...To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a masterpiece of American literature. The minor characters in To Kill a Mockingbird played an important role; these characters are very relevant to the novel. The role of the minor characters in the book is significant because they outline strong themes and they portray elements of human nature. Minor characters such as Dolphus Raymond, Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose and Link Deas demonstrate strong themes such as courage, compassion and kindness such themes are very relevant to the novel. Link Deas is a marvelous minor character. Link displays courage in the novel. During the Tom Robinson trial Link gets up and says, “ I just want the whole lot of you to know one thing right now. That boy’s worked for me eight years an’ I ain’t had a speck o’ trouble outa him. Not a speck.” (Lee 195) It takes a lot of courage to speak out during the trial just to support Tom Robinson. Link is also very kind. He shows kindness because “He walked her the short way, by the Ewells’.”(Lee 249) It is very kind of Link to walk Helen home and commanding Bob Ewell to stop teasing Helen. As well as showing kindness Deas is compassionate. This is correct because “ Mr. Link Deas made a job for Helen. He didn’t really need her, but he felt bad about the way things turned out.”(Lee 249) Link shows compassion by hiring Helen he knows that she will struggle without Tom’s presence. Link Deas displays courage, kindness and compassion within the novel. Mrs. Henry Lafayette...
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...In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus teaches his children many lessons about life. Atticus teaches his children the importance of acceptance, how to avoid stereotyping, and lastly how racism shows the people of Maycomb’s true colours. To conclude Atticus makes it clear to his children that they should never judge a person before getting to know them. Firstly,stereotyping is the main thing in To Kill a Mockingbird.Scout and Jem learn from their mistakes or they learn from the people themselves. For example, Scout judged Mr.Dolphus Raymond because she thought he was a drunk and he had mulatto children from a black woman. She thought that it was wrong to speak to a drunkard and to even deal with someone that loves and lives with black people. But he confronts her and Dill, as a result he makes a simple point that he prefers blacks over his kind because they are uptight and are hypocrites. The white people have their views and judgemental ways against the black community. Mr.Dolphus Raymond tells them this so they can change their views on how they see people. "I try to give 'em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason... folks can say Dolphus Raymond's in the clutches of whiskeythat's why he won't change his ways... that's why he lives the way he does." (Chapter 20)... I shouldn't be here listening to this sinful man who had mixed children and didn't care who knew it, but he was fascinating. (Chapter 20). People stereotype ...
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...Racism, the Destruction of Humanity Greed, arrogance, anger, and ignorance are destructive forces in our world that may destroy our humanity, beat down our beliefs and wreak havoc on our morals. But none is as powerful as racism. Racism is the worst kind of prejudice in society, as illustrated in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, what befalls Tom Robinson and his family, it can ruin Bob Ewell’s lives. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Tom Robinson and his family are the most apparent victim of racism. He is guilty by raping a white woman but actually he is innocent. Everyone is blinded by his color and has already decided to put him into the jail. Obviously, he gets an unfair trial. In the court, Mr. Gilmer, the lawyer who defends for Mayella Ewell, treats Tom without any respect. Even though Atticus finds much evidence that proves Tom is innocent, no one listens to him. Tom is a nice man and he only wants to help others, however, his kindness becomes his murderer. After his death, his wife Helen Robinson needs to raise their children by herself. But no one feels sympathy for her and even no one is willing to offer her a job. Is appearance so important that can destroy our humanity? We are going to lose our selves because of racism. Atticus defends for Tom in order to protect the justice. However, he and his children are disliked by the town people. Jem and Souct get troubles from school. Everyone teases them and no one is willing to make friends with them. Furthermore...
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...Final Analysis on “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee Jackie Berry Colorado Technical University LITR 240 Prof. Peggy Huey May 9, 2011 Abstract When an author writes novels, short stories, or poems, most of their ideas come from life experiences. The author is trying to send a message that may mirror what the reader can understand. Many writings address conflicts, themes and symbolism. Harper Lee (2006) introduced many of these elements into her novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Harper Lee gives accounts of the story as if she was a young child and learns many life lessons that change her life forever. “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (2006), takes place a small populated town in Maycomb, Alabama. The author has taken us back when hatred and prejudice is very common in the 1930s. Atticus, Scout, and Jem Finch are frowned upon because Atticus is defending a black man of allegedly raping a white woman. Atticus uses this opportunity to teach Scout and Jem morals that we teach our children today. Atticus teaches Scout and Jem to not to be judgmental towards anyone, not be afraid to stand up for what is right, and violence does not solve anything. Jem and Scout will also learn the true symbolizing of why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Harper Lee described the town of Maycomb as being a very poor and run down. The community is very small and everyone knew each other. The blacks and whites are divided and some that...
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...Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, there are many lessons that each character learns throughout the novel. Scout, the main character, learns the most from many different experiences she is able to witness. Although Scout’s formal schooling is disappointing, she learns many valuable lessons from real life. Scout learns many valuable lessons based on things that she and other characters in the novel get to experience. For example, in the novel, Scout and Jem get air-rifles, yet Atticus will not teach them how to shoot them. This leads to Miss Maudie explaining that their father said “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy...they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a...
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...her life, some much quicker than others. Maturity greatly relies on the environment children are raised in and the people around them, every aspect affecting their development. As children mature they typically learn about negative traits and how to develop good ones. They learn from others and create a pathway for their own individuality in order to become an adult. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, Scout begins as an innocent child protected from the evils of society, but later matures and develops to become an understanding individual. Innocence from the world’s evils is usually interpreted as a positive trait, however, the opposite occurs in To Kill a Mockingbird because...
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...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 and pathos...
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...William Qi English Honors 12/17/12 Block C To Kill a Mockingbird Essay How does the theme of “appearance vs. reality’ play a role in this story? Have you ever heard of the phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” Many people have, yet they still treat people unfairly without getting to know them. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the author is able to use the theme of appearance vs. reality to portray many characters in the book in a relationship that can give readers two different sides of a person. For the residents of Maycomb County, Boo Radley is rumored to be a malevolent phantom that mutilates animals, stalks people at night, and runs with the rebellious crowds before he was locked up in his room. Although, the children have never seen Boo Radley, Jem speculates that “Boo was about six and a half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels… that are why his hands are bloodstained… There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time (pg 16).” This description shows how misguided they are due to the outrageous myths about Boo spread around town by adults. However, as the story moves forward, more insight on the real character of Boo is revealed through various incidents. When Jem and Scout were walking home one day, Jem finally confesses what happened to his pants that night when they tried to sneak a...
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... groups and individuals, humankind still finds it difficult to trust based on the soul of a person; | |we are more comfortable making judgements based on skin colour.” | Prejudice, courage and unity… TEXT COMPARISON Are we always champions of tolerance, courage and receptiveness to others? By the very definition of humanity, we must be. Humanity: benevolence, understanding and kindness towards other people. It is, arguably, our very human nature to feel compassion, courage, understanding, unity and empathy towards our fellow man. Unfortunately, prejudice and judgement also cling to the human condition like tumorous stains – traits which society still finds hard to surmount. Despite the efforts of governments, groups and individuals, humankind still finds it difficult to trust based on the soul of a person; we are more comfortable making judgements based on skin colour. Nelle Harper Lee through her 1960 novel, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ and Boaz Yakin through his 2000 film, ‘Remember the Titans,’ are text composers who tackle the ill-defined paradigms of ‘prejudice, courage and unity’ by painting a picture of the confronting face of racism. Prejudice, courage and unity are notions that are dealt with differently by both composers and, through their use of structural and linguistic features, each composer presents this concept in a manner which connects (or weakens a connection)...
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...Atticus’s decisions and acts. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird a caucasian lawyer proves to Maycomb the city of racism what integrity really means. The novel takes place during the Great Depression which results to many citizens to be close minded considering Jim Crow laws were developing. Fortunately, Atticus a middle class lawyer disagrees with all acts of segregation and immorality. He sticks true to his values even though the citizens of Maycomb would be talking poorly of him for doing what is right and even correlating Atticus with derogatory terms. Atticus demonstrates the significance of acting with integrity and going against the crowd by...
