ipl-logo

To Kill A Mockingbird Human Nature Essay

736 Words3 Pages

The exploration of human nature and prejudices is exposed through the eyes of Scout, a young girl in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Throughout the novel, siblings Jem and Scout Finch discover the harsh realities of injustice and racism in their own town. In the To Kill a Mockingbird passage in which Scout witnesses the trial and verdict of a black man being accused of a crime solely from racial biases and realizes the immense amount of discrimination present, therefore allowing the symbolism and characterization of Tom Robinson to help develop the theme that one can recognize the humanity in others, regardless of race. During the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man accused of a crime he did not commit, symbolism becomes visible. When Robinson …show more content…

This reflects Tom’s empathy towards Mayella, although she threw many false accusations at him. Robinson still unveils his pity and cares for her, even after discovering the consequences of her claims. It also highlights the innocence and humanity in Robinson’s being, marking the use of symbolism between himself and the mockingbird. Then, as Scout witnesses Tom’s responses during the trial, she begins to acknowledge that he is not much different than the white citizens surrounding her. She observes, “It occurred to me that in their own way, Tom Robinson’s manners were as good as Atticus’s (221). This implies that Scout’s growth and perception of fairness is highlighted as she starts to see beyond the prejudices within her community. It is also shown that it is visible to Scout that Tom Robinson displays harmlessness in a harmful society, similar to how a mockingbird projects innocence without bothering anyone else. Through Scout’s observations and tom symbolizing the gentle mockingbird, the idea that one can recognize the humanity in others, regardless of race, becomes evident. While symbolism is used in the To Kill a Mockingbird passage, characterization is used as

Show More
Related
308 Words | 2 Pages

Being a hero can be many different things. In The Odyssey, the hero is Odysseus who is brave, smart, and. In “The Most Dangerous Game” Rainsford's traits of a hero are similar to the same traits that Odysseus has. In “The Most Dangerous Game” Rainsford shows traits of heroism when trying to escape from Zaroff. He tries to trick and later defeat Zaroff which shows the qualities of heroism with his smart thinking and planning to stay alive.

Read More
458 Words | 2 Pages

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee conveys that prejudice divides communities and that persecution of innocent people is evil; furthermore; these two minor themes reinforce the major thematic idea that a simple assumption can divide people. When Tom Robinson is put on trial for supposedly raped Mayella Ewell, the racism in Maycomb surfaces and creates conflict. In the novel, a stranger says, “You know what we want,” ‘another man said.’ “Get aside from the door, Mr. Finch.”(172). Some drunken men want to harm Tom Robinson for the wrong that he did.

Read More
151 Words | 1 Pages

In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, the mockingbird represents Tom Robinson throughout the novel. One significant characteristic of a mockingbird is its innocence; Tom Robinson holds this trait of innocence. For example, Tom is accused of beating Mayella but the bruises are on her right side of her face. Tom’s Left arm cripples on the left and there is no way he was able to execute that type of physical abuse using his left arm.

Read More
471 Words | 2 Pages

In the coming-of-age novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the author conveys themes of prejudice and racism. The story follows Scout, a young girl in a small town, with her older brother, Jem, and father, Atticus, who is a lawyer. Scout’s father signs on to defend a Black man, which, to many, is seen as a losing case. Scout begins to learn about the racial bias in her town, seeing how many people treat African Americans differently than whites. Lee displays themes of prejudice through Atticus and his experience defending Tom Robinson.

Read More
117 Words | 1 Pages

The last significant illustration of a mockingbird is the black man Tom Robinson. Tom is a quiet and reserved person. Mayella calls Tom over as he is walking by because she is feeling lonely and desperately needs someone to converse with. Tom Robinson only goes to her because he feels sorry for her, His intentions were good; he meant no one harm. His only goal was to be kind and helpful.

Read More
946 Words | 4 Pages

In Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ racism is a major issue seen in the everyday life in Maycomb, Alabama, which shapes the characters. The main part of the story is Tom Robinson’s trial. He is on trial for sexually assaulting a white woman. This is important to the story as it is a clear example of racism and its effects on society as Tom is misjudged. The story follows the experiences of the Finch family and shows the effects of racism on the younger members as they grow up and are exposed to the reality of life.

