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Pacifism In To Kill A Mockingbird

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This famous quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. applies to To Kill a Mockingbird. To Kill a Mockingbird displays themes of racism and vengeance in the plot. The novel suggests being a pacifist is a way to end hatred and allow forgiveness. The book’s theme of racism represents Tom Robinson’s trial and the way black people are treated in Maycomb County, and the theme of vengeance is represented by Bob Yule and his actions to get revenge on the Finch family. The way hatred and vengeance are driven out in To Kill a Mockingbird is the character Atticus and his beliefs of respecting everyone and being non-violent, which is similar to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s beliefs.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that openly shows its opinions on many important …show more content…

Being peaceful and nonviolent allows forgiveness, and it helps people to move on and bring love into their lives. Racism brings ignorance and a lack of empathy, while peace helps people to understand each other and move on from prejudice. A pacifistic character in the novel is Atticus Finch, the father of Jem and Scout. He believes that everyone should be respected and treated equally, regardless of their skin color, gender, or age. He defends Tom Robinson in court, and defending African-Americans was unheard of and strange in the 1940s. When Scout asked him why he was defending a black person, he said, “‘I’m simply defending a Negro—his name’s Tom Robinson. ...He’s a member of Calpurnia’s church, and Cal knows his family well. She says they’re clean-living folks,’”(Lee 20). He speaks respectfully and felt it was his duty to take this case, and he felt he could not be a respected man if he did not. Even when Bob Ewell spit on him, he stands still and does not fight back. When Jem asks him why he does not fight Bob back, he said, “‘...So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody and I’d rather it be me than that houseful of children out there,’”(Lee 74). He knew if he was being hurt by Bob Ewell, he saved Bob’s children for being hurt. Being peaceful and

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926 Words | 4 Pages

Harper Lee’s novel, To kill a Mockingbird, is a book about the Finch family, living in Maycomb, Alabama, during the early 1930s. The book is told through the perspective of an 8-year-old girl called Scout, and it's about the struggles she and her brother Jem, age 11, face when their father Atticus takes a case defending a black man accused of raping a white girl. Lee embraces the idea of nonviolent resistance and shows how sometimes it can be the most powerful influence in change, how hate is not the way, and she pushes the reader to consider their worldview about the differences among people. The Author shows her belief in nonviolence in many ways throughout this book.

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Change. That is what happened to Ponyboy throughout the book, The Outsiders. He changed along with all of the other characters in the novel. Many may wonder, what is the book The Outsiders and who Ponyboy is? Well, The Outsiders is a book about two gangs, The Greasers and the Socs who have very different ways of life and they always fight.

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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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Throughout Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," Atticus Finch serves as a model of tolerance. He consistently demonstrates his conviction that others should be treated with empathy and understanding. One of the most prominent examples of Atticus' tolerance is his defense of Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Despite the community's intense racism and prejudice, Atticus maintains his belief in Tom's innocence and fights for his rights in court. This shows his tolerance and acceptance of people of different races and his refusal to be swayed by the prejudices of others.

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When Atticus was at the courthouse, a few of the attentive critics of the courthouse business were talking about the case, and one of them said, “Atticus aims to defend Tom Robinson, [because] that’s what I don't like about” him, and when Scout overheard their conversation that Atticus didn’t have to defend Tom Robinson, she “could have used it many times in defending him” and herself because people fussed and bullied when they learned that Atticus was defending Tom Robinson, so if he fussing” (Lee 186). Atticus defends Tom Robinson even though he and his children are both bothered by how Atticus is defending him, because Atticus is omitting social norms which shows how passionate Atticus is about supporting Tom

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“To Kill a Mockingbird” also highlights the truth towards the whole society can alter the definition of justice. Here, Atticus defends a black man for his words for the right to have a voice within society and not to be misjudged due to racism. Hence, Harper Lee uses the novel to convey the

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Scouts often struggle to grasp the complexities of the world, especially when it comes to the Tom Robinson case. Harper Lee explained this struggle by writing “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 224). This quote illustrates that Scout does not quite understand the injustice of the Tom Robinson trial. Despite Atticus doing his best to defend a black man with evidence and logic, deep-seated racism still prevails in the court.

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The quote by Martin Luther King Jr “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he made stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy”. This quote means that a man’s personality/character is shaped and determined by the way he reacts and responds to the difficulties and hardships that he face’s. The way in which this quote by Martin Luther King” relates to the novel “To Kill a Mocking Bird” is the way Atticus feels when he defends Tom Robinson. From the outside he looks all confident and professional but from the inside he is very nervous and scared. Even though Tom Robinson is a black man it makes it difficult for Atticus because they were in the era of the Great Depression where there

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Mahatma Gandhi once said “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. This means that you act in a way that will make the world a better place, even if it is contradictory to popular belief. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is the father of Scout and Jem. He teaches his kids about everything that they ask about and tells them about the county’s racism and prejudice. He defends Tom Robinson in a trial that he knew was impossible to win because Tom was African-American.

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Scout acted in a protective or caring manner when Walter Cunningham was in a fight with another boy. Atticus, the father of Jem and Scout, stands above them all because of his caring for not only his children, but for the blacks who deserve as much rights as the whites of their county. Jem, Scout, and Atticus never fail to display their caring and polite traits toward others, even when it comes to other races. Atticus Finch treats

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Throughout our education careers, we should have learned the importance of both sides of the Constitution debate. However, many have only seen the winning side (Federalist) then the opposing side (Anti-federalist's). The main arguments that arose during the debate concerning the United States Constitution was that the Anti-federalist believed the constitution threatened liberties, failed to protect individuals rights, threatened the sovereignty of the states, and gave to much power to the federal government. Most of the individuals on the opposing side was farmers and workers, which was mainly against anything dealing with a strong national government. They believed that the Bill of Rights would prevent individuals rights from being taken.

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In the novel Atticus explains “Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with. The man had to have some kind of comeback, his kind always does. So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take.”(Lee 292). 4.

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I could not move. Suddenly he was jerked backwards and flung on the ground, almost carrying me with him. I thought Jem's up”(352). Around this time in the book, Jem and Scout were walking home from the play and they were being chased by Bob Ewell. This shows cowardice because Bob tried to take revenge on Atticus kids beside talking to Atticus to try to settle things up.

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Scout, you aren’t old enough to understand some things yet, but there’s been some high talk around town to the effect that I shouldn’t do much about defending this man.'" Tom Robinson (a black man) was wrongly by Bob

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“The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” This is a quote from Atticus Finch, a courageous and wise character from Harper Lee 's novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. The story is told through the perspective of a young girl, Jean Louise ¨Scout¨ Finch. She lives with her older brother, Jeremy, and widowed father and prominent lawyer, Atticus, in Maycomb, Alabama during the time of the Great Depression. Throughout the novel, the children experience the injustice and prejudice of society through a tough case that their father was appointed to and are taught to respect and tolerate all people, despite their differences.

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