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... At least two paragraphs per character * Gather relevant material evidence * Reflect on 'significance', and write topic sentences * Attribute evidence to each topic. Chosen Characters: Mrs. Dubose and Reverend Sykes Introduction Harper Lee uses minor characters in To Kill A Mockingbird to enhance our understanding of the events in the novel and to explore some of the main themes that are presented throughout. These minor characters are significant as they succeed in creating contrast with the other more important characters and also manage to set the scene of the novel. Both Mrs. Dubose and Aunt Alexandra both have minor roles however, they are crucial in that they portray the prejudiced society at the time and furthermore, they establish Atticus’s moral convictions and standing. Topic Sentence 1 Mrs. Dubose is used by Harper Lee to assert two of the key values presented in the novel: courage and kindness. ‘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.’ ‘She was the bravest person I ever knew’ Mrs Dubose provides Atticus with an opportunity to teach Jem Jem ‘how to hold [his] head high and be a gentleman’ and to ‘keep [his] head’. ...
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...Personal beliefs are shaped by perspective. In order to change a belief, a change in perspective has to occur. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Lee shows the change in Scout Finch’s beliefs as she matures and her perspective changes. We can see this when Scout evaluates Walter Cunningham’s way of life at her supper table, when she starts to witness the social inequalities in Maycomb, Alabama during Tom Robinson's trial, and when she learned the truth about her childhood monster, Boo Radley. As Walter Cunningham sat at the Finch’s table for Dinner, Scout who had previously beat him up that day, was furious because Walter’s way of life got her in trouble from her teacher, Miss Caroline. Atticus Finch, whose morals are strong believes in treating everyone equally says, “If you learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.” (Lee, page 39) As any six year old would, Scout has a temper but Atticus always reminding her that it is important to step in other people’s shoes. This especially carries over to the...
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...Jier For this semester, we are analysing a novel entitled ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ written by Harper Lee. I find this novel very meaningful and interesting to read as well. After reading and analysing the novel a few times along with the teachings of my lecturer, I can differentiate the story told from different perspectives, parts when Scout was young and parts when she was an adult. It is about the life and happenings in Maycomb County. The story is told in the first person point of view whereby Scout as the narrator, is a character in the story who tells us everything she has experienced. She can reveal only personal thoughts and feelings and what she sees and is told by other characters. Harper Lee wrote this novel based on her real life experience during childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it. “Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ takes readers to the roots of human behavior namely innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humour and pathos.” Theme is the main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work. A theme may be stated or implied. Theme differs from the subject or topic of a literary work in that it involves an opinion or statement about the topic but not every literary work has a theme. Themes may be major or minor. A major theme is an idea the author returns to time and again, becomes one of the most important ideas in the story whereas minor themes are ideas that may...
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...In essence, empathy is defined as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.” During the course of the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the recurring lesson of empathy is learned through the experiences of characters, good and bad alike. Most specifically, Jean Louise (“Scout”) Finch embarks on a journey throughout the story in which she gains the ability to do just this. Living in the 1930’s town of Maycomb, she witnesses the harsh racism towards those of color, and experiences other strict societal norms that the time period entails, such as gender roles, which she doesn’t seem to abide by. As a risk-taking child, growing up under the influence of her older brother Jem, the two children attempt a fairly...
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...The empathy and heroism in one man can change not only the ones around him, but even the world around him. One of the most inspiring characters in American literature is Atticus Finch from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Being a morally upright lawyer, a loving father, and a man committed to racial equality, Atticus is known to hold a sense of justice. When he appointed to defend Tom Robinson, a black man wrongly accused for raping a white woman, he strongly held his convictions and his empathy for all people and agreed to take the case Though he may bold decision may have opposed to the values of the vast majority of people in Maycomb, throughout the novel, Finch displays leadership through his qualities of integrity, courage to stand...
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