To Kill A Mockingbird: Racism And Prejudice
To Kill A Mockingbird: Racism And Prejudice
There are many destructive forces in the world that may destroy our humanity, strike down our beliefs and shatter our morals. This is the power of racism. Racism is the worst kind of prejudice in society, and as illustrated in "To Kill a Mockingbird" it ruins people's lives. Racism and courage are the major themes in Harper Lee's novel. The story is told through the eyes of a young female narrator, Scout, the daughter of a middle class lawyer who does not have the support of his `white' community when he strongly defends a `black' man in court. Scout's father, Atticus Finch, is a strong advocate for human rights and equality in a community ...
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or harm them would be wrongdoing. Scout's father, Atticus, tells Scout and Jem:
"I'd rather you shoot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." (Chapter 10, page 99).
The mockingbird symbolizes these characters in a way because it is a "sin" to kill the innocent, but also because a mockingbird does not have its own song. After this quote, Miss Maudie then goes on about how Atticus is right and it would be wrong. This shows they are both pure at heart. The mockingbird only sings other birds' songs. The people of Maycomb only knew Boo Radley and Tom Robinson by what others said about them. Both of these characters do not really have their own "song" in a sense, and therefore, are characterized by other people's viewpoints, especially Boo.
The major storyline in this novel is the court case where Atticus defends a `black man', Tom Robinson against the ...
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against the black community in this town. The Finch family, who openly defend and show support for the `black' community are also victims of this racist abuse. Examples include, when Scout's cousin Francis refers to Atticus as a nigger-lover - a term obviously heard from parents:
"At a safe distance he called, `He's nothin' but a nigger-lover!'" (Chapter 9, page 92).
Scout gets angry and is ready to defend her father's name. It's true that she didn't quite understand what the term meant, but she also didn't understand the Negro's point of view. She knew anything to do with the `black' society wasn't a good name, and she didn't want her father to be associated with ...
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"To Kill A Mockingbird: Racism And Prejudice." Essayworld.com. September 8, 2013. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/To-Kill-A-Mockingbird-Racism-Prejudice/102989.
"To Kill A Mockingbird: Racism And Prejudice." Essayworld.com. September 8, 2013. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/To-Kill-A-Mockingbird-Racism-Prejudice/102989.
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