Category: Novel

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1961), Harper Lee uses the inclusion of Scout, a young, innocent girl who lives in Maycomb Alabama. Throughout the book, Scout learns to become more mature about her actions which eventually makes her very empathetic toward others. She is more of a tomboyish girl who is very clever at times. The author uses Jean Louise Finch, an innocent and empathetic character to shape the reader’s understanding of the story

Throughout the book, Scout’s innocence shapes the story in a more significant way. For example, when Atticus got approached by the mob in jail, scout walks up to them and says “Well, Atticus, I was just saying to Mr. Cunningham that entailments are bad and all that but you said not to worry. It takes a long time sometimes… and that you’d ride it out together”(Lee156). This quote shows how Scout’s immaturity made her talk to the mob not knowing the severity of the issue. She is uninformed of what’s correct to do in this situation due to Atticus’ issue. Additionally, when Jem tells Scout that there are four different kinds of people, she says “I told Jem if that was so then why didn’t Tom’s jury made up of folks like the Cunningham’s, acquit Tom to spite the Ewells? Jem waved my question away as being infantile” (Lee229). Since Scout is immature, Jem waves her question as if it wasn’t asked, making her statements useless. Due to this Scout is treated with no respect when making suggestions towards more “mature” topics. Scout’s immaturity gives her less of a say in important things and even jeopardizes issues with others.

Jean Louise’s empathy towards others informs readers that family is very important in the Finch household. For example, when Jem is told to read to Mrs. Dubose, Scout goes with him and experiences empathy for her by saying “In the corner of the room was a brass bed, and in the bed was Mrs. Dubose. I wondered if Jem’s activities had put her there, and for a moment I felt sorry for her”(Lee110). Scout feels bad for Mrs. Dubose, she is very sick and due to experiencing that, she feels empathetic for Mrs. Dubose. She wants her to be okay and would hate for her to suffer. Scout puts herself in Mrs. Dubose’s shoes and realizes that she would be miserable and would not want to experience it. Furthermore, Scout was unhappy Dill didn’t come for summer and begins to dwell upon the fact that Dill is an important part of her life, she says “Summer was the swiftness with which Dill would reach up and kiss me when Jem was not looking, the longings we sometimes felt each other feel. With him, life was routine; without him, life was unbearable. I stayed miserable for two days”(Lee 118). Scout feels what Dill feels, they share the same feelings making them miss each other over the summer. Dill and Scout have empathy for one another due to the fact that Dill was not able to come for summer, making Scout reminisce about all the times she’s spent with Dill. Because of scouts empathy, the reader feels more of a glad feeling when reading and knows that Scouts is a caring/loving person

Jean Louise is a very important character in English literature and is used in the book To Kill A Mockingbird magnificently. Harper Lee portrays an image of Scout to shape the reader’s understanding of the story. He uses Scout because her point of view as an innocent young little girl, it structures the book better than if Jem, Tom, or Boo narrated it. She gives a better purpose to read the book due to her development as a maturing girl. Scout is relatable to some people’s everyday lives and strives for people to become better

Is Tom Robinson Guilty or are the accusations against him false? At the beginning of To Kill A Mockingbird, there are a few main characters, they are Scout who is the narrator of the story and the daughter of Atticus. Atticus is the adopted father of Scout and Jem. Jem is Scout’s brother and she excludes herself from the group part of the time. In the book, Atticus is defending an African American man for supposedly raping a woman but there is proof that it couldn’t have physically been him who did it. While there is drama in the town the kids find ways to make fun of it by playing games with their friend that comes during the summer the game they play most is called the Radley game where they would play as a family member of the Radleys and reenact events that have gotten the word spread around.

When Atticus finds out about the Radley game the kids have been playing he tells them to stop and says “People need to crawl inside other people’s skin and see things from their

point of view”. He said this because the kids would disrespect the Radley family by making fun of the personal issues and spreading the word even if they didn’t mean to. They were also invading the family personally because to play the game they would need to know what’s going on internally in the family. Atticus says this because he is all about respect and needs to teach his kids to have the same traits.

Another example of this is when in chapter two Miss Caroline tries to give Walter some money and he refuses it. Scout then tries to say that “Walter is a Cunningham”. Scout means that in a disrespectful way even though she may not notice it because she is stereotyping the Cunningham family, it makes a bad impression on Miss Caroline especially since she doesn’t know the Cunninghams’ background. And tells Scout to stay out of others’ conversations. The situation makes both Scout and Miss Caroline forget to consider things from the other person’s perspective since they have not been in the other person’s shoes for a day.

Finally, Her Teacher also makes many mistakes by misjudging people such as at the beginning when Miss Caroline, repeatedly misunderstands her good intentions and punishes her: first for being an exceptional reader. also at the end of the day, the final incident occurs when Burris Ewell gets scolded by Miss Caroline for coming to school unbathed, which results in Burris being abusive towards the woman. Later on, scout takes the words Atticus said and thought before she would say or do something that may affect the other person. Such as in chapter 7 when Scout Didn’t bother Jem after he returned from the Radley yard. She thought from his point of view and sympathized with him for the stressful situation that happened.

