Preview

Reality In To Kill A Mockingbird

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
357 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Reality In To Kill A Mockingbird
The second hidden, but powerful, theme in To Kill a Mockingbird is facing reality. This was something most of the characters faced throughout the entire book. Characters, like Jem, faced this a lot especially towards the end of the book. “Mr. Jem, I ain’t never seen an any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man.”(Lee 279). This came from Reverend Sykes, an African American, talking to Jem about the jury which shocked Jem. Jem was a very smart young man and he was also very logical. It was obvious that the black man was innocent, and he was expecting to win the case but was shocked by the Reverend’s words. Jem started to face the reality of the racist Maycomb town for the first time. He started to see what he was growing up in.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    To Kill a Mockingbird Q&a

    • 960 Words
    • 4 Pages

    To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter Questions Chapters 1-3 1. Why does the Radley place fascinate Scout, Jem and Dill? 2. What, briefly, has happened to Arthur “Boo” Radley. 3. Describe Miss Caroline's interactions with Burris Ewell. What does this suggest about Miss Caroline? What does this suggest about the Ewells? 4. Who is Calpurnia? What is her place in the Finch household? 5. Atticus says that you never really understand a person "until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."(pp 33) What does this mean? What does this lesson suggest about Atticus? Is it an easy thing for Scout to learn? Chapters 1-3 1. Because Radley has a lot of rumours. “People said he went out at night when the moon was high, and peeped in windows. When people’s azaleas froze in a cold snap, it was because he had breathed on them. Any stealthy crimes committed in Maycomb were his work.” Their lifestyles are very different, special and incomprehensible. “The Radleys, welcome anywhere in town, kept to themselves, a predilection unforgivable in Maycomb. They did not go to church, Maycomb’s principal recreation, but worshipped at home; Mrs Radley seldom if ever crossed the street for a mid-morning coffee break with her neighbours and certainly never joined a missionary circle. Mr.Radley walked to town at eleven-thirty every morning and came back promptly at twelve; sometimes carrying a brown paper bag that the neighbourhood assumed contained the family groceries’.” They are also mysterious to the children.” I never knew how old Mr.Radley made his living-Jem said he ‘bought cotton’, a polite term for doing nothing – but Mr.Radley and his wife had lived there with their two sons as long as anybody could remember.” The children themselves are really curious." He would stand hugging the light-pole on the corner, the more he would wonder.” The house is mysterious, too. “The house was low, was once white with a deep front porch and green shutters, but had long ago darkened to the colour of the…

    • 960 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tom Robinson's Trial

    • 293 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A theme in “To Kill A Mockingbird,” could be that you should never judge a person by their color. The way people were judge affected Tom Robinson’s trial because all colored people were treated differently than white people back in the day. Reverend Sykes explained to Jem; “I ain't ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man” (Lee 279). Tom was not going to be charged with the crime. This is because everything that was said on his half proved that he was innocent but judges never choose a colored man over a white man. Further, Tom Robinson was not able to win the trial because he is a colored man. The judge got the piece of paper and says “ ‘Guilty… guilty… guilty… guilty…’ “(Lee 282). The color of Tom’s skin changed…

    • 293 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The role of the setting in To Kill a Mockingbird is to set the mood or tone for the novel. In To Kill a Mockingbird the setting is Maycomb, Alabama in the early 1930s, during the years of the Great Depression. The whole story grows out of this particular background. From the description of the setting, the reader can gain a sense of what is going on and where it is occurring. Since the novel takes place during the Great Depression, readers can assume that many in the town are poor or struggling financially. Also, since the story is occurring during the early 1930s, readers can tell that segregation is still present along with racism. In the novel, the different places that Harper Lee describes, helps establish the atmosphere of that specific…

    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In our society, there is a lot of mislead or misguided judgement towards others. No one takes the time to verily study someone, and find out who they are. Instead, they base a person’s whole personality strictly on their appearance and what they hear about them. In To Kill A Mockingbird, there are great deals of misjudgment, and inequity particularly against characters like Mrs.Dubose, Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. They were all perceived as people they weren't. Everyone didn’t see the truth, the reality. They were so quick to judge they missed the true qualities of these people. Appearance versus reality is a vast issue in the story. Everyone should be against appearance over reality because no one should have to be judged by what's on…

