Theme Of To Kill A Mockingbird

Darcy Brewer

Year 10 English Essay

04/04/2023

To Kill A Mockingbird Themes Analysis

To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel by harper lee, set in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930’s. Maycomb is a town governed by prejudice, where people are judged by the color of their skin. Harper Lee explores many themes in To Kill a Mockingbird however i will be discussing the three main themes of, Loss of Innocence, Racism and Injustice. I will be exploring these three themes throughout my essay and discovering how they are still relevant in the modern day.

The first theme I will discuss is loss of innocence. To Kill a Mockingbird is narrated by a young girl named Scout Finch, who is growing up in Maycomb. At the beginning of the novel she is six

Racism is arguably the main theme in To Kill a Mockingbird, it is widely present in Maycomb being displayed by the majority of the townspeople. Throughout the novel Harper Lee explores the damaging effects of racism and how it can affect its victims, this is made clear during the trial of Tom Robinson. The trial of Tom Robinson also shows us the deep-rooted prejudice the town holds and how it has been passed down through generations. These points are further proved by this quote from Jem, "That's what I thought," said Jem, "but around here once you have a drop of N**** blood, that makes you all black." chapter 16. This quote from Jem also shows that they see that being of color is so bad it’s comparable to disease, it also shows that even the thought of someone being black is enough to make the townspeople turn on them. The victims of racism however are not the only ones who suffer, The perpetrators are also affected by their misdoings. This is shown when Bob Ewell, a cruel and abusive father accuses Tom Robinson of rape, Bob perfectly embodies the racism and prejudice ways of maycomb. Bob Ewell’s hatred of black people is a reflection of his own personal insecurities and failures, his history and actions eventually catch up to him and ultimately become a leading cause of his downfall. Racism is a large problem in our society even today, discrimination and prejudice are still present even though we have come a long way. Racism is

Injustice is a very large part of Harper Lee’s novel, it is one of the leading factors in numerous events throughout the book such as the trial of Tom Robinson. Boo Radley is a character who is a victim of injustice throughout the book, Boo is shunned by the people of Maycomb because of rumors people have conjured up about him. Boo receives criticism and ridicule from the townspeople despite the fact he has never done anything malicious or deserving of their spite. Another key moment in the book that displays injustice is the trial of Tom Robinson, he was accused of raping Mayella Ewell and as a black man this is seen by the townspeople as even more of a crime. "She has committed no crime, she has merely broken a rigid and time-honored code of our society, a code so severe that whoever breaks it is hounded from our midst as unfit to live with. She is the victim of cruel poverty and ignorance, but I cannot pity her: she is white. She knew full well the enormity of her offense, but because her desires were stronger than the code she was breaking, she persisted in breaking it." Chapter 11. This quote from Atticus reminds us that Mayella may be doing something unjust by falsely accusing Tom Robinson of a crime he did not commit, but she is also a victim of injustice. Mayella grew up dirt-poor to a father who abused and raped her whilst also making his children fend for themselves, which is no environment that will