“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is a timeless classic that explores themes of racism, prejudice, justice, and innocence. The novel is set in the 1930s in Maycomb, a small town in Alabama, and follows the story of Scout Finch, a young girl, and her family. The novel has a profound impact on its readers, and it is considered to be one of the greatest works of American literature. In this essay, I will explore the importance of five quotes from the novel and how they relate to the themes of the book.
“Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” - Atticus Finch This quote, spoken by Atticus, sets the tone for the entire novel. It is a metaphor for the innocence that is destroyed by prejudice and racism. Mockingbirds are innocent creatures that bring joy through their singing, and killing them is a senseless act of cruelty. In the same way, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are innocent victims of racism and prejudice. This quote highlights the importance of preserving innocence and standing up against injustice.
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Atticus teaches his children to see things from other people's perspectives and not to judge them without understanding their point of view. This quote highlights the importance of empathy in understanding and addressing the problems of racism and
In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Scout receives her call to her quest after Atticus takes on the rape case against Tom Robinson. As Atticus’ daughter, Scout becomes involved in the initiative effects of Atticus taking on the case which begins an individual call for Scout. “I’m simply defending a Negro-his name’s Tom Robinson. He lives in that little settlement beyond the town dump.” This quote stated by Atticus provides for specific insight to the instance when it is first formally introduced that Atticus took up the case.
Atticus takes a stand by standing up for Tom Robinson. He stands up for him when the mob tries to harm him. In Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, In Chapter 15 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus goes to the jail to sit guard outside the night before Tom Robinson's trial, in the hope of stopping a lynch mob coming for him. At the end of chapter 15, Atticus and the children go to the office to guard Tom Robinson. Afterward, a group of anonymous men arrives at the scene to lynch the young African American man.
Importance of Details Kathreen Perez 1)Interesting Traxler, 3 Chapter 20 detail: -The whole county thinks that Mr. Raymond drinks whiskey, but he is actually drinking coca-cola in a bag. During the 1930's, racism raged through every corner of the United States, and the imaginary district of Maycomb County displayed the effects of injustice brought upon the African-American community during that time period.
In the book, and in everyday life, prejudice is often promoted and portrayed by those who are only a step above the lowest class or people who are part of the normal crowd against people who are different. When talking about the insulting name that Atticus is being called, he said “Ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody’s favoring Negroes over and above themselves” (Lee 108). It’s clear that he doesn’t support this type of vocabulary and he thinks that low people are prone to use it. In relation to low classes, an example is the Ewell’s treatment and vocabulary towards people who are one step lower than them like Tom Robinson. Another example of a majority against the minority is the treatment of the Finches.
Words of Wisdom The quote that Atticus tells Scout in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is true. This quote is true because each individual’s circumstances are different and because every person has had their own life experiences, ones that only a few people can relate to, but not completely understand. When Miss Caroline sees a cootie in Burris Ewell’s hair, she freaks out and her instant reaction is panicking.
“Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” is a quote in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This quote shows that although many characters within the movie faced hatred and judgment from those who did not agree with their actions, they still pursued what they believed to be morally right, rather than what the majority thought. To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the early 1930’s within the small town of Maycomb County. During this time period, the Great Depression was beginning to present itself. The Great Depression caused several disadvantages to the western society, such as the stock market crashing, which caused bank failure, unemployment, and excessive amounts of
Bravery in the Wisdom Do you remember when you were a kid and everything seemed terrifying, but as you got older you became braver the more you knew? To Kill A Mockingbird is a novel during The Great Depression that follows the Finch family's experiences. In her novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Jem Finch, appears to readers as a frightened boy, but throughout the novel, as Jem experiences many terrifying moments and many different adult-like scenarios, he begins to lose his childlike “brave” actions, showing how experience in different scenarios help develop a braver older mindset.
“‘Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.’” (119) To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in a small town called Maycomb county, located in Southern Alabama. The narrator, Scout Finch, goes over the past three years of her life from when she was six to eight.
Throughout our reading from, “To Kill A Movkingbird” we as readers learn more about Atticus and who he is as a character. Atticus is one of the characters that we have learned the most about. Atticus in the novel, is the father of Jem and Scout Finch. On page 118 of, “ To Kill A Mockingbird” it states, “He did not do the things our schoolmates’ did: he never went hunting, he did not play poker, or fish or drink or smoke. We had readers can see from this quote that Atticus is a very enlightened father and how he concentrates in important things in life such as his children and job.
Harper Lee uses the mad dog to symbolize many things. It shows how Atticus is the one that must do the unpleasant jobs. Just like how Atticus gets rid of Tim Johnson, he also had to deal with Tom Robinson. The dog is put as an outcast just as Tom Robinson is. The dog can also be shown as foreshadowing for Tom Robinson’s case.
Quotations Responses 2/14/2023 - Chapter 7, p. 65 “As Atticus had once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem's skin and walk around in it: if I had gone alone to the Radley Place at two in the morning, my funeral would have been held the next afternoon. So I left Jem alone and tried not to bother him” (Lee 65). 2/11/2023 - Chapter 7, p. 67 “Atticus told me to delete the adjectives and I’d have the facts” (Lee 67).
Jem is Shaped and Influenced by Society Jem, Scout's brother, from To Kill A Mockingbird is shaped and influenced by his society around him. Jem lives in the small town of Maycomb which is deeply rooted in racial injustices. Jem is initially unaware of the racial division but quickly sees the harsh reality of the world. Jem tells Scout, “There are just some kind of men who-who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one” (Chapter 23).
NOTE CARDS The student will compile 15 pieces of evidence and commentary using their PRIMARY and SECONDARY sources. The student MUST use at least one piece of evidence form EACH secondary source AND their primary source.
In the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee three main quotes that teaches both Jem and Scout life lessons are “until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (33) , “it’s a sin to kill a Mockingbird” (103), and “Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them” (323). These quotes are simple yet have a deep hidden meaning behind it that takes a lot of thinking that both Scout and Jem have to learn that they can’t just assume things about people without really knowing them, and that you are not allowed to destroy an innocent person that has done nothing to you. In the scene the quote “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (33) mainly
Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird is a Novel about a little town called Maycomb Alabama. This story is about a pair of siblings, Scout the younger sister and Jem the big brother. Boo what people call Arthur Radly, is a local legend who is described as a total of different things. Many people want to be as far away from him as possible but since no one has ever seen him leave the house that caused a lot of different types of gossip that were passed around town about who he is, and what he has done. Boo is portrayed to be some sort of “being” that the kids have never seen before.