10/17/2O13
To Kill a Mockingbird
In the book that I’m reading in my English 2 class, To Kill a Mockingbird, has many different themes that can be noticed, which projects the details in the novel. The most important theme is obviously the problem of racial injustice, in other words racism. This is discovered throughout the book at some point or the other, but is highlighted in the Tom Robinson trial.
Tom Robinson, a poor black laborer has been accused of raping a white young girl, Mayella Ewells and is on trial. The jury consists only of whites, and though Tom’s innocence is clear, he is convicted as guilty. Therefore, the reader witnesses an overwhelming case of racial prejudice which restricts a black …show more content…
This snobbery does not allow Mayella Ewell, to seek companionship with anyone and so she cannot lead a normal life. This same snobbery does not allow Scout to befriend Walter Cunningham because Aunt Alexandra is conscious of the difference in class. The blacks are hated from mingling with the whites and are not given any educational or financial opportunities.
Atticus is the one person who deviates from this rule. He favors the blacks openly, has a black housekeeper in his house, and does not even warning the children for attending Calpurnia’s church. For his unrestricted outlook and his judicious actions, he faces a lot of disapproval from the community, but is undeterred in his actions.
Besides this, minor themes of morality, need for love, concern, and sympathy for the misfits of society are also discussed. Atticus teaches his children to maintain respect for humanity and life in general. He himself never carries a gun. He instructs Jem never to shoot at a mockingbird, because they are harmless birds, which only sing to please others. Jem too has imbibed values approved by his father and does not allow Scout to torment the earthworms that he had dug