... of the town, which causes the new teacher to be dismayed. Burris only comes to school on the first day in order to be registered. He shouts abuse at the teacher who is reduced to tears. At home Scout complains to Atticus about school and that she is never going back, but Atticus says under ... tells Jem and Scout that Atticus was the best shot in the county and was know as One-shot Finch'. The Finch family receives more abuse from certain members of the community and Mrs. Dubose, a vindictive old lady, tells the children that Atticus is no better than the niggers and trash he works for'. ...

• Word Count: 10075
• Approx Pages: 40
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... or drastically changed by that one horrible man - Tom Robinson, who was convicted for a crime he did not commit; Mayella Ewell, who's emotional scars of abuse will never heal; and Jem and Scout who were forced to learn how unfair life can really be, because of him. The lesson they were faced with ... years of childhood, that you can not truly judge someone until you know them and their situation. The children were quick to jump to the conclusion that their neighbour Mrs. Dubose was a mean, nasty old witch. It wasn't hard to understand why when she would holler things such as, "Don't you s...

• Word Count: 1706
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... , but also made it easier to understand what slaves went through mentally. Slave owners even affected the slave's sexual lives from continuous sexual abuse. Sexual abuse from slave owners caused a serious problem for slaves and caused women to feel father apart from men. The tradition of treating women as ... had power over their female slave's sexuality affected not only women slaves but also negatively affected many relationships between families, genders, and race. Sexual abuse aimed at slave women caused the slave owners wives to feel jealous and enraged that there husband would pick...

• Word Count: 734
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... themes of the novel are explored in great depth. The many forms of courage are shown throughout the novel by the characters of Jem, Boo (Arthur), Mrs. Dubose, and Atticus. Jem showed one of the greatest acts of physical courage as he protected his little sister Scout from the attack of Bob Ewell ... and it took mental courage for him to try and reach out to Jem and Scout when his father kept him imprisoned. Emotional courage is shown through Mrs. Dubose; she was a morphine addict and it took great courage for her to quit before her death to "die beholden to nothing and nobody". ... he di...

• Word Count: 1064
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... he chooses to persist and try to help Tom. His courage is displayed by his need to help. Mrs Dubose initially appears as an evil tyrant who insults the Finch family at every opportunity. After Jem destroys Mrs Dubose's camellia bushes, he is forced to spend time with her. Both Jem and Scout go to ... her house once a week to read to her. After the death of Mrs Dubose, it is revealed that she was a morphine addict who wanted to break herself from it before she died. She suffered, but broke herself free from ... thew morphine. Atticus explains to the children that whet Mrs Dubose did was ...

• Word Count: 951
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... without a trial. When Atticus agrees to defend Tom, he and his children come in for a great deal of verbal, and some physical, abuse. In the trial itself Atticus says that Bob and Mayella have assumed that they will automatically be believed over a black person. Atticus asks the jury ... Lee's portrayal of unfairness is through Jem and Scout's maturations and adventures throughout the story. An example of Jem maturing is through is encounter with Mrs. Dubose's white azaleas. The white azaleas can be interpreted as representing racism on behalf of the whites, hence the color. Jem attacks ...

• Word Count: 1230
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... Female Domestics During the Depression in New York City, 1930-1940, it says that "Though black female domestics were exposed to exploitation and abuse, all employers were not mean, evil task masters. There were those who paid their workers on time and even tried to help them advance academically and socially ... . Mrs. Margie Smith had one employer who sent her to night school and even helped her with her homework. She was paid fifteen dollars a month as a ... sleep-in. Her duties were clearly defined and mutually agreed upon. Mrs. Smith attributed this kindness to the fact that her emp...

• Word Count: 1149
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... writes "Everywhere the years bring to all enough of sin and sorrow, but in slavery the very dawn of life is darkened by these shadows" (Jacobs 27). Jacobs discusses the abuse and resulting oppression she experiences from Mrs. Flint, who feels self-pity for her husband's licentiousness, but no empathy for the author, her husband's victim. To get Jacobs away from ... Mrs. Flint, Dr. Flint builds a cottage for the slave girl four miles from town. Later Jacobs, in order to protect herself from Dr. Flint, develops a relationship with Mr. Sands, a white, unmarried ... attempts by Dr. Flint ...

