout and Jem. He teaches them that everyone matters in this world no matter how different someone can be. Harper Lee writes, "This case, Tom Robinson's case, is something that goes to the essence of a man's conscience-Scout, I couldn’t go to church if I didn't try to help that man."(104). This quote shows how much Atticus wanted to help out Tom even if he knows that the outcome will still be the same but if he at least tries he will not live with the guilt inside of him for the rest of his life. Not only did Atticus show courage, Boo Radley did as well.

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African-americans are thought of lowly because of their color ,and in this commentary, made by Miss Dubose, Atticus is thought of at a lower level because he is defending Tom Robinson. Even Mrs. Merriweather insults Atticus in his own home at one of the missionary tea gatherings. “I tell you there are some

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951 Words | 4 Pages

Discrimination is shown throughout To Kill A Mockingbird in numerous ways. Racism and prejudice are shown when the jury makes the ruling to convict Tom Robinson as guilty, despite all of the evidence to prove his innocence; Scout is known for being a tomboy. The lessons about discrimination that Scout learns throughout the novel are applicable to all types of prejudice, Atticus Finch, the father of Scout and Jem Finch, is judged for defending Tom Robinson, an innocent man accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a low class teenage girl. Since most of the community is racist, Tom Robinson’s case is very hard for Atticus to defend. They do not believe a white man should be defending a black man.

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Social normalities, stereotypes , conformities, are all words to explain the categorized groups and expectations certain people are supposed to hold and exploit. To Kill a Mockingbird has a very strong message relating to going against these social normalities, one person especially, Atticus Finch. However, there are many people not only in this book but also all around the world who are standing up against these norms. One of these people was Asa Philip Randolph, a human rights activist. Both Atticus Finch and A. Philip Randolph are men that challenged these so called social norms when they stood up for civil rights

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Atticus put his career; actually, his life at risk to save the unlucky black man, Tom Robinson, as the narrator says “Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” (Lee 266). Atticus is categorized as a courageous man with real courage because with the amount of strength he put in to defend Tom Robinson, he was appreciated by the whole black community, and at the same time take care of his two children perfectly well. Atticus also teaches his kids valuable lessons, the ones that you wouldn’t learn in school; introducing them to the real world, the world with racial segregation.

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834 Words | 4 Pages

Discuss the idea(s) developed by the text creator in your chosen text about the significance of individuals attempt to live unconstrained by conventions or circumstances. Customs, traditions, conventions, mores, norms these have been here since beginning of time and one is expected to follow them without question and pass them on to their offsprings. Majority of conventions are good and meaningful, however some conventions are destructive, harmful and dangerous. One can say that conventions are like cocoons they shield youth and give them a pathway to follow however, when these customs threaten to put down a group in society, one must break out from the cocoon. In the novel, To Kill A MockingBird, the author, Harper Lee, explores characters that attempts to live unconstrained by conventions or circumstances.

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1059 Words | 5 Pages

Can you imagine yourself in a situation where people treat you like trash because of your skin color. In Harper Lee’s novel, To kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is a white lawyer who has two children named Scout and Jem. Atticus has to defend an innocent man named Tom Robinson, who was accused on a crime he didn’t commit and was killed because of his skin color. Atticus is facing many problems such as racism because Tom Robinson is a colored person. The most important thing in To kill a Mockingbird is Injustice, Love and Sacrifice, and Power of words.

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738 Words | 3 Pages

Just by defending a black person Atticus is trashed on how horrible he is for doing such a thing. The bigotry about race is the same back then in the book than it is now in modern

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1916 Words | 8 Pages

In the classical 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee depicts the social and racial inequality in southern American society during the 1930’s. Residing in Maycomb County, Atticus Finch and his two children, Scout and Jem, gain appreciation for tolerance as they encounter diverse characters such as Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. Told from Scout’s perspective of their adventures, Jem and Scout explore the prejudicial flaws of their community. The portrayal of a catalyst and prophet matches the personality of Jeremy “Jem” Atticus Finch; serving as the brother and friend of his sister Scout, Jem’s once innocent and naive world view is exposed to the less savory aspects of southern culture when his father takes on a case defending an African American man accused of rape. As the dehumanizing factors of institutionalized and widespread racial discrimination and prejudice become evident, Jem learns that empathy and human understanding are crucial in realizing full human potential.

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634 Words | 3 Pages

What atticus should not have done in the first place though is defend Tom Robinson (the black man

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886 Words | 4 Pages

In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus is a lawyer in Maycomb Alabama. He Has two kids, Scout and Jem. His wife died when Scout was only two years old. Atticus is not only respected by his children but his community. Atticus teaches his kids valuable lessons throughout the story.

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980 Words | 4 Pages

We live in a society today where judging others is a regular, everyday activity. Many people may blame a significant amount of this issue on the excessive amount of technology we have access too, but this problem has been around for much longer. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, it shows the ugliness that can come from judging others, but it also teaches two young children, Scout and Jem, to listen to others, so that you can have the opportunity to learn from them. Throughout the story many characters were able to demonstrate this lesson for the kids, but three that were true examples of it were Tom Robinson, Atticus Finch and Boo Radley. With only aiming to stand up for what they believe in and not worrying what everyone

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