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Theme Of Conflict In To Kill A Mockingbird

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To Kill A Mockingbird “ Well it’d be sort of like shooting a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?” The historical fiction novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is about a young girl growing up the small town of Maycomb, during the Great Depression. She experiences many unexpected things throughout her childhood. In chapter 30, the author uses the literary elements conflict and character to develop the theme hiding the truth can protect others. Atticus Finch and Heck Tate disagree about what happened between Bob Ewell and the kids, which shows that people can have different ideas about what’s right and wrong. In chapter 30, as Heck Tate continuously tries to explain to Atticus that Jem never stabbed Bob, he challenges Atticus’s power and authority by threatening to call him a liar to his face. Heck says, “ ‘It ain’t your decision, Mr. Finch, … If you wanta try, I’ll call you a liar to your face. Your boy never stabbed Bob Ewell,’ he said slowly…”(278). The conflict between Atticus and Heck highlights the tension between them. This shows that people having different perspectives on the same thing can lead to the truth being terrible. …show more content…

In chapter 30, Hech Tate speaks to Atticus about Bob’s death and explains Boo Radley should not be convicted for doing everyone a favor. He states, “ ‘To my way of thinkin’, Mr Finch, taking the man who's done you and this towns a great service an’ draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight—to me, that’s a sin. It’s a sin and I’m not about to have it on my head. If it was any other man, it’d be different.’ ” (279). Heck Tate lies about the incident because if he tells the truth to the town, it will affect Boo Radley’s life more than it needs to. This conveys the idea of Heck’s character being idolized by holding his decision firm on his tongue during the conflict with

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198 Words | 1 Pages

Tate also bends the laws for Boo. Boo Radley is shy so, Tate spared him for the gossip and cruel ways of Maycomb. It would be like killing a mocking to prosecute Boo. Heck Tate has also acknowledges his wrongs.

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432 Words | 2 Pages

“To my way of thinking', Mr. Finch, taking the one man who's done you and this town a great service an' draggin' him with his shy ways into the limelight—to me, that's a sin. It's a sin and I'm not about to have it in my head.” (Lee 280). Sheriff Tate doesn't want to tell the community because Boo Radley is innocent and doesn't want to harm anyone.

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592 Words | 3 Pages

Heck then says the Bob fell on his knife because “to my way of thinkin’, Mr. Finch, taking the one man who’s done you and this town a great service an’ draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight--to me, that’s a sin”(370). Heck Tate is saying that if Atticus goes ahead and tells the town that Boo Radley saved his kids, then everyone will want to reward him for saving children, and with Boo being so shy, it would be a sin to do it. Then Scout tells Atticus that telling everyone would be like killing a Mockingbird. Scout looks from Boo’s point from view by seeing why Heck doesn’t want him getting gifts and being called a

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630 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel, To kill a mockingbird, by harper lee, we follow our main characters as they witness their father, Atticus, having to defend a black man against a rape charged, against Bob Ewell and his daughter Mayella. Despite the evidence showing that Tom Robinson was innocent, they still choose to charge him as guilty. Thus the trial ends. However, it seems that Bob has a grudge against everyone apart from the trial, evidenced by him stalking Helen and trying to break into the judge’s house. During Halloween night, Bob tries to kill Jem and Scout, however they are saved by Arthur “boo” radley.

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1069 Words | 5 Pages

Heck Tate and Atticus argue about Bob Ewell’s death after Atticus’ children are taken care of by the doctor. When Heck Tate pulls out a switchblade to show Atticus, Atticus questions why he has it. Heck Tate replies that he took it off a drunk man in downtown. Although neither man said anything, it is implied that the switchblade is the weapon Boo Radley used to kill Bob Ewell before he could harm the children. Atticus does not believe that Heck Tate should have taken the knife to keep Boo Radley’s innocence.

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Moments after Heck Tate explained to Atticus the story he was prepared to tell Maycomb about Ewell’s death, Scout reached out for Boo’s arm. He was to escort her to his home. Never would she escort him home, he was the gentleman, and the people needed to know this. As Scout stood on the Radley porch, facing the street she had gazed at her whole life, she finally understood. So many events had occurred in plain view from Boo’s house.

