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Ways Of Life In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird

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In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses her own childhood experiences of growing up in Monroeville, Alabama during the Great Depression to show the coming of age of her character, Scout Finch. “ People” Lee explains, “ moved slowly then,” and such a pace gives the young room to invent games, run rampant on the town streets, and stay safe.” Scout Finch was always the “go-getter.” She was the little girl who fought for what she thought was right, usually with her fists. "You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don't you let 'em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change." - Atticus Finch in Chapter 9 of To Kill a Mockingbird. Throughout the novel Scout Finch is costantly defending her father, Atticus. His decision to defend Tom …show more content…

Scout’s peers had a very powerful emotional effect on her. "Scout, I'm tellin' you for the last time, shut your trap or go home—I declare to the Lord you're gettin' more like a girl every day!" With that, I had no option but to join them. - Scout in Chapter 6 of To Kill a Mockingbird. This quote is a great explanation of the judged stereotypes during this time period. Scout wanted to act like a girl, but her friends wanted her to act like the old Scout. This instance is where Scout had to make the decision that acting like a girl was not worth loosing her friends. Scout Finch made her own choices, she made them the way that she wanted them, n\ ot caring about what time it was, who she was with, and what people thought of her. She did things for her. This statement relates to my thesis because my thesis states, When life gives you a time to shine, don’t give it away, you may need it someday. Scout never gave up a chance that was offered to

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951 Words | 4 Pages

Discrimination is shown throughout To Kill A Mockingbird in numerous ways. Racism and prejudice are shown when the jury makes the ruling to convict Tom Robinson as guilty, despite all of the evidence to prove his innocence; Scout is known for being a tomboy. The lessons about discrimination that Scout learns throughout the novel are applicable to all types of prejudice, Atticus Finch, the father of Scout and Jem Finch, is judged for defending Tom Robinson, an innocent man accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a low class teenage girl. Since most of the community is racist, Tom Robinson’s case is very hard for Atticus to defend. They do not believe a white man should be defending a black man.

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645 Words | 3 Pages

Seeing People's Perspectives on Life in To Kill a Mockingbird Through the development of Jem, in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee teaches us that people tend to misjudge others when they don’t see their perspective on life, which leads to people’s views on the world being limited. During the story, Lee explains how, “Countless evenings Atticus would find Jem furious at something Mrs. Dubose had said when we went by” (103). This affects how Jem views Mrs. Dubose since she was constantly rude and insulting the Finch family. For instance, on page 105 Mrs. Dubose complains, “Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse lawing for n***ers…! Your father’s no better than the n***ers and trash he works for!”

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992 Words | 4 Pages

She is described as a tomboy who prefers playing with her brother Jem and their friend Dill rather than engaging in traditionally feminine activities. One of the most memorable quotes that highlight Scout's early character development is when she says, "I was not so sure, but Jem told me I was being a girl, as girls always imagined things, that's why other people hated them so, and if I started behaving like one I could just go off and find some to play with" (Lee 56). This quote illustrates Scout's initial reluctance to conform to gender norms and her desire to be accepted for who she is rather than conforming to societal

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2164 Words | 9 Pages

Furthermore, this theme is enhanced when Atticus is talking to Scout and Jem about the trial. He asks them (especially Scout) to not fight anyone no matter what they say about Him. “You just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anyone says to you, don’t let ‘em get your goat.” (Lee, 87)

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1914 Words | 8 Pages

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that show the life of a southern state od Alabama during the “black racism” time period, where majority of the people had the mentality that (quote) with the exception of a few. To chosen to portray it from the eyes of Scout Finch, from a child’s point of view. Living in Maycomb, in the midst of a conservative society of the 1930’s and 20’s Southern America Scout Finch is an extra ordinary child.

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872 Words | 4 Pages

Scout’s conflict with society is that she did not fit in with the other girls and women in the early chapters. As the book goes on, she does not only start to act and look like a lady; she begins to understand situations like an adult. She realizes that she must act and look like a lady to avoid prejudices, and that what you hear about who someone could be completely wrong. Harper Lee was sending a theme to the people of the 30’s to show that children should not have to grow up in a world with so much prejudice and

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418 Words | 2 Pages

No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ‘em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change.” (Lee 76) Atticus. This quote is important to live by.

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1386 Words | 6 Pages

A mature character would not pick a fight or label people based on their money; however, by the end of the novel, Scout sees that these things are wrong. She begins to see that all people are equal and should be treated the same. The reader sees Scout growing up through her change in actions, speech, and morals. First,

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723 Words | 3 Pages

Scout was arguing with Cecil Jacobs one day in the schoolyard over Atticus defending Tom Robinson in court. Scout declares, “...it was the first time I ever walked away from a fight.” (Lee. 102) As Scout stated, that was the first time backing down from a fight in her whole life, all because she kept in mind Atticus’ advice. That advice made Scout a much better person in the long run and since it is in the book so often it is a quite important quote to Scout and the person she becomes. Learning how not to be quick to judge others is a powerful lesson learned by Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, the quote helped greatly for Scout to develop and change for the better.

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1070 Words | 5 Pages

Martin Luther King once said, “Unearned suffering is redemptive.” This demonstrates the character quality known as “redemptive suffering”. Redemptive suffering is a belief that by suffering through a wrong, you will eventually receive redemption for that suffering. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, many characters portray this trait. The Finch family, that is composed of Atticus, Jem, and Scout; suffers several times throughout the novel.

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295 Words | 2 Pages

Seeking an escape from gender prejudice, similar to Scout’s actions toward social class prejudice, Scout will do anything to keep from being called a girl. Scout believes from an early age that girl things are bad and boy things are good, and that she can avoid the girl side by not acting like one. Being a girl for Scout is less a matter of what people say and more a matter of what she does. When Scout questions her brother, Jem replies with a very sarcastic statement and yells, “Scout, I’m tellin’ you for the last time, shut your trap or go home – I declare you’re gettin’ more like a girl every day!” (Lee 69).

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282 Words | 2 Pages

In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a little girl named Scout lives with her brother Jem, her father Atticus, and her family's household maid Calpurnia. Scout is a six year old girl who is smarter and braver than the average six year old in the 1900’s. Since her father is a lawyer, he reads his cases to her resulting in her intelligence, but her intelligence cause problems a young girl should not worry about. Scout is in the first grade and understands more than her teacher wants her to. The Finch family live in Maycomb, Alabama close to the mysterious Radley house.

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1248 Words | 5 Pages

The novel, ”To Kill A Mockingbird”, is about growing up. Jean Louise Finch, most commonly known as Scout, is the protagonist and narrator of

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106 Words | 1 Pages

Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, illustrates how women are restricted by societal expectations. Women and girls are expected to act a certain way, to be feminine and docile. After an argument between Jem and Scout, Jem goes as far to shout, “‘It’s time you started bein’ a girl and acting right!’” (Lee, 153). Jem believes that Scout should be cooperative and malleable to be a typical girl.

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926 Words | 4 Pages

She has grown up around her brother, father, and maid. Scout gets discriminated by her aunt Alexandra. She was a very proper person. She acted as if what she did affects her whole family. She discriminated Scout because she didn’t wear dresses and didn’t act proper.

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