With this advice that Atticus said to them suggests that Scout be more empathetic and compassionate to those around her and that she should give others the benefit of the doubt instead of thinking people are weird or bad because they are different form her. This also helps her forgive herself for what she was blamed for at school one day. She realized Miss Caroline is a newer teacher inexperienced with the people of Maycomb. Scout also realizes that she may not take out her opinion on any other child who is not just like her.

Symbolic Mockingbirds

Most people go about life thinking they understand everyone from what they hear or what they see. In reality, this is untrue and Scout learns that in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. Lee tells the story of a black man falsely accused of rape being defended by a white man from a child’s perspective in the deep south. Scout, a young girl at the time, watches her father unsuccessfully defend Tom Robinson while realizing how harsh the world can be. She also learns people can be easily misunderstood. In the novel, Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley are all metaphorically portrayed as mockingbirds because, like mockingbirds, they are hated, they are all misunderstood and they are sometimes thought to do harm, and none of them ever hurt anyone.

Lee portrays Atticus as an overall morally correct man. He has spent his life as a lawyer trying to do good. He has also raised his children with no sense of racism. Even though Atticus was appointed by Judge Taylor to defend Tom Robinson he still did his best to defend Tom. Any other lawyer would’ve dismissed the case and not even bothered to prove Tom innocent. Tom had been convicted but Atticus did prove him not guilty which made some angry, like Bob Ewell for example. Bob had been the one who reported the alleged raping of his daughter Mayella. Before Aunt Alexandra could pull the kids into the house Scout heard the neighbors saying “This morning Mr. Bob Ewell stopped Atticus on the post office corner, spat in his face, and told him he’d get him if it took the rest of his life,” (Lee 290). Bob hated Atticus for making him look like a fool and a liar in court. Atticus persisted much like a mockingbird in this situation. Mockingbirds have always been harmless animals but people dislike them due to the sounds they make. Although it is supposed to be beautiful many could find it annoying. Atticus tried his best to be beneficial to Tom by helping him but ended up being hated by the Ewells and others.

Tom Robinson had been falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Back in the 1930’s when this book took place black men had little to no credibility in the South. As soon as Bob accused Tom of rape that became the end of Tom. The words of a white man always prevailed over those of a black man. During Mayella’s testimony of the trial she states “So he comes in the yard and I went in the house to get him a nickel and I turned around a ‘fore I knew it he was on me,” (Lee 241). She claimed Tom threw himself onto her. Tom’s statement blatantly contradicts hers. He stated “She reached up and kissed me ‘side of the face. She says she never kissed a grown man before an’ she might as well kiss a n*****. She says what her Papa do to her don’t count,” (Lee 260). Tom insinuated Bob had been the one who raped and beat Mayella. Atticus backed this by proving Bob was left-handed and Tom’s left hand was disabled. It has always been a sin to kill a mockingbird because they are harmless creatures. Despite the fact they prevail harmlessly some believe they have done harm, like Tom. Tom never did harm but had been thought to do so.

Lee tells the readers through Scout’s point of view the horrors of the Radley House and Boo Radley. Lee portrays Boo as a scary man who hasn’t been seen in years. He has been thought to commit all the crimes that have happened in Maycomb. Scout says on page 376 “‘An’ they chased him ‘n’ never could catch him ‘cause they didn’t know what he looked like, an’ Atticus, when they finally saw him, why he hadn’t done any of those things… Atticus, he was real nice…” (Lee 376). At the end of the book after Scout took Boo home she stood on his porch and got a glimpse of life through his eyes. She learned how Boo never committed any of the crimes the town believed he did. Similarly to mockingbirds Boo had been innocent the whole time.

Lee successfully portrayed Atticus, Tom, and Boo as mockingbirds in her book. They all suffered unnecessarily at some point in the book like mockingbirds do sometime in their lives. Unfortunately, the LGBT community members have been struggling to find peace. Likewise, mockingbirds never do any harm but have been thought to so they become hated. Furthermore, they exist as different from the normal, like mockingbirds. As long as people keep being themselves and not doing harm everyone should be accepted.

“Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”

To Kill A Mockingbird has a primary topic of partiality and the oppression of honest and innocent people. The fundamental subjects of this book especially interface with the title, which is clarified by Harper Lee through Atticus and Miss Maudie. Miss Maudie clarifies – Mockingbirds don’t accomplish a certain something yet make music for us to appreciate (modified quote). They don’t have a certain something yet they sing their hearts out for us. That is the reason it’s just plain wrong to murder a mockingbird. This is the primary evident reference to the title of the book and the Mockingbird theme. The message Harper Lee is attempting to pass on through Miss Maudie is that it’s inappropriate to execute a Mockingbird since they never effectively hurt anything or anybody, and it truly is just plain wrong to hurt something that has never perpetrated wrongdoing or hurt anybody. I think Harper Lee means the peruser to apply this to individuals also. The mockingbird speaks to the guiltless individuals in the book who have never done anything incorrectly yet are oppressed only for being unique (the two fundamental models being Tom Robinson for being dark and ‘Boo’ Radley for living in isolation.)

