... thematic concern of To Kill a Mockingbird addresses racial prejudice and social justice. Atticus Finch represents a strongly principled, liberal perspective that runs contrary to the ignorance and prejudice of the white, Southern, small-town community in which he lives. Atticus is convinced that he must instill values of equality in his children, counteracting the racist influence. Lee makes use of several ... has become more complex and multi-faceted, To Kill a Mockingbird has come under strong criticism for the fundamental values it puts forth. The novel has been criticized for promot...

• Word Count: 2287
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... inhabitants. As she gets older and wiser, she comes to the conclusion that the colored men are just like white men and that the world is unfair to colored people. One example of oppression comes in the form of deprivation of rights and materials, which basically means that someone ... onlooker when the trial is almost at an end. This doesn't bode well for Tom, as he is colored and his accuser is white. Colored people in courts were not given the rights they deserved, even when the law said they should be given those rights. Fair due process was ... enough. Deprivation didn't stop ther...

• Word Count: 1567
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... Alabama. The era in which both trials took place was one of hatred and ignorance. The idea that all white people were better than all blacks was a major part of both of these trials. A white person's word was held to be the truth when it was challenged by someone whom was black. Both trials ... were perfect examples of how the people of Alabama were above the law and could do whatever they wanted to the black people and get away with it. In ... . Hate for each other grew and both of the trials were examples of the frustration of the white people and their hate for the blacks. The chara...

• Word Count: 1415
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... the Blacks desired all the whites had, including their women. Aunt Alexandra's attitude to Calpurnia The Missionary tea ladies' comments about the Blacks essaybank.co.uk Segregation of White and Black in Maycomb Dolphus Raymond - White man living with Black woman Class & Family Group is recognised by Jem on page 249 "There are four kinds of folks in the world - - Finches & neighbours ... . When Tom said in the trial that he felt sorry for Mayella (a crime worse than rape in the jury's eyes) - the lowest class showing superiority for a class above themselves. The white community was frigh...

• Word Count: 1462
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... bleak because she is uneducated, having attended school for only three years. Her career choices are limited. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Mayella and the black people of Maycomb are equal in terms of limited opportunities. Mayella's life has been plagued with poverty and abuse which is why she is deserving of sympathy. Tom Robinson's only mistake ... a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed." (323) Tom is being scrutinized and receives much hate from the white people of Maycomb before the trial proceedings. There is even a plot by a lynch mob con...

• Word Count: 1484
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... room for doubt, "in the secrets of men's hearts Atticus had no case-. Although "the case is as simple as black and white-, the jury failed to understand the justice concerning an innocent black man purely because of racial prejudice. Because Tom "felt sorry- for ... a white person, his sympathy towards Mayella led her motivation to seduce him as a means of escaping the ugliness, hatred and loneliness that surrounded ... effort to get rid of her own guilt-, Robinson became the virtuous victim of racial prejudice. Scout did not understand why people believed the testimonies of ignorant, un...

• Word Count: 1363
• Approx Pages: 5

... 1930's, a time of economic depression in the United States. The small town of Maycombe carries a tradition of white - black segregation. Its Negroes being second class in the closed community of White Supremacy. The theme of outsiders is an issue in both novels. Change enters the lives of both David and ... the education system. He puts forward his concerns for the children and the fact that such dwellings like Salem House, are approved for young people to live in. The violence used on the boys at Salem House is arbitrary and it is a gross misuse of power on the teacher ... not heard p...

• Word Count: 1997
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... blacks but also against people of their own race. This was because of their fraternization with blacks or simply because of their social standing. Mr. Dolphus Raymond was a white man who was a victim of ostracism because of his association with a woman who was black. "Jem," I asked, "what's a mixed child?" "Half white, half colored. You ... they're half white; white folks won't have 'em 'cause they're colored, so they're just in-betweens, don't belong anywhere." He pretended to be a drunk so he didn't have to explain the fact that he was simply in love with a black woman. The alcohol, he ...

