...prejudices among Maycomb. Their father Atticus, who is the lawyer of a colored man’s case, plays the role of the main protagonist who fights through Maycomb’s dark prejudice. He guides Jem and Scout through different types of conflicts by teaching them valuable life lessons. Together, with the wisdom Atticus’s words, actions and thoughts, has made him into a wise courageous aspiring parent. Atticus has motivated Jem and Scout towards the right direction without controlling their actions by educating his children through life lessons in both rough and positive times. Atticus is a good father because he is very compassionate towards himself and his children. An example would be Atticus’s selflessness. For instance, Atticus Finch had risked his own reputation in order to defend Tom Robinson. Atticus defends Tom Robinson, a black man, who has been accused of raping and beating a white girl. Atticus takes a risk by taking on the case. When his...
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...society. They are there to be a guide and crutch for their children during the course of their lifetime. The way a mother and father decide to raise their children molds the person that they will be grow to be. The novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee exhibits the parenting philosophy that Atticus Finch implemented upon Jem and Scout, his son and daughter. Atticus was a hardworking man who did whatever he could for his family. He made sure to always be a role model for his children and shaped them into people that they could be proud of. Atticus Finch was a fantastic father to his children. Firstly, Atticus treated his children as humans and not as robots that he could control...
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...Calpurnia is a better mother figure than Aunt Alexandra. Calpurnia has proven that she is a more effective mother. The first reason Cal is a fit motherly figure is because she lets Jem and scout experience different types of life styles. When Atticus had left out of town on a business trip, Calpurnia did not trust the kids going to church unsupervised. Cal had exposed the kids to the segregated church, along with their different ways of worshipping God. In relation to the first reason, Calpurnia had to step up as a mother. While the children’s father was away, Cal had taken care of the kids. Calpurnia had made sure the kids took baths, starched their clothes, and made sure they looked nice for church. Lastly, Cal treats Jem and Scout as her own kids....
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...In the 1930’s racism was in full swing. Although Civil Rights Acts had been passed to finally end salary, many people were still dealing with prejudice and prosecution. Harper Lee released her novel To Kill a Mockingbird which subtly starred Atticus Finch. Atticus Finch is a white lawyer living in the South during the 1930’s. Atticus appears in this novel as a defendant of a black man accused of the rape of a white woman. Throughout the novel his attitude is a shining light in story full of darkness, he is the one sliver of hope for Tom Robinson and ultimately the whole town. Atticus Finch was pivotal character in this novel as he was able to change the current beliefs regarding race, fought for a blind American Dream and was able to open the...
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...What makes a “good” parent? Is it the lessons they teach, or the way they teach them? Atticus, the father of Jem and Scout in the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, not only teaches his children several lessons, but also serves as a role model. He is an exemplary parent. When he takes on a case that he knows will greatly affect his family’s lives, he uses the opportunity to teach his children several life lessons, just as he has done with every hardship that came upon them before he takes the case. Firstly, Atticus teaches his children to have courage. Secondly, he teaches them to treat everyone with respect. Lastly, he teaches his children to be tolerant of others. While the way he teaches those lessons may be unusual, the outcome...
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...us. Atticus Finch, in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, does this in excess. Atticus has so much empathy for others that it actually clouds his judgement. Excessive empathy leads Atticus to make excuses for other’s behaviors, and to justify their wrongdoings. Atticus also lacks confidence to stand up for what and who...
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...In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout Finch Lives in Maycomb County, an imaginary town in southern Alabama during the 1930’s. She lives with her father Atticus and her brother Jem. The story is set in the great depression which affects the lives of the all the characters throughout the story. Scout has many teaches throughout the book which include Atticus, Calpurnia, and Miss Caroline. All of these character play a huge and effective role in Scout’s life. Atticus Finch is a lawyer for Maycomb County and is a widower due to the death of Scout's mother. He is a teacher to Scout not only because he is her father, but because of the lessons he teaches her. For example, Lee writes, “... do you think I could face my children otherwise?... I just hope that Jem and Scout come to me for their answers instead of listening to the town. I hope they trust me enough." (pg. 117) Later in this scene, we find out that Scout was standing hidden listening to the whole thing, and Atticus wanted that. This shows that Atticus is teaching Scout how to deal with people who dislike her dad due to him defending a black man in court. He wants his kids to do the right thing all of the time even though society disagrees....
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... Alabama, in a one-parent home. Their father and aunt, Atticus and Alexandra, raise them with help from Calpurnia, their African American maid. Harper Lee weaves several different themes throughout the novel, but some are more prominent than others. Lee develops the main themes of growth, protection of innocence, and perception throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, disguised in the form of lessons learned during the narrator’s childhood. Harper Lee reveals her theme of growth...
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...as many restrictions to when creating a book compared to a movie. The film and the novel itself has many similarities and differences, however it is upon whether or not the film is a successful adaptation and portrays the theme of racial injustice. This film is a reasonable adaptation as it demonstrates the message of the film using the same context as the book and brings the characters to life in a creative way. There is great screenplay and dialogue amongst the characters which allows the audience to understand the movie thoroughly. However, there are key components which are missing from the novel that pay resemblance to the message that could’ve made this movie more outstanding in relation to racism. In order for the film to be an effective adaptation, it must have the same storyline, good development of characters, and portray the same message as the story. The storyline in a book is the most important aspect which captures...
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...Calpurnia, the Finch's cook, is caring for the children and effective at her job. Atticus Finch looks upon her as a friend and valued member of his household. Yet Aunt Alexandra has a different view, she sees Calpurnia as a liability so she conveys to Atticus her thoughts on Calpurnia, “[Atticus has] got to do something about her” (Lee 182). Aunt Alexandra’s character is an extremely southern, proper character that wants to be able to raise her niece and nephew with her values instilled upon them. Aunt Alexandra assumes Calpurnia is raising them with poor values because of her skin color. Because she came back to Maycomb to be apart of the family, she doesn’t think twice about getting rid of an African-American. What she can’t see is that it is actually hurting the family by trying to take away someone they care about regardless of their skin color. Additionally, Tom Robinson, a hard working African-American, is taken advantage of because of his skin color. He passes the Ewell’s house, a family with a bad reputation, everyday when he walks to and from work and he helps Mayella Ewell with labor whenever she’s in need. Bob Ewell, the father, takes advantage of his presence to beat his daughter and blame it on Tom because of the towns hatred towards African-Americans. While Atticus was talking to Jem to calm him down, he conveyed the cold hard truth, “white men cheat black men every day of [Jem’s] life” (Lee 295). Atticus wants to educate his son about the racism and injustice this...
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...(Constantakis Ed.) He stands almost as a mentor for Scout and her coming of age. He attempts to guide Scout and her brother Jem so that they may go through the process of maturity smoothly, and not grow up with misconceptions or twisted views of reality. For example, two lessons that Atticus teaches Scout include one about racism and another about empathy. "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." (Lee 119) Miss. Maudie explains to Scout what Atticus had meant when he said that it was a sin to kill a mockingbird. Scout is being taught about racism and acceptance. The reference to the mockingbird is symbolic of people, and the quote teaches about tolerance of people of different races. Atticus wanted to teach Scout about empathy. He tells her that she will be able to get along better with many more people if she attempts to understand their point of view. (Lee...
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...Kill a Mockingbird are apparently autobiographical she has insisted that the novel is a work of fiction. The text under analysis belongs to the group of fictional texts. The literary trend is realism. The book is brilliant and powerful and it is renowned for its warmth and humor, despite dealing with the serious issues of rape and racial inequality. The story takes place during three years of the Great Depression in the fictional "tired old town" of Maycomb, Alabama. In the novel the author paints a true and lively picture of that time. A Negro was falsely accused of raping a white woman. Rhe extract’s scene takes place in the Supreme Court in 1936. At the beginning the author pays readers attention to the main character of the story, Atticus, who is a defender. Then the author passes on the detailed...
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...Scout: “You aren’t really a nigger-lover, then, are you?” Atticus: “I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody…” Analyse how the theme of prejudice pervades the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Prejudice stems from several interconnected factors: the absence of self-respect and moral education and the presence of ignorance. The lack of self-respect can lead to an individual feeling unsatisfied with themselves and when this happens, they instinctively lower others in order to raise themselves up. This leads to ignorance as one does not empathise with someone that they have dehumanised, thus they cannot gain knowledge of the other person leading them to assume knowledge without evidence. Because of this, they cannot raise their children to become empathetic human beings, causing them to develop into ignorant and prejudicial beings themselves. The nature of prejudice and the factors affecting its existence are pervaded in Harper Lee’s novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. Through the dual narration of Scout Finch and drawing inspiration from her own life, Lee allows for the reader to gain insight into the fatalities of a society steeped in prejudice. The absence of self-respect is destructive for both the individual lacking the quality and the people surrounding them. An individual not employing self-respect is unable to respect others and through this, prejudice can be created. This is demonstrated through Bob Ewell’s actions against Tom Robinson. In the court room when Mr Ewell...
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...Kill A Mockingbird Most people would think of love when they look at the symbol ‘heart’. A symbol is an important literacy feature that is used to represent larger or abstract ideas. Symbols are often used by authors to deepen and further extend themes. In Harper Lee’s novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, her effective use of symbols and their deep meanings contribute towards the development of some important themes. The uses of symbols, a mockingbird and blue jay, significantly develop the key theme that the coexistence of the good and evil always remain. A mockingbird and blue jay prove that the good and evil coexist by utilizing two characters, Bob Ewell and Boo Radley. First, Bob Ewell...
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...Nelle Harper Lee is an American writer who won the Pulitzer-Prize (1961) for her only book To Kill a Mockingbird. The plot and characters are broadly based on the author's observations and recollections of her family and neighbourhood, as well as on an event, similar to that in her novel, that occurred near her hometown. In 2007 Harper Lee was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contribution to literature. The extract begins with Atticus’s concluding words on the evidence for the defence. The author passes on to the lawyer’s appeal to the jury: the defendant points at the lack of medical evidence of Tom Robinson’s criminal actions, the doubtful testimony of the Ewells and the fact that Mayella couldn’t be beaten by right-handed Tom Robinson. Then the lawyer supposes that Mayella slandered against Tom to conceal her attempt to tempt him. The author exposes the widespread false assumption on the black through Atticus’s antiracist appeal to the jury for being unprejudiced against Tom Robinson. The final part of the speech reveals the author’s criticism at the common opinion on the equality of people. The extract ends with finding Tom Robinson guilty. The main idea of the story is to make the reader think about the power of prejudices and the consequences they may bring about. The author treat this subject critically: she not only develops the idea of equality of people in the eye of the law and shows us how narrow-minded people of prejudice are, but proves that the...
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