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Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

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“...Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird,” was what Atticus mentioned to Jem one unique day in Maycomb. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, this statement seems like an ordinary phrase, but it eventually blooms into the main theme of the story. This wise statement made by Atticus was a referral to prejudice. Scout, the main character in the story, reveals life at the time through her experiences and perspectives, and connects her life to this statement. The thread of prejudice in the book resulted in the theme: prejudice is an important issue that needs to be brought to an end. Harper Lee most likely included this theme in her book because she wanted to inform others about wrongful actions that were occurring in her lifetime. By writing her story, she changed the perspective of many people. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee develops the theme that prejudice must …show more content…

He was referred to as a “malevolent phantom,” and was the cause of any trouble that occurred in the town (9). Even though Boo Radley was locked in his house, the people of Maycomb still believed he was the source of any and all complications that took place. Even though the town relied on nothing but rumors for theirs accusations, their impressions of Boo Radley made them fearful. When Jem saw the shadow he went rigid with fear(53). In addition, when Boo Radley saved Scout and Jem, Heck Tate didn’t want to mention it to the town(276). Boo Radley was a modest person who didn’t want to be the center of attention, even though the first impressions of the town were lasting impressions. This shows the development of the theme because it shows how the town perceived Boo Radley. People made accusations and spread rumors, interpreting him as a monster and criminal, even though he was innocent and harmless. Overall, Boo Radley can be identified as an example of

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Just like people target the mockingbird, people would tend to target Boo Radley. Boo Radley was innocent of all the crimes people claim he committed, but he just desires to stay inside and keep to himself. While reading the novel, I believe he yearns to stay inside because he does not wish to face the false rumors that have been spread about him. One of the last ways Boo is symbolized by the mockingbird is Boo protects Scout and Jem from harm. The mockingbird also protects people, not in the obvious ways, but the mockingbird sings music to comfort people and cause them to feel safe.

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353 Words | 2 Pages

Choices In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” written by Harper Lee, Boo Radley is considered a monster. The townspeople think that he is crazy. He is judged because he had caused trouble during his teenage years. Arthur “Boo” Radley has been kept inside a house that is down the street from Atticus’s house.

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511 Words | 3 Pages

Boo (Arthur)Radley is an engrossing character in the book “To Kill a Mockingbird.” He displays several qualities which make him him an engrossing character. Boo Radley is very shy. This is evident when he went to visit jem and was hiding in the corner. Boo Radley is also very missunderstood.

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825 Words | 4 Pages

Boo Radley is the the town “ghost” according to Scout Finch. They call him a ghost because he never comes out of his old house and no one ever see him. Everyone is afraid of him because they believe he stabbed his father and went crazy. People make up tons of rumors, lies, and cause gossip around the town him. Boo Radley symbolizes a mockingbird because he causes no harm to anyone and has never done anything bad that has caused issues.

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Maya Angelo once stated, “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible”. Marie Lu uses this idea in Legend (Penguin Random House, 2013). Fifteen-year-olds, Day and June, are both seeking revenge against each other's wills. June wants revenge against Day for the murder of her brother. Day wants revenge against all government officials, like June.

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606 Words | 3 Pages

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has been read by thousands, and it teaches lessons that can be applied to everyone. Perhaps one of the most obvious themes in this novel is the importance of not being judgmental. Lee’s novel follows main characters Jem, Scout, and Atticus. Lee’s novel takes place during a time when black people were not so much loved. In her novel Atticus, the father, is defending a black man named Tom Robinson for raping a white women in the racially prejudice Southern rural Alabama during the Great Depression.

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889 Words | 4 Pages

Character Analysis Essay Boo Radley Boo Radley is a character in the esteemed novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee. His character is a strong character, yet absent from quite a bit of the novel. His character throughout most chapters is more like a mythical being, rather than an actual human being, and through his absence, it is shown to us that Boo Radley is a troubled, complicated yet held back character. However any knowledge of Boo Radley’s character as an actual human being rather than a mythical person in a more real life setting comes in later chapters and that changes the view on Boo Radley slightly. Despite this, we still see that Boo Radley, in absence or not, is a complicated, troubled, yet compassionate character that is of great importance in the novel.

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866 Words | 4 Pages

This injustice highlights the deep-seated racism that affects Maycomb society, affecting every aspect of life for its black residents. Another strong example of prejudice in the town of Maycomb is the life of Boo Radley. Boo Radley, a reclusive figure, occupies a central place in Maycomb's history. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Boo remains a shadowy presence, confined to the eerie Radley House. Rumors swirl around Boo, painting him as a sinister figure responsible for mischief and

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1146 Words | 5 Pages

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee tells a story of racial prejudice during the Depression and how it is combated. The main development in the novel is that a Atticus, the father of Scout and Jem, has been appointed to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a young white woman named Mayella. Many people in the town of Maycomb, particularly people involved with the case of Tom, have a negative attitude towards African Americans. Prejudice was a terrible issue in the South during the Depression, but Atticus Finch shows that racial injustice can be combated in two main ways, each having different levels of effectiveness.

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1253 Words | 6 Pages

Cultural norms are what make and shape a society. They are the guidelines, and or patterns, that are to be followed, in order to be considered a normal, typical, everyday citizen. As such, it does not matter if the norms are right or wrong. As long as the citizen is still a part of their society, right and wrong does not matter, as far as they are concerned. In the case of To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the cultural norm, of Maycomb County, embraces the wrong, in the form of extreme prejudice behavior.

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600 Words | 3 Pages

To Kill a Mockingbird “Discuss the major themes of to kill a mockingbird and explain which one you believe is the most important and why.” The novel “to kill a Mockingbird” written by Harper Lee and published in the 1960’s exhibits three major themes relevant to the era and are apparent in varying degrees in today’s society. The major themes heavily laced throughout the text are prejudice in reference to racism, bigotry held against an individual and loss of innocence throughout Scout and Jem’s experience.

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1157 Words | 5 Pages

How did prejudice happen in this world that God made? Prejudice is an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason. In this world, there are a lot of prejudice. Prejudice doesn´t happen suddenly but it happens from a root. Everything happens from a root and that causes to be or do something.

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1123 Words | 5 Pages

Boo Radley is the classic example of what it means to be a mockingbird. Boo Radley was the talk of the town to Jem, Scout, and Dill during any time of the year. The only thing the children know about Boo Radley was that he hung out with bad people, stabbed his dad with scissors, and since has been locked up in his house and has never left. The children and most of the town have the perception that he is crazy. However, Boo Radley never did anything wrong to the people of Maycomb, he just hurt his father many years in the past.

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440 Words | 2 Pages

Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird Prejudice in the 1950s was a problem and it still is in 2017. When it comes to the topic of prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee conveys it is important that before judging someone, get to know them better. One example of prejudice Harper Lee uses in To Kill a Mockingbird is Tom Robinson. In the small town of Maycomb almost everyone assumes Tom is guilty of raping Mayella Ewell even though there is no evidence or reasoning.

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507 Words | 3 Pages

But in reality, on the inside, he is a good hearted person. Arthur Boo Radley is a man of few words, and even though he doesn’t talk very much, he is defined by his actions throughout the book. Three characteristics that describe this man are: thoughtful, brave, and misread by others. He is incredibly misunderstood because of the talk in the town that has spread. Many people think he is a terrifying man who is a savage that eats the raw animals that he catches, which turns out to be an incorrect interpretation.

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