• Word Count: 1190
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... sexual exploitation; often bearing the children of their white masters, master's sons, or overseers. Black women were prohibited from defending themselves against any type of abuse, including sexual, at the hands of white men. If a slave attempted to defend herself, she was often subjected to further beatings from the master or ... growing by his own doing, and not by importing more slaves from Africa" ("Antebellum"). Even though females went through a lot of abuse, they tried to stay true to their religious faith and morals. They were forced into situations that they had no control ove...

• Word Count: 1018
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... with his children, whom he teaches many things. A prominent example is when he teaches his son Jem a lesson by insisting that he go and read to the sardonic, ageing neighbour, Mrs. Dubose, whose garden young Jem tore apart in rage at her bitter words. This excerpt from the novel illustrates the lesson he was trying to teach:..She had her own ... hand. It's when you know you?re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. Mrs Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden t...

• Word Count: 1341
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... of Negroes by the white populace- "when your first name becomes "nigger," your last name becomes "boy" (no matter how old you are)"- is similar to Maya Angelou's anger at Mrs. Cullinan when the latter shortened her name for convenience. Although at the surface this seems trivial, in reality it is a serious form of discrimination because it sets a precedent which awards ... white people the right to rob Negroes of their very identity. Then after complaining of the fact that Negro wives and mothers are "never given the respected title "Mrs.,"" King taunts the clergymen by sarcastically re...

• Word Count: 4137
• Approx Pages: 17
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... pursuit of justice and a fair trial for his client Bigger Thomas. The members of the Dalton family represent the naivety of whites to the realities of social oppression. Mr. and Mrs. Dalton attempt to correct their wrongs by donating to various black charities. They create a boy's club, donating ping-pong tables and various other impractical items. In doing so, they do ... personal sacrifices and basically give only minimal personal involvement to the cause. They have not developed a genuine understanding of the economic and social conditions of the black people. Mr. and Mrs. Dalton are...

• Word Count: 1488
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... known as the Reconstruction. During this period of time many people suffered in the south. There was a great amount of property damage done to farms, factories, and railroads. Many other foundations were destroyed that citizens depended upon to keep their economy strong. Some economic hardships included destruction of the credit system and worthlessness of the Confederate money. In the south, Reconstruction ... a Freedman chose not to sign the contract, he was intimidated into signing. White planters would often tell the Freedman to sign or he and his family would fall under constant ab...

• Word Count: 1876
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... tell her son that she was wrong about the house, her family was shot (O"Connor 1428-1439). The Mays from Greenleaf also value position in society. Mrs. May is furious that her workers, the Greenleafs, might be moving up in society. The Greenleaf boys had joined the military and made something of themselves ... " (O"Connor 1445). The May boys, on the other hand, are single and still live at home. Mrs. Greenleaf's religion is also below Mrs. May. Her "prayer healing" so bothers Mrs. May, that she once told Mrs. Greenleaf "Jesus would be ashamed of you. He would tell you to get up from there...

• Word Count: 1220
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... people fight endless battles. This novel is known for the amount of bravery many of the characters posses. In Harper Lee's novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Mrs. Dubose's fight to die her own person, Atticus" recognition of a man's civil rights in the 1930s, and Arthur Radley's willingness to sacrifice himself for ... to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew" (Lee 112). Since Atticus made Jem read to Mrs. Dubose, Jem is exposed to courage based on a person's character and value system. Up to this point Jem had truly viewed courage as when ...

• Word Count: 1091
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... her, would then lead to Alice making serious decisions on whether or not she should knock on Mrs. Taylor's door. Alice eventually declined from knocking which lead to Mrs. Taylor's death in her sleep. Alice and Mrs. Taylor are women who attended a conference on Christianity. This conference was of high class not just ... been a member of the conference for some time now, "She's been a member of this Conference for years." (778). The conflict of this short story starts when Mrs. Taylor makes a rude gesture to Alice's face, "I've never eaten with a nigger and I"m too old to begin now" (777...

• Word Count: 691
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... has NEVER treated Scout like that before. In other times he has done his utmost to protect her. As a punishment for vandalising Mrs Dubose's garden, Jem is told that he must go to Mrs Dubose's house and read to her. She wanted him to read to her because she was a morphine addict and she wanted to ... make it easier, but it wasn't right for her." Just as it wasn't right in Atticus" mind turn down the court case, it wasn't right in Mrs Dubose's mind to be morphine dependant. They both did what they thought was right in their minds. They threw aside the opinions of others because they knew ...