Following Atticus’ remark about it being just plain wrong to execute a Mockingbird, there are a few themes with respect to mockingbirds found all throughout the novel. After Tom Robinson is wrongly sentenced, he is sent to Enfield Prison Farm, where he endeavors to get away. Tragically, Tom is shot dead during his getaway, and Mr. Boo Radley Underwood looks at his passing to the ‘silly butcher of larks.’ Tom Robinson is an emblematic mockingbird since he is innocuous and vulnerable and just carries bliss to the world. In chapter 28, Jem and Scout stroll to the Maycomb school to partake in the Halloween celebrations. As they stroll past Boo Radley’s home, Scout mentions, ‘High above us in the haziness a singular charlatan spilled out his collection in euphoric ignorance of whose tree he sat in, diving from the high pitched kee, kee of the sunflower fledgling to the peevish qua-ack of a bluejay, to the dismal mourn of Poor Will, Poor Will, Poor Will’. This particular mockingbird theme hints at Bob Ewell’s assault on the honest, helpless kids as they are strolling home. The last mockingbird theme happens toward the finish of chapter 30 when Scout figuratively applies her dad’s exercise to Boo Radley. At the point when Sheriff Tate says that it would be just plain wrong to illuminate the network about Boo’s heroics, Scout discloses to her dad. Jem and Scout hear the ‘singular impostor’ while in transit to the Halloween show. The impostor is a real mockingbird who, in its honesty, is ‘happily’ uninformed of any potential adversaries around. All through the novel, the mockingbird is an image of guiltlessness. As Miss Maudie says prior in the novel, mockingbirds ‘don’t accomplish a certain something yet make music for us to appreciate. They don’t gobble up individuals’ nurseries, don’t settle in corncribs, they don’t accomplish a certain something, however, sing their hearts out for us.’

Soon after hearing the mockingbird, Cecil Jacobs bounces out and frightens Jem and Scout: a hinting bogus caution. In transit home, Bob Ewell assaults them. In any case, the occasion/individual the mockingbird foreshadowed is another (emblematically obviously) ‘singular’ mockingbird that acts as the hero: Boo Radley. Boo fits the depiction of the honest mockingbird who minds his own business and just helps other people (‘sings his heart out’); to be specific, he helps Jem and Scout, this time by shielding them from Bob Ewell.

We see this preference through the eyes of an honest kid who is seeing it just because. This is urgent to the pursuer’s observation and comprehension of what is happening in the book, as the youngster has not yet been adulterated by the bias and is seeing.

Everything is for what it truly is. Toward the start of the book, the youngsters are for the most part quite naive and sincere, however as the book advances we see them growing up and finding out about the world and the individuals around them. I think they learn three principal exercises before the finish of the book. The first is that individuals (and specifically, the individuals in Maycomb) don’t all have indistinguishable beliefs from them, or as Atticus – for example, they discover that a large number of the individuals of Maycomb are biased and two-faced (even the cream of Maycomb society, who examine the assistance they should provide for the poor, persecuted dark individuals outside Maycomb, just to proceed to make completely unpleasant remarks about the dark individuals living directly in front of them.

“What are you?” A simple yet inevitable question filled with years of confused identity, a question that I have been conditioned to answer repeatedly. Whenever I find myself with the other half, I’m made aware of my confusing pronunciation or how I find myself bowing for just a little too long in an attempt to copy others. The cries of the frustration of not understanding the language. The inability to relate to the personal, yet intertwined experiences of being Asian. A constant cycle exercised by guilt and neglect on either side. I’ve become a malfunctioned chameleon, failing to blend into the background, literally. So, why don’t we apply the color-blind ideology to end the assumption of where you come from, as your only defining characteristic? Have we simply moved on from our need to write about racism? Or are we merely in denial?

Harper Lee’s novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird” 1960, is written through the eyes of a young girl, Scout. Through her, we see the incorporated themes of systemic racism within her relationships and community. As Scout and Jem grow older, they are compelled to understand the existing racial segregation of their town and learn the harsh reality of the world around them. Harper Lee demonstrates the significance of racism and its ability to destroy innocence, childhood, and the people who are exposed to the unjust reality racism creates.

Tom Robinson’s trial represents the climax of racial prejudice in the novel. We witness the end of Jem and Scout’s innocence when they sit and watch the trial unfold before their eyes. The evident bias against Black Americans in court is brought to light by Atticus, “In our courts, when it is a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins. They’re ugly but those are the facts of life.’ (Lee pg. 240). Racism usually originates from an individual’s surroundings or upbringing. Atticus acknowledges that racial equality can never be achieved if generations are continually raised, racist. He informs both Jem and Scout that segregation will always exist if the root cause is still there. Despite having been ostracised for defending a ‘Negro’, he proceeds to remark on the injustices faced against Black Americans within his prejudiced society. As a result, Atticus’ words remain true, as the bias faced within the court, is embodied through Tom Robinson’s inevitable conviction.

When questioned by Scott about why he would represent a ‘Negro’ in court, Atticus replies, ‘For a number of reasons…the main one is