Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, many important lessons and ideas are brought
to the readers’ attention. These lessons are very important to keep in mind in
our current time. One of Atticus’s many lessons that he taught Jem and Scout
was to have empathy and to not prejudge someone before you know them. “One time
he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk
around in them (p. 374).” Society has changed significantly, but that doesn’t
mean that these important lessons have to go to waste. In times like today, many people are fighting
and disagreeing but if they can remember this lesson of empathy, the world wouldn’t
be so crazy. Before taking negative actions
towards anyone, it’s important to look back at this novel and try to put
yourselves in their shoes. This book is still relevant to our time in terms of its
lessons taught but also the incidents that took place in the story. Black
people in our current time have equal rights as apposed to the novel, where
Black people were completely downgraded by many people in Maycomb. Today, it is
still important to remember the way that blacks were treated because it plays a
major role in our history. This book is still relevant because it showcases yet
another story about unequal rights between blacks and whites, furthering
peoples understandings on this era.
What are other important themes and/or ideas you took away from this book? Do you notice any connections between what this book is trying to teach us and what another book is? Do you think this book displays an accurate view on the era in the 1960's?
One theme that seemed consistent throughout the novel was people "judging a book by its cover". In the Tom Robinson case the jury judges the case as white versus black. The town of Maycomb, with racist eyes, grouped Mr. Ewell with the "good" white majority and mixed Tom Robinson in with the "bad" blacks. The town of Maycomb did not give Tom Robinson the time of day as most were blinded by their prejudices. This situation fits right along with the theme of “judging a book by its cover” because the town judges Tom Robinson with a closed mind. The only fact they let slip in is that he is black. Harper Lee sets up the trial to be so visibly unbalanced to the Ewells’s favor, to bring to the readers’ attention how unfair things were in the 1960’s. The same exact scenario actually happened in the 1900's but people may not have really seen the unfairness until they read T.Rob’s case. The other example of "judging a book by its cover" was Boo Radley. At the beginning of the novel Scout and Jem believe all the rumors about Boo-they just judge him by his “cover”. Then after he saves their lives and Scout meets him she sees that he really is kind at heart, and not the monster the rumors made him out to be. “…when they finally see him…Atticus, he was real nice…Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them…” (376) On the last page of the novel Scout is supposedly referring to the character in the ghost story but to me she is referring to Boo, and how before she thought he was scary and now, having met him, he is kind. Harper Lee seems to be speaking through Atticus to the reader when he says, “Most people are” because she is trying to tell the reader that we should not live blinded by rumors and prejudices.
ReplyDeleteQ's: Do you agree that Harper Lee is trying to shed the light to the reader that things in the 1960's are unfair? Why or why not.
I think the book displays a very accurate view of the 1960s. I feel this way because during that time, racism was still a very serious issue. And the Tom Robinson case is an example of how racism affected everyone all over the United States, especially in the south. Also, the time when Scout and Jem went to Cal’s church is another example of racism. This is shown when Lula comes up to Cal and asks why she brought white kids to their church. This statement shows how separated the white and black communities are and the hate between them. So, that is why I think that the book displays a very accurate view of the 1960s.
ReplyDelete