• Word Count: 1521
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... a young white woman named Linda Jean Jenkins. Black people in the South back then were expected to call white people only by their last names preceded by a Mr., Miss, or Mrs.. Because Linda Jean was only a little older than Moody and because she was informal and friendly, she insisted that Moody call her by her first name. Linda Jean's mother ... to the dignity of the racial norm of the time. Later, Anne Moody went to work for Mrs. Burke herself. Although Mrs. Burke's mother treated Moody well, Mrs. Burke engaged in psychological games with Moody in an effort to assert racial domination...

• Word Count: 1381
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... selfless and genuine, and it shows in her love for those around her. An example of granny putting others before her is how she took care of Mrs. Em. Mrs. Em was an old, wealthy white woman who lived near granny and Pinky. In the beginning of the movie she was stubborn, cold and unfriendly. ... she had spoken in the movie and throughout the rest of the film her actions coincided with her prejudice views towards blacks. In this film I believe that Mrs. Woley represented the "typical" white person during that time period. She was hateful and lacked sympathy for anyone other than white people...

• Word Count: 2066
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... stronger woman after she sat down. She looked out of the house's large open window which also indicated the open opportunities available to her at the moment. Mrs. Mallard now knows that she could make a life for herself. She began to see how her marriage (emblematic slavery) made her weak. She realized that ... she was living her life through the limitations caused from being married to Mr. Mallard. Mrs. Mallard knew that she could now begin to live her life to the fullest. She was now free from the man that controlled the relationship. In ... "Story of an Hour", marriage gives the imp...

• Word Count: 1578
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... anything about the incident in order to stay out of trouble. Moody went on to work at Mrs. Burke's house but Emmett Till was still on her mind, which made her nervous to work around the family. Mrs. Burke asked Moody if she knew about the murder of Emmett Till and Moody acts as if ... with a white woman. Moody's fear of being killed because she was black began to grow for the first time that night. A few days later, Moody overheard Mrs. Burke and her company talking about an organization called the "NAACP" and she asked mama what it meant. Mama told her to never mention that word ... ag...

• Word Count: 1133
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... anything about the incident in order to stay out of trouble. Moody went on to work at Mrs. Burke's house but Emmett Till was still on her mind, which made her nervous to work around the family. Mrs. Burke asked Moody if she knew about the murder of Emmett Till and Moody acts as if ... with a white woman. Moody's fear of being killed because she was black began to grow for the first time that night. A few days later, Moody overheard Mrs. Burke and her company talking about an organization called the "NAACP" and she asked mama what it meant. Mama told her to never mention that word ... ag...

• Word Count: 1133
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... associates with wealth. Janie quickly discovers, however, that not everyone on the tea flats shares her sense of pride and freedom. Mrs. Turner offers the most potent example of how black people are susceptible to racism just as are white people. "Mrs. Turner, like all other believers had built an altar to the unattainable - Caucasian characteristics for all" (216). Not only does ... and despises blackness. She associates dark with words like "defilement," "foolishness," and "desecrators" (216). The negative connotations of these words show the extent of Mrs. Turner's ironic racism dire...

• Word Count: 1653
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... insulting, because of the centuries of their having been called blackbirds, crows, boots, and spooks." By shortening the name, it's as if Mrs. Cullinan is denying Marguerite's identity. Marguerite finally gets Mrs. Cullinan to say her correct name by destroying Mrs. Cullinan's favorite plates, which ironically, Marguerite spent the first part of her training working so diligently to learn the names and recognize ... by their correct name. Another interesting point is the subservience of Miss Glory. Her name was changed as well, but she likes it and even closely echoes the words of Mrs. ...

• Word Count: 565
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... she herself, "got her first job at nine years old", (Moody, page 31) pursued a job working for Mrs. Johnson, cleaning her porch later turning into the maid of Mrs. Johnson's house. This moment was quite intriguing to me in that it showed Anne persistence to strive for a better family life ... (Moody, page 35). Anne first encounter of disgust that embodied her image of the white people. However, after leaving Mrs. Johnson lonely cat house, she was able to get a job at Mrs.Claiborne's house, like they say when one door closes another one opens up. Here her experience with the white people...

• Word Count: 1364
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School