Read More
803 Words | 4 Pages

That's when Bob Ewell,

Read More
628 Words | 3 Pages

Racism and Prejudice in "To Kill a Mockingbird" Harper Lee's timeless novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" delves into the dark realities of racism and prejudice in the American South during the 1930s. As witnessed through the innocent eyes of Scout Finch, the young protagonist, Lee presents a poignant portrayal of the deep-seated injustices and discrimination faced by African Americans in a small Southern town. The novel serves as a stark indictment of the pervasive systemic racism that prevailed during that era and continues to resonate in contemporary society. One of the most glaring examples of racism in "To Kill a Mockingbird" is the harrowing injustice suffered by Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman.

Read More
309 Words | 2 Pages

Schilling Mitch Ms. Aukes English 11 30 October 2017 To Kill a Mockingbird “To Kill a MockingBird”by Harper Lee is a story of a racially separated community that centers its focus around the trial of Tom Robinson. Tom is accused of rape and endures the harships of being a black man in a court mostly full of racially prejudice driven people that want to see Tom go to prison despite the truth. Atticus endures many harships from the public as Toms defender in court, and is the moral compass throughout this book as he keeps the reader in touch with morality and justice. These character traits or portrayed through Atticus’s kids Scout and Jem.

Read More
1131 Words | 5 Pages

Lee uses Miss Gates’s ironic views of Hitler and Tom’s trial to show how racial prejudice causes crimes against African Americans to be considered less than crimes committed against white people. A mockingbird is then used to symbolize Tom Robinson as an innocent person wrongly convicted of a crime because of his skin color. The misunderstood characterization of Arthur Radley shows how society will let prejudice guide their imaginated view on the lives of people they don't understand. All three characters provide examples of how a preconceived opinion of one person or a whole race can cause drastic misunderstandings and

Read More
857 Words | 4 Pages

Essay In the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee, there are many important messages shown throughout the book. However the primary focus was set on racial prejudice that existed in the 1930s-1940’s in the fictional town of Maycomb County. The racism in the novel was very much a reality in 1930s-1940s America. A very good example of the racial prejudice that existed was in the courtroom during Tom Robinson’s trial, an innocent Negro man held against his will for a crime he did not commit.

Read More
754 Words | 4 Pages

Tom Robinson is a black man who is wrongfully convicted of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell. This novel goes through Scout's life from when she was 6, till she is 9. She lives in the town of Maycomb Alabama, and lives an innocent life until about halfway through the story, where she begins to ask questions. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout shows the readers that racial inequality creates an unjust society through the African American community, through the people surrounding colored folks, and through Tom Robinson’s Case. The first example of the consequences of racial inequality is the African American community in Maycomb.

Read More
830 Words | 4 Pages

Tom Robinson is a young African-American who's been accused of raping and abusing Mayella Ewell, a young and closeted white woman. Racial discrimination is hinted throughout Tom’s trial as Atticus Finch explains to Jem that a white man’s word will always win over that of a black man’s - "... In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the facts of life" (220). Atticus explains to Jem that in the courts of Maycomb, a black man’s state of innocence or guilt is truly determined by a white man’s testimony.

Read More
571 Words | 3 Pages

Lessons In Humanity To Kill A Mockingbird is the literary masterpiece of the wonderful Harper Lee. In her novel, humanity is a powerful theme and an excellent element to learn while reading. Humanity is when you find the completeness of the human race. Humanity is the kindness and goodness a community shows. In To Kill A Mockingbird, humanity is taught in lessons of empathy, courageousness, perseverance, and maturity.

Read More
955 Words | 4 Pages

The novel To Kill a Mockingbird is so titled because there are several characters in the story which could be consisted mockingbirds. Tom Robinson and Boo Radley do not cause any harm, they go about their business without interfering in the lives of others, and however both of them are in turn harmed by the citizens of Maycomb. Harper Lee’s novel examines the dark side of human nature and explores the ramifications of prejudice, racism and bigotry in a time when people were openly hostile to anyone they considered different and inferior. Lee tells her story to highlight the injustices of the South during a time of inequality, discrimination, where the innocent are unfairly punished. Tom Robinson a character in the novel is accused of something

Read More

More about To Kill A Mockingbird Human Nature Essay

Open Document