...In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is a well known lawyer, father to Scout and Jem Finch, and citizen in Maycomb County. His predominant characteristic is integrity. The definition of integrity is, “adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty” (Dictionary.com). Atticus Finch shows this in the court and in his home. Most people only play by the rules and keep people’s wellbeing in mind when it can affect their own reputation or they are out in public. Atticus not only shows his integrity in town, but also in his own home and to his children as well. Scout and Jem have absorbed the genuineness of their father, through many daily lessons to life-threatening troubles. Mr. Finch is very unique...
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...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 able to admire Mrs. Dubose’s courage even while deploring her racism. Scout’s progress as a character in the novel is defined by her gradual development toward understanding Atticus’s lessons, culminating when, in the final chapters, Scout at last sees Boo Radley as a human being. Her newfound ability to view the world from his perspective ensures that she will not become jaded as she loses her...
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...once said, “Never judge a book by its cover.” This means you should not prejudge the worth or value of something or someone by it their outward appearance alone. It seems modern day, many people judges a person by their appearance or by their actions in first sight which meaning they have never gotten to know that person that they are judging. This causes the judgement in a person spread out to others and the judgement half of the time are not even right. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, judging was shown in many different situations. In society today, people can based on their judgement automatically assuming that person’s personality and character in that certain way on how they think that person is. In the novel Scout Finch, her brother Jem Finch,...
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...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...
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...is a story told from the point of view of Scout Finch, a young tomboy. Her father, Atticus, is the judge for the trial of a young black man accused of raping a white girl. This trial reflects the Scottsboro Trials of the 1930s. Scout’s brother, Jem, grows up alongside her and is an influence on how she acts as she grows. Their Aunt, Alexandra, moves in to give their family a stronger “feminine influence”. Other people in Scout’s life help to develop her character over time including a old woman named Mrs. Dubose. Gender roles of society shape who we are and the development of character Scout Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird does not...
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...1. What are the different views of reading portrayed by Scout, Jem, and Atticus? How is reading linked to morality for each of these characters? Which view does the author advocate? 2. Lee writes of the Ewell property that “against the fence, in a line, were six chipped-enamel slop jars holding brilliant red geraniums, cared for as tenderly as if they belonged to Miss Maudie Atkinson” (pp. 170-171). What do the flowers tell us about their keeper, Mayella Ewell? Are the geraniums a symbol? If so, why, and if not, why not? 3. A true gift is, in one sense, an unexpected blessing bestowed by a person—or even, perhaps, by fate. Some of them may be objects, while some may be things that cannot be seen but are no less important. Early in the novel, the children find a mysterious shiny package in the knothole of a live oak tree (p. 34). What gifts are given in To Kill a Mockingbird? Why might they be important to the unfolding of the story? 4. The Radley place undergoes a change in the course of the novel. At the beginning, we are told, “Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom” (p. 8). By the end, Scout fearlessly walks Boo up to his front porch. What change has taken place in Scout that allows her to walk with Boo? 5. Maudie Atkinson says, “Atticus Finch was the deadest shot in Maycomb County in his time” (p. 98). What lessons do the Finch children learn from the incident with the mad dog? Explain in detail, indicating how they change their understanding of their father...
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...In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout witnesses many forms of hypocrisy in which the veil of hypocrisy is never revealed. Mrs. Merriweather, Miss Gates, Lula, and Aunt Alexandra are all blind to their prejudices, and those prejudices breed their hypocrisy. Mrs. Merriweather is the perfect example of hypocrisy in To Kill A Mockingbird. During the “missionary circle” that Aunt Alexandra hosts, Mrs. Merriweather says many absurd statements. While Scout sits at the table with all of the women, she deems it polite to ask Mrs. Merriweather what she studied this afternoon. Then Mrs....
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...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...
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...Jean Louise “Scout” Finch - The narrator and protagonist of the story. Scout lives with her father, Atticus, her brother, Jem, and their black cook, Calpurnia, in Maycomb. She is intelligent and, by the standards of her time and place, a tomboy. Scout has a combative streak and a basic faith in the goodness of the people in her community. As the novel progresses, this faith is tested by the hatred and prejudice that emerge during Tom Robinson’s trial. Scout eventually develops a more grown-up perspective that enables her to appreciate human goodness without ignoring human evil. Atticus Finch - Scout and Jem’s father, a lawyer in Maycomb descended from an old local family. A widower with a dry sense of humor, Atticus has instilled in his children his strong sense of morality and justice. He is one of the few residents of Maycomb committed to racial equality. When he agrees to defend Tom Robinson, a black man charged with raping a white woman, he exposes himself and his family to the anger of the white community. With his strongly held convictions, wisdom, and empathy, Atticus functions as the novel’s moral backbone. Jeremy Atticus “Jem” Finch - Scout’s brother and constant playmate at the beginning of the story. Jem is something of a typical American boy, refusing to back down from dares and fantasizing about playing football. Four years older than Scout, he gradually separates himself from her games, but he remains her close companion and protector throughout the novel. Jem...
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...Within Tkam, empathy is greatly influence through the characters Atticus, Scout, and Dolphus Raymond by including the primary issue of racism and how it affected them within their home town, Maycomb County. First and foremost, In the novel, ¨To Kill a Mockingbird,¨ empathy is first presented by the character,...
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...How do most people react and what is the right way to respond when injustice knocks on their front door? From a small unfairness to enormous discriminations, standing up to injustice and dealing with it proves considerably more difficult than most people assume. In the book To Kill a Mocking Bird, the writer, Harper Lee, depicts several interesting themes. One of them: injustice – problems and evils that cause readers to think for themselves and create their own standards of right and wrong. Harper Lee composes three interlinking unjust wrongs throughout the book. Injustice is revealed by how people perceive Boo Radley, the accusation against Tom Robinson, and Bob Ewell’s attack on Jem and Scout. To start, many people in Maycomb perceived Boo Radley inaccurately. Boo Radley, or Arthur Radley, probably had some mental or physical problems, but the assumptions and accusations that people carelessly made against him proved completely injust and unfair. “Boo was about six and a half feet tall judging by his tracks; he dined on any raw squirrels and any cats he could catch,...
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...In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch, a loving father, representation of morality, a prominent citizen, compassionate, courageous and much more is the County lawyer who clearly shows his vehement arguments in court. He is the father of Jean Louis Finch (Scout) and Jeremy Atticus Finch (Jem) and they live in Maycomb County located in southern Alabama, where there is such thing as “Maycomb’s usual disease” or in other words, racism. This disease can truly be seen after Atticus is assigned to defend Tom Robinson, an African American who is accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. Many do not think that he should defend him because of Tom Robinson’s skin color and race, but there are many reasons why he should....
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...herself, many things start to change. It’s true that Scout is far from the stereotypical 8-year-old girl, however that is unacceptable in Maycomb County, and Scout is pressured to change because of it. Scout’s nature is boyish, and Aunt Alexandra decides that this is an issue that needs to be addressed. Scout recounts, “I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, (Aunt Alexandra) said I wasn’t supposed to be doing things that required pants” (Lee 108). Aunt Alexandra’s ongoing attempts to change Scout are influencing Scout’s opinion of herself. Another issue that is brought up about Scout is that she needs to live up to her family name, and be more like a Finch. Under the influence if Alexandra, Atticus informs Scout, “You are not from run-of-the-mill people, you are the product of several generations of gentle breeding and you should try to live up to your name” (Lee 177). The stereotypes about the Finch family cause Atticus to try and change his own children. There is constant pressure on Scout from her Aunt to fit in this certain image, and live up to Alexandra’s standards. Finally, Scout is punished because she has better reading skills than what is required at her age. After her first day at school, Scout retells, “(Miss Caroline) discovered that I was literate and looked at me with more than a faint distaste” (Lee 22). Scout is then told she can’t read anymore. Scout does not fulfill Miss Caroline’s vision of a stereotypical...
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...In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, many characters represent mockingbirds, one symbolic mockingbird is Scout Finch.In this case, a symbolic mockingbird is a person or thing that has done nothing to be harmed, yet is harmed. This book takes place in the 1930’s when racism was a huge issue and women had certain standards from a young age. Scout’s father (Atticus) was an attorney appointed to cover Tom Robinson (an African American), who was convicted of rape, to insure he had a fair trial.Several times in the novel Scout was put in situations that show she represented a mockingbird such as being picked on by other children,being attacked by Bob Ewell, and being shamed for attending a African American church. Early on in the...
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...Analysis To kill a mockingbird The extract under study is taken from the book “To kill a mockingbird” written by Harper Lee. "To Kill a Mockingbird" is her first novel and the Pulitzer Prize winning novel. The novel depicts the life of its young narrator Jean Louse “Scout” Finch in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. Her father, Atticus Finch, is a smart lawyer with high moral standards. Attitus decides to take up a case involving a black man, Tom Robinson, who has been accused in raping a very poor white girl named Mayella Ewell. Attitus is sure in his defendant's innocence but Tom has almost no chance to be acquitted, because the white jury will never believe the black man more than a white woman. The article could be logically divided into four parts. The first part begins when we meet Atticus in the court-room who is “half-way through his speech to the jury”. He proves the fact of being an experienced smart lawyer who knows his business pretty well. His speech is logically organized; he speaks “easily, with the kind of detachment he uses when he dictates a letter”. During his speech the jury seems to be attentive and appreciative. That is, according to Scout, because he is not a “thuderer”. His children present in the court-room and notice some strangers in their father's behavior – the so-called “firsts” – this kind of digression shows Atticus's excitement (“This is equivalent of him standing stark naked”). Atticus addresses the jury “gentlemen”, showing his respect...
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