    • 140 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    As most people have read the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, many have wondered, what contributes most to the story’s themes? Well, throughout the novel, there are three main literary elements that come into play. In the passage “‘It ain’t right, Atticus…”’(pg.284) to “I looked up, and his face was vehement”(pg.296), Harper Lee uses the literary element character, setting, and tone to develop the theme that recognizing perspectives contributes to coming of age. As many other themes in the novel, the theme will show a change in how Jem starts to view the world, and the major roles included in it, such as racism. But his perspective comes mostly from the kind of character he is.…

    • 1008 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.” (Lee, 39). Authors have the power to show us others point of view, they can put us in their shoes. Literature teaches empathy, gives us a deeper look at things. To Kill a Mockingbird and “A Bronzeville Mother Loiters in Mississippi. Meanwhile a Mississippi Mother Burns Bacon” shows us things very differently than what we initially thought it would was. Things aren’t always what they seem, the truth is mostly being overshadowed by what others want it to be.…

    • 613 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Boo Radley Trial

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Altogether, the theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is the moral difference between good and evil. The prejudice, inequality, and adversity in this story cause the reader to really assess what is right and wrong. This story ultimately caused an emotional reaction because it is hard to read about so many unjust situations occurring and to see innocent people being treated…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Steve Jobs once said, “Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life...have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” By this, he means: don't let the voices and beliefs of others overrule yours, but instead follow your own intuition. This is exactly what Atticus teaches his children in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. In the novel, Atticus shows his children that even though everyone may be against your belief or stand on something, continue to think for yourself even though others may disagree.…

    • 398 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    did not understand Boo, he was not seen outside of his house and people did not…

    • 429 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The 1930s was a time of depression and prejudice. The stock market plumited and a majority of people lost their jobs. For this reason, men predominantly became drunks and abusive. African Americans were treated as second class citizens and their words did not mean as much as a caucation’s words. Anyone who stood up for, or defended an African American was considered a “negro lover”, and also bought shame to his or her family. Usually the truth became distorted and was in favor of whites over blacks. In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, the truth versus reality is distorted through three main themes, the three ways are, Tom Robinson being accused of rape, Tom Robinson feeling bad for Mayella Ewell, and Tom Robinson being convicted of the rape of Mayella Ewell.…

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The ways that To Kill A Mockingbird shows misunderstanding in the society is that the children describe what they see but think the wrong thing sometimes. Is shown in a child’s point of view because is mostly that the childrens are misunderstanding on most of the things that they don’t understand from adults. To Kill A Mockingbird is a novel that two kids name Jem and Scout are trying to figure out who broke Jem’s elbow.…

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Another common theme in To Kill a Mockingbird is injustice. An injustice in To Kill a Mockingbird is how Tom Robinson was treated in the trial. He was wrongly…

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tom shows maturity towards Becky when they are trapped in the cave. Tom and Becky are stranded in the cave and are starting to lose hope in finding civilization again. They envy all of the things they had taken for granted such as their beds and all the food they had. When Becky starts sobbing her heart out, instead of Tom watching he decides to do something about it.“He sat down by her and put his arm around her; she buried her face in his bomon, she clung to him, she poured out her terrors , her unavailing regrets, and far echoes turned them all to jeering laughter” (Twain 226). This gesture helps comfort Becky during a tough and scary time. This shows maturity because he isn’t thinking about just himself and is trying to be strong even…

    • 177 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The title of the novel and the symbolism of the mockingbird connect with the story told because killing a mockingbird is represented and shows who in the story is a mockingbird.…

    • 262 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The only thing you sometimes have control over is perspective. You don't have control over your situation. But you have a choice about how you view it.” by Chris Pine. This quote deeply portrays the idea of how different people in the same type of conditions can act very differently depending on their perspective towards the issue. Over time, we all develop a sense of perspective and opinion towards people and things, however, these perspectives are prone to change as we grow up to be more mature and thoughtful. In the novel, To kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the Finch’s family develops the idea that despite your rank in the social hierarchy, personal values and beliefs are determined by one’s personality. This idea was further developed…

    • 1351 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays