To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Essay Example For Students

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Essay In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, an interesting idea is prejudice. This idea is portrayed in many aspects of the novel, and is directed towards both groups and individuals in the Maycomb community. Prejudice is linked with the ideas of fear, superstition and injustice. It is important because we can see how it affected people. Prejudice is said to be Maycombs usual disease. Racial prejudice cost an innocent black man, Tom Robsinsons, life, as he has been found guilty without justice. In our courts when its a white mans word against a black mans, the white man always wins. We will write a custom essay on To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Theyre ugly, but those are the facts of life. This interacts with another idea of injustice. Also, the night before the trial, the lynch mob arrives at the jail like a Roman Carnival, to watch a poor devil on trial for his life. This clearly showed how those white men have no respect for Tom as they treat the trial like a show. Furthermore, we can sense the ugliness in the racial tension and prejudice which threatens Toms safety even before he comes to trial. Prejudice is also shown towards individual characters in the novel who do not fit into the expected behavioural patterns of society and about whom little is known. Atticus Finch, Boo Radley, Dolphus Raymond and Tom Robinson are all victims of this kind of prejudice. Tom felt sorry for a white girl, and Atticus aimed to defend a black man. Thats what (the society) dont like about it. Mr Raymond is a white man who dislikes the idea of prejudice and would prefer to live among the blacks. He reveals his secret of pretending to be a drunkard to the children because he respects their innocence. He believe that they might understand as they have not yet caught Maycombs usual disease. Boo Radley has been misjudged by others because he never comes out of his house and so little of him was known. The rumours and superstitious views of ghosts, stories the children have heard, increase their fear of Boo Radley. Mr Raymond describes prejudice as the simple hell people give other people. It is a timeless and universal issue. The route to prejudice starts from the lack of understanding of others, causing fear, stereotyping and intolerance, which leads to prejudice and injustice. This can be overcome when we consider things from (other people)s point of view , climb into (their) skin and walk around it in. Tolerance, sympathy and courage are then developed instead of prejudice. These finest human attributes are displayed by Atticus. We can see the ugly issues in human life, make their appearances on Harper Lees narrow stage. The issue that prejudice of any kind is very wrong, and is the most damaging thing human can do to another. Also the idea of not to judge people by their skin colour, or position, as we are all human and should all be treated with justice. Only through the narrow stage, we realise how prejudice can damage others so badly. To Kill a Mockingbird By Harper Lee Essay Example For Students To Kill a Mockingbird By Harper Lee Essay To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has never been out of print since it was first published in the nineteen fifties. I consider there to be many reasons for it still to be popular today. The gripping plot with twists and turns keeps you in suspense right up till the very end, and the harsh reality of the addressed issues adds intense drama and interest to the novel. The novel is set in southern Alabama in the 1930s in a tired old town called Maycomb. This town is very close knit and everyone knows everyone elses business. However, in spite of this, the town is very divided coloured and non-coloured, rich white and poor white, educated and less educated. The novel is written from the perspective of Jean Louise Finch (known as Scout to her friends), the eight-year-old daughter of Atticus Finch, a lawyer appointed the position of defending Tom Robinson, a black man wrongly accused of raping a white girl. By telling the story through Scout, Lee has found an effective way of gradually releasing information about the plot and enabling the reader to be at the centre of the story. We will write a custom essay on To Kill a Mockingbird By Harper Lee specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now This is supported by Harper Lees simple but efficient description, for example, in the case of Dill: Dill was a curiosity. He wore blue linen shorts that buttoned to his shirt, his hair was snow white and stuck to his head like duck fluff. This gives the reader a clear picture of Dill and enables Dills character to come alive in the readers mind. A reason I believe this book to still have appeal is the unforgettable characters that Harper Lee has created. Scout is one of my personal favourites being strong-willed and determined. She is young and naive and doesnt understand why people are prejudiced and discriminate against the coloured folks. She can appear quite ignorant to the facts sometimes, which leaves the reader guessing and trying to figure out what happens for themselves. An example of her naivety is shown when she disperses the crowd that had gathered in front of the jail with simple conversation and an honest face. Maycomb is a town that is very set in its ways. It doesnt accept newcomers particularly amiably if they are new to the customs of Maycomb and do not follow them. An example of this is shown in Miss Fisher, and the way she deals with the situations that arise in her classroom. When Walter Cunningham doesnt accept the money Miss Fisher offers to lend him, she becomes confused and clings to her methods of education in a means to console herself. By doing this, she is proving to herself and to the class that she can teach. Another reason I would suggest this book to still be in demand is the multiple plots that intertwine and bring together the themes and topics of the novel. The sense of mystery from Boo Radley runs the whole way through the story and as the children grow, we can see their maturity developing as they learn to accept Boos way of living. This is shown clearly in the final chapter where Scout and Jem (Scouts older brother) finally meet Boo after years of wondering about him and thinking of ways to make him come out of his house. Scout appears significantly older in this chapter, and understands Boos movements and body language. He gently released my hand, opened the door, went inside, and shut the door behind him. I never saw him again. I also found Atticus a very interesting character. His offspring dont think much of him and are embarrassed about how he never shows his physical strength against the other fathers of their friends. He is a very intellectual and wise man whom is never discriminative or prejudiced. He has strong belief for equality and fair play. White men will cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something. .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af , .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af .postImageUrl , .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af , .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af:hover , .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af:visited , .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af:active { border:0!important; } .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af:active , .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1e19c66423b17d3728d8bd1dd93cc4af:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Author's View of Human Behaviour EssayWhenever a white man does that to a black man, that white man is trash There is also a hidden side to Atticus, which is revealed in the rabid dog incident. With movements so swift they seemed simultaneous, Atticuss hand yanked a ball tipped lever as he brought the gun to his shoulder. This shows that Atticus isnt quite what he seems to be, and it turns out that he was the best shot of the county when he was younger. After fifty years of being published, I consider this novel to still have much appeal. This is a classic novel of the twentieth century, which in my opinion is timeless due to its ever-topical issues of discrimination and prejudice.