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1194 Words | 5 Pages

Heck Tate goes to say when he figured out that Boo killed Mr. Ewell, “‘To my way of thinkin’, Mr. Finch, taking the one man who’s done you and this town a great service an’ dragin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight—to me, that’s a sin”’ (Lee 146). As sheriff, Heck Tate should bring Boo to trial. However, Tate knows that Boo would be uncomfortable in public. Heck Tate knows Boo did it out of self defense, so he chooses to not bring him into the public eye.

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Exposing Boo’s heroic actions would bring him to be the center of the public eye and it would truly be the end of his happiness. Mr. Tate knew this and had no reason to hurt Mr. Radley, and even wanted to reward him for his

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337 Words | 2 Pages

A conflict can be defined as a serious disagreement or argument. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, there are many minor conflicts that occur. Some examples would be Miss Maudie Atkinson's house catching fire and Tim Johnson being put down. However, the major conflict of the novel is Tom Robinson's court case. It is important to understand that while Boo appears to be a strange, crazy neighbor to the townspeople, Scout, Jem and Dill seem to be intrigued by Boo because of the town's rumors about him.

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762 Words | 4 Pages

Also, when Atticus and Tate were arguing over how Ewell died, they were trying to protect Boo from attention. This brings up the the title “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Boo is the mockingbird and by accusing Boo of killing Bob, you are essentially killing him. The public would know about Boo, which is exactly what he doesn’t want. That’s why he stays in his house.

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272 Words | 2 Pages

Harper Lee's To kill a MockingBird is the details of the life of the Scouts, brothers, gems and sisters who grow up in case of race inequality and anxiety. James Finch is fascinated by sports, guns, and tough things a typical young boy who grew up in a small town in the town of Alicanga. James and Scout face many conflicts throughout the novel, but encounter with James and Dubose is one of the most important times scenes in this book. Mr. Li said that fear of walking on her front porch is "malignant" because of the fear of being "attacked by her angry line of sight, undergoing ruthless interrogation and calling her name" Draw a picture of a mean savage Dubose who portrays her. Gem's internal conflict to follow his father's

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1099 Words | 5 Pages

In the book, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee, the author writes about what happens in the small southern town of Maycomb, in Alabama. Lee uses the influence of belief in traditions such as roles and family bonds to show that they are causes of conflict. Throughout the book, roles such as gender, age, race, and family confines characters to act, look, and even speak certain ways, causing internal, external, and family conflicts. This theme that different types of roles and family bonds are the root of conflict is developed through the use of physical setting, anti stereotype, and historical setting The author shows that Scout faces external conflicts caused by the pressure to fit into the stereotypical gender roles accustomed to girls at this time in history.

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605 Words | 3 Pages

In her novel, To kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses symbolism and conflict to help readers understand that people who are prejudice toward others of different races can set the stage for racial prejudices to occur and that is something which needs to be stopped. The symbolism of both the mockingbird and the rabid dog show, being prejudice toward people because of how they were brought up, and where they came from can end up damaging a person’s future. For example, one day Atticus brings home air-rifles for Jem and Scout, and though Atticus does not teach his children how to shoot the air-rifles, he teaches them a very valuable lesson. Atticus emphasizes, “I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after birds.

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547 Words | 3 Pages

Boo Radley resembles the mockingbird, because he was just trying to make friends with Jem and Scout, and the rumors were fake and he wasn’t insane. For example, “As we came to the live oaks of the Radley Place I raised my finger to point for the hundredth time to the knot hole where I had found the chewing gum” (38). Clearly stated that Boo Radley was trying to be a friendly and a civilized person by communicating to Jem and Scout, and he wasn’t doing anything wrong at that moment. Also for example, “...Mr. Finch, taking the one man who’s done you and this town a great service” (317). Mr. Heck Tate, is saying that Boo was actually doing good, and that he shouldn’t go to court because that would be a sin, because Boo only did what was right.

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998 Words | 4 Pages

He knows that even though Jem tried to protect Scout from anybody, he would not take a risk and kill another human being. Mr. Heck was not the only one that tried to walk in someone else’s shoes, Scout also tried to walk in Arthur “Boo” Radley’s shoes. One way that Scout tries to walk in his shoes is by seeing that Boo Radley is actually a nice guy who save her and Jem’s life. She discovers that all along, he was the only one that took care the her when her father was not around. People realized that Mr. Boo Radley was protagonist of the story and the antagonist was Mr. Ewell.

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