...To Kill a Mockingbird ¨He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life,” said Muhammad Ali, heavyweight boxing champion. What he meant when he said this quote was, if you don't have enough courage to step out of your bubble/comfort zone then you won't go very far in life.In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch (the main character's dad) has to have courage to accept the court case of Tom Robinson (a black man). Atticus has to defend him without judging him for what he did or didn’t do. In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Scout Finch learns about courage from her brother Jem, her father Atticus, and a cranky old lady Mrs. Dubose. The first person Scout learns about courage...
Words: 869 - Pages: 4
...THE GLENCOE LITERATURE LIBRARY Study Guide for To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee i Meet Harper Lee at the same university. In 1949, however, she withdrew and moved to New York City with the goal of becoming a writer. While working at other jobs, Lee submitted stories and essays to publishers. All were rejected. An agent, however, took an interest in one of her short stories and suggested she expand it into a novel. By 1957 she had finished a draft of To Kill a Mockingbird. A publisher to whom she sent the novel saw its potential but thought it needed reworking. With her editor, Lee spent two and a half more years revising the manuscript. By 1960 the novel was published. In a 1961 interview with Newsweek magazine, Lee commented: Writing is the hardest thing in the world, . . . but writing is the only thing that has made me completely happy. To Kill a Mockingbird was an immediate and widespread success. Within a year, the novel sold half a million copies and received the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Within two years, it was turned into a highly acclaimed film. Readers admire the novel’s sensitive and probing treatment of race relations. But, equally, they enjoy its vivid account of childhood in a small rural town. Summing up the novel’s enduring impact in a 1974 review, R. A. Dave called To Kill a Mockingbird . . . a movingly human drama of the jostling worlds—of children and adults, of innocence and experience, of kindness and cruelty, of love and hatred, of humor...
Words: 4484 - Pages: 18
..."I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what"- Atticus Finch. Also courage is a part of growing up but it's the type of courage that determine whether a person matures or evolved from once they once were. In addition, to this in novel To Kill a Mockingbird there are two children Scout and Jem, that experience things a child should never go through. However, by going through a time of Great Depression and dealing with a prejudice town they have evolved from the naive kids they used to be. Except, in this essay it's about who has evolved the most throughout the novel. Therefore, Jem has changed the more than Scout in "To Kill a Mockingbird" because he has proved more mature than Scout. Towards the middle of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Jem evolves by following Atticus as a role model.For example Jem shows maturing by stating 'I reckon if he'd wanted us to know it, he'da told...
Words: 856 - Pages: 4
...Segregation occured in schools, public bathrooms, buses and other public places. In Harper Lee’s best seller To Kill a Mockingbird, segregation is coupled with injustice in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. Courage is constantly shown to be the best way to combat injustice. Characters Atticus Finch, Boo Radley and Link Deas display courage during the difficult times in Maycomb Alabama. Atticus Finch defends Tom Robinson even when failure is inevitable so he can live up to his personal morals. Atticus is the most courageous character in To Kill a Mockingbird because he is aware of the repercussions of this trial and the dangerous impact it could potentially have. Tom Robinson is a black male wrongfully...
Words: 472 - Pages: 2
...In To Kill a Mockingbird, it reads “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit'em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”(Lee,119). In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is called to defend Tom Robinson in a case he knows he can’t win. Although everyone believes the suspect definitely committed the crime Atticus knows that is not true. In the story, Atticus defends Mr. Robinson and believes that he is innocent. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee depicts Atticus Finch as an insightful character, a respectful character, and a moral character to reveal a model of a simple man. In my opinion, Harper Lee depicts Atticus Finch as an insightful character to reveal a model of a simple man. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus says “Courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what” (Lee,149). Through Atticus’s perspective, it is learned that he figured out what Mr. Dubose was doing....
Words: 918 - Pages: 4
...The Proper Etiquette of Genuine Gentlemen The first step to being a gentleman is of course showing respect. Or is it courage? Or education? Although Jem Finch may think that most of the men that live in Maycomb are gentlemen, Atticus Finch says otherwise. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Jem characterizes himself along with his father as being true gentlemen. What makes up a gentleman? One might ask this question when trying to find out what the true definition of the word is. If one were to look up gentlemen in the dictionary the definition would be: a man from a good family; a well-bread male, but if Atticus Finch were to define the word the definition would be completely different. Atticus believes that to be a true gentleman...
Words: 890 - Pages: 4
...In To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the character Atticus Finch taught his children, Scout and Jem, many life lessons. He taught them to never judge a book by its cover, to have self respect, and to always have courage. One of the key lessons Atticus teaches Jem is to never judge someone without full knowledge of their situation. This becomes prevalent in the story when Jem is forced to read to their grouchy neighbor, the old Mrs. Dubose. Mrs. Dubose is often cruel, and insults Jem and Scout whenever she gets the chance. Despite her tormenting of the neighborhood, Atticus is always kind and respectful to her. Jem and Scout are dumbfounded by his attitude, and Atticus teaches them a lesson that sticks with Jem after Mrs. Dubose dies and Jem is relieved from his literacy duties. “‘She died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew’” (112). Atticus showed to Jem that Mrs. Dubose had struggled with a morphine addiction, but still prevailed, and her cruel personality was just a symptom of her...
Words: 678 - Pages: 3
...How symbolism can help you better understand To Kill a Mockingbird In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee uses symbolism to reveal an overall theme of human dignity. Maycomb County is a typical sleepy southern town that is blinded by the disease of racism. An innocent black man becomes a victim of the disease when he is accused of rapeing a white woman. Firstly the symbols Jem’s pants and the rolly-polly show the important theme of maturation. Furthermore the symbols Tim Johnson and the snowman highlight a theme of destroying racism. Lastly one-shot Finch and the perfect white waxy camellia symbolize true courage. Harper Lee uses Jem’s pants and the rolly-polly as symbols to convey a theme of maturation. Jem and Scout where in the Radley’s backyard trying to get a look at Boo Radley when Jem see’s a shadow the children immediately flee form the house. As the children were running through the collards as they hear the roar of a shotgun. As Jem and Scout are fleeing the scene Jem’s pants gets caught in the fence and he has to leave it in their backyard if he wants to survive. Later that night he says how he needs to go back and retrieve his pants not for him but for Atticus, “‘Atticus ain’t never whipped me ever since I can remember, and I wanta keep it that way.’” (Lee 75). He goes back to get his pants to keep his relation shit with Atticus. There is a evident theme maturation in Jem at this point, from when he thought turtles could not feel, too now when he is showing...
Words: 1153 - Pages: 5
...Phoebe Sanders English 9 Period 1 Who can be considered a Mockingbird? When thinking back to “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee it makes people think of many characters. When answering the question who could be considered a mockingbird, people may think of three characters. Those characters are Atticus Finch, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson. Readers can see this through the towns people actions, and beliefs. Many believe and consider it a sin to kill a mockingbird. This is because mockingbirds do nothing wrong. They do not hurt anyone, or hurt plants. They are simply here to give you pleasure. It is a sin to kill one because they cause no harm just like these characters. They give you pleasure and happiness and stand up for what they believe in....
Words: 463 - Pages: 2
...Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel centered around a few years in Jean Louise “Scout” Finch’s childhood, featuring her experiences and the lessons that she learns growing up in the 1930s. Scout and her brother, Jeremy “Jem” Finch, mature in the small town of Maycomb, 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...
Words: 1632 - Pages: 7
...into his skin and walk around in it.” These are the words that were spoken by Atticus Finch when he was talking to scout about people and perspectives. Atticus Finch is a very simplistic person in the story To Kill A MockingBird by, Harper Lee. Atticus is a very quite person and he expresses this by not being too brash and taking insults but also showing he's the bigger man by not fighting with his fists but with his own words. What i want to express is the way Atticus is calm, nice, smart, shows courage, is compassionate, and above all tolerant of other people and races. Atticus Finch is one of the protagonist in the story To Kill a Mockingbird and is a well rounded character....
Words: 1097 - Pages: 5
...To Kill A Mocking Bird BY HARPER LEE Novel Analysis I.BACKGROUND IN FORMATION ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nelle Harper Lee (born April 28, 1926) is an American author known for her 1960 Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which deals with the issues of racism that were observed by the author as a child in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. Despite being Lee's only published book, it led to Lee being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom of the United States for her contribution to literature in 2007.Lee has also been the recipient of numerous honorary degrees, but has always declined to make a speech. Other significant contributions of Lee include assisting her close friend, Truman Capote, in his research for the book In Cold Blood. II.INFORMATION ABOUT THE NOVEL Classification- To Kill a Mockingbird is embodied by Atticus Finch, who is virtually unique in the novel in that he has experienced and understood evil without losing his faith in the human capacity for goodness. Atticus understands that, rather than being simply creatures of good or creatures of evil, most people have both good and bad qualities. The important thing is to appreciate the good qualities and understand the bad qualities by treating others with sympathy and trying to see life from their perspective. He tries to teach this ultimate moral lesson to Jem and Scout to show them that it is possible to live with conscience without losing hope or becoming cynical. In this way, Atticus is...
Words: 2841 - Pages: 12
...In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Jem is a young boy who faces several dilemmas while growing up in a small town Although Jem is unaware, the influence of Maycomb’s narrow-minded and racist culture is inevitable. In various ways, Jem demonstrates the moral development of courage and responsibility that comes with age, examples, and experience. As a result of Jem facing difficult situations, his preconceived notions of society shatter, and he begins to develop an increasingly mature sense of courage and caliber. For example, as an attempt to lure Boo Radley outside, Jem accepts Scout and Dill’s dare to touch the side of the Radley house(19). Because of the unrealistic understanding he and children his age have of mettle, Jem...
Words: 585 - Pages: 3
...receive prejudice for do what is right, but you would not hear anyone get referred to as a mockingbird. Many people were given the symbol of a mockingbird in the past because of the prejudice they face from others. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee demonstrates how misunderstood people are portrayed as mockingbirds because of the help and kindness they provide to others while still receiving prejudice from the community. Atticus Finch was portrayed as a mockingbird because he didn’t show prejudice towards Tom and simply helped him out. Atticus Finch is a lawyer in Maycomb that has been asked to defend...
Words: 826 - Pages: 4
...and serve for the cause of freedom, safety, and liberty? Would you sacrifice yourself for others? You may think you know, giving your only piece of pizza to your friend is an act of bravery to sacrifice. Each Individual including you; can make choices. It depends on where the mind and heart set is. In the Novel by Harper Lee, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, she brings us in the 1960s, it took place in Maycomb Alabama where the narrator Scout illustrate her two years of events that took place during her childhood. Throughout the novel, It talked about the hierarchy between “White” and “Black” people. “White” people are superior while the “black” people are the inferior or the servants. These two race cannot be integrated and unfortunately, the inferior population suffers. However, they are some people in the story that shows courage. An example of Tom Robinson, Atticus Finch and Dolphus Raymond which I am going to explicate their concept of courage. Among by the novel, Tom Robinson is one of the black people who undergo the test of Maycomb’s racism. Tom was accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Mayella is lonely and unhappy. She has never had any friends, nor any love or affection in her life, and the only person who has been decent to her is Tom Robinson. In Chapter 19, Mr. Gilmer...
Words: 1039 - Pages: 5
