To Kill a Mockingbird - Analytical Essay.
Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird we are presented with two things, a happy little southern town and the ugly face of racism. We are shown this in many shapes and forms; through characters, setting and events throughout the story. Although the town, Maycomb, portrays both a happy community and a pretty little town on it's surface, underneath it exposes its ugly division formed by the sad, ongoing issue of racism. .
To Kill a Mockingbird is set in a small, southern town in 1930's America. This is a period after the civil war, during the depression. It was during this time period that the townsfolk were going through a time of unrest and upheaval when it came to racism and this brought on many different views on the issue. Some people had changed their views about the Negroes but others were still caught in the rut of absolute prejudice against them. We see these varying views in Atticus and Dolphus Raymond in contrast with Mr Ewell who represents intense hate for the Black Americans. .
Maycomb is a very isolated town and there is limited migration. This means that the town has little chance to change it's values due to the limited flow of migrating townsfolk and they therefore stay rigidly within their sometimes confined and old fashioned beliefs.
The fact that the story is set during the depression emphasizes the poverty and sense of desperation throughout the town; this causes people to be very spiteful and blaming and a need for someone to take it out on. The Negroes are the people who are subject to the blaming as the whites can get away with it, this emphasizes how low down the blacks are seen to be and how little they are cared about. The setting of the novel also emphasizes how split the town is between the whites and the blacks. The Negroes are shunned to the outskirts of the town, deprived of an education and even made to attend a separate church.
To Kill a Mockingbird deals with Southern life during the 1930 "s. The book exposes a great deal of stereotyping, racism and prejudice. ... That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."... Throughout Harper Lee's, To Kill A Mockingbird Atticus is the voice of reason. ... Atticus kills the dog, like he kills the racism and prejudice, not letting it spread to his children. ...
The world's worst kind of prejudice is racism, and as illustrated in "To Kill a Mockingbird," it ruins the lives of those who suffer from it. During the time this book was written, racism was acceptable, but "To Kill a Mockingbird" shows the world a whole different side of the time. ... The benign force of racism puts a stamp on every part of "To Kill a Mockingbird," but the most apparent victim would be Tom Robinson. ... In "To Kill a Mockingbird," Atticus says, "But do you think I could face my children otherwise? ... All of this is evident in "To Kill a Mockingbird," during the lives o...
Racism in "To Kill A Mockingbird" is very common, and it is an important part in the story. ... Innocence in "To Kill A Mockingbird" is shown throughout the book various times. ... Courage in "To Kill A Mockingbird" is shown by various characters like Scout, Jem, Atticus, and Tom Robinson. Courage in "To Kill A Mockingbird" is very hard to come by because of all the prejudice remarks and racist comments to the local African-Americans in the story, Atticus although puts aside the differences between white and black people and decides to help a black man in court. ... Racism, innocence, and cour...
Racism caused many problems for black people in the South during the depression. ... In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows how prejudice and racism affected black people. ... That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird... - 90 Tom Robinson shouldn't die for being a mockingbird, but racists can't look past the color of his skin to see the harmless and innocent mockingbird. Prejudice and racism made it hard for many blacks to live a normal life during the depression. ...
A major theme in To Kill A Mockingbird is racism. ... The setting of To Kill A Mockingbird is a small, southern town in the 1930's. This setting is the most important fictional element that affected the theme of racism in To Kill A Mockingbird. ... There were many reasons why Maycomb County's people were filled with racism. ... The theme of racism in To Kill A Mockingbird was most affected by the old, small, southern town called Maycomb County. ...
Racism was an influential part of society in the 1930s' as seen in To Kill a Mockingbird. ... The largest demonstration of this in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird is Tom Robinson, he was guilty the moment that Bob Ewell reported him to the Sheriff Heck Tate. ... A large step in the fight against racism. The racism in To Kill a Mockingbird was ridiculous, not in the fact that there was so much of it and it was so strong, but in the fact that a community would take the word of a trashy white man over that of a clearly innocent black man; that is what makes it so ridiculous. ... Racism was a...
Atticus Finch is a complicated character in "To Kill A Mockingbird." ... "He doesn't believe in killing just to kill. He says that killing mockingbirds is a "sin"" because they don't hurt anyone in any way. ... Atticus's fair-mindedness makes racism something he hates. ... Atticus doesn't understand racism - "Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don't pretend to understand"" (117). ...
Essay: To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee expertly incorporates a variety of themes into To Kill a Mockingbird. ... Among the themes presented, racism, education, and bravery stand out as the fundamental themes in To Kill a Mockingbird. Racism is the most prominently significant theme in To Kill a Mockingbird. ... Education is also a key theme in To Kill a Mockingbird. ... The themes of racism, education, and bravery all play an important role in shaping To Kill a Mockingbird into the literary success it has become. ...
What would it be like living in a period of time where racism was normal? ... In the book To Kill A Mockingbird Atticus tries to teach is kids the correct skills in dealing with situations such as racism, prejudice, and even how to fight back with non-violence. ... Another skill that Atticus tries to teach is kids is not to harm mockingbirds. In the beginning of the book Atticus says that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because it never harms anyone and does nothing but create music for people to listen to. Mockingbirds is a synonym in a way, because it can represent people also such as Tom ...