• Word Count: 1427
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... such. He believes that despite a person's personality, morality, integrity, or lack thereof, white people are always above black people, and he fought for discrimination against blacks until the very end. In Maycomb, it is commonplace for people like Bob Ewell to have their lives revolve around the strong belief that racism is right ... Kill a Mockingbird stand up for what they believe in, through multiple subtle, but meaningful acts of friendship, integrity, and morality. Many of the people who play smaller roles in Atticus and Tom's life each do their part to help. As Miss Maudie tells ...

• Word Count: 1682
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... them. Our first impression of Maycomb as a"tired old town" implies traditional, old-fashioned values, which we will experience with their treatment of Tom. " People moved slowly" This is emblematic of their resistance to change, which is also evident later on. Through this child's perception we first learn of Tom, ... courteous to Mr. Gilmer who was the prosecution against him. This also shows the black - white divide, as Tom is polite like he is speaking to a superior, which of course, in the 1930's, he was. The people's colour would decide the way they would converse and their merit, d...

• Word Count: 2388
• Approx Pages: 10

... residents believe Atticus should not put any effort into the case and let it all be done with. When a black man has been accused of raping a white woman, the verdict has already been decided regardless of the facts. Even Atticus' family sees the situation this way, which explains Scout's fight with her cousin ... to Calpurnia's church is the perfect example. To Scout, this seems very natural. She loves Cal and wants to know about Cal's life. But two white children in a black congregation in the 1930's are almost scandalous. Scout does not see it this way, but Aunt Alex's later reaction s...

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

... used as a metaphor for the good and innocent, such as Boo Radley and Tom Robinson, who are as a result of the evil encountered in the prejudice people of Maycomb County, destroyed. The novel suggests that "It is a sin to kill a mockingbird", sin being something that is morally wrong, meaning that although ... it isn't against the law or illegal to persecute an innocent, it is still immoral. Morality means essentially the goodness or badness of people based on their values and attitudes towards things. Your attitudes are what you feel about something based on your values; your opinion com...

• Word Count: 1371
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... in his use of language and his background: "Every town the size of Maycomb had families like the Ewells. No economic fluctuations changed their status - people like the Ewells lived as guests of the country in prosperity as well as in the depths of a depression." The Ewells lived in dirty conditions, have ... Mayella's position in society: "Mayella Ewell must have been the loneliest person in the world. She was even lonelier than Boo Radleyà white people would not have anything to do with her because she lived among pigs; Negroes would not have anything to do with her because she was ...

• Word Count: 1378
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... "I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness, and most of all, without catching Maycomb's usual disease. Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don't pretend to understand" (pg. 117). When the Tim Johnson ... protect Tom Robinson from the expected lynching mob which later arrived. He sat calmly outside the jail and read his newspaper until the country people arrived. Mr. Link Deas, editor and publisher of the Maycomb newspaper, had warned Atticus about the dangers presented by taking on the Tom ... he...

• Word Count: 2284
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

... 't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy" (Lee 119). Mockingbirds later become the symbol of victims of prejudice and innocent people who are outcasted and ridiculed due to the flaws of society. Some examples of mockingbirds throughout the book include Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo ... family's life at the court case and threatened his own image in society by doing so. He portrayed true acts of courage, and despite the White society's criticism, the Black community was grateful and "were getting to their feet" to watch him pass by (Lee 215). Atticus ... victim of racial cri...

• Word Count: 1674
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography

... them to, "in the name of God, believe him." (Lee, pg. 206) Sadly, based on the way that Maycomb society worked, and based on the fact that it was two white people's word against a black man's, the final verdict pronounced Tom Robinson guilty of the rape and abuse of Mayella Ewell. It mattered not that he was innocent, but that he was ... an idealistic dream as opposed to a reality. This is made apparent in so many ways, particularly in the manner that black people are treated. While waiting for the trial of Tom Robinson to begin, they sat separately from the white people outside of the ...

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

... final address to the court: ?..And so a quiet, respectable, humble Negro who had the unmitigated temerity tofeel sorry? for a white woman has had to put his word against two white people's......The witnesses for the state.....have presented themselves to you gentleman, to this court, in the cynical confidence that their testimony would ... his principles and knowledge is simply the fact that in everyday life, and specifically during his speeches and actions in the courtroom, he strives to let people learn from his example. He treats Tom Robinson as an equal, despite the fact that he is bo...

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

... factor which always creates conflicting arguments. The novel shows the importance of tolerance and courage in everyday life, and how they can greatly affect the people around you. Courage, in some cases can be the fine line between life and death. The most obvious example of courage is conveyed through the ... that in our society is unspeakable" [p.210]) A "Nigger" would never go near a "white" person, but Tom being a perfect gentleman, risks everything to assist a lady in need. Tom has the courage to associate with a "white" person, but when he is not victorious in the law suit, his sp...

• Word Count: 1315
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... bravery as a moral thing on an intellectual level, not something that can be proved with a weapon. Scout - When Atticus takes on the Robinson case, people make fun of Atticus, but not to his face. The children at Scout's school tell Scout about their opinions of Atticus. Scout gets into fights at ... Jem and Scout to the First Purchase Church, Lula, a woman at the church, was unhappy about having White children in the church. She said that the Black people had their own church, and the White people had theirs. Calpurnia stood up for Jem and Scout, and she stayed at church, despite Lula'...

• Word Count: 1389
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... 293). In the Novel, Scout and Jem have no prejudice feelings until they see how white people treat the blacks during the trial. They question their father Atticus as to why the white people do not like the black people. Also, Scout and Jem have had a black house keeper named Calpurnia since they ... the story. The racism is greatly reflective of that which was present in the nineteen-thirties. It emphasizes what the temperament and feelings of the people were like at that time. Atticus does a good job defending Tom Robinson during the trial. It is debated that, "the jury's willingness t...

• Word Count: 1479
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... . This motif is carried out through Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, Atticus and Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinson, a simple ,kind, and helpful man. If he was white, he would probably be a very highly respected, influencial man. Although he is black. And as a consequence was unfairly accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Even though ... whites wun have anything to do with them becos they are coloured. The coloured folks wun have anything to do with them becos they are half-white." Tom Robinson -- another person who is a mockingbird. Helped Mayella out of good will and yet is accused to have raped her. Dur...

• Word Count: 1255
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... old brother of the narrator of the story Scout Finch. He acts as Scouts playmate and protector. He is a very emotional character, but does not like people to see his true feelings. Instead he lets his actions show the kind of person he really is. Like his father and sister he is very intelligent ... the dark side of the South: ignorance, poverty, and hate-filled racial prejudice. He is always drunk and is known as one of the lowest and poorest people in the Maycomb society. He "fathers" his nine motherless children in a shack near the town dump. While the trial was going on, Bob Ewell to...

• Word Count: 1317
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... -lover" for defending Tom Robinson in court. Atticus explains to both his children that the prejudice in Maycomb is a sort of disease afflicting even "good" people (Lee). Atticus' wise and understanding attitude is because he is quite aware of the fact that each human being has positive and negative sides. He always ... aggressive or bad deeds. When Atticus was asked to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused for raping a white woman, people in Maycomb started to talk about it. When Atticus was informed by Scout that people like old Mrs. Dubose have been calling him names "niggers and t...

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

... is a lawyer and is defending a black man in court (Tom Robinson), something that was not often done in the south due to racism. Many people feel threatened by this and feel very resentful towards Atticus. Throughout the novel all the members of the Finches and many others display courage in their attempts ... Scout "I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody." He also tried to act the same around everyone. He was always polite to black people, undesirable people and the rest of Maycomb. He always called Mayella Miss Mayella. Mayella didn't see this as him being polite and got annoye...

• Word Count: 1400
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... is quite clear that To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, represents courage the best by the actions of Atticus, Scout, and Boo Radley. During the great depression this novel experiences, white supremacy and racism which are discouraging actions that illustrate courage as one of the most relevant themes in the book. Courage is a powerful theme throughout the novel, being courageous is ... choice in every situation. Atticus knew that exposing who killed Bob would be a brutal way to repay Boo from saving Jem and Scout. Atticus really is an iconic hero because people that do evil are not, i...

• Word Count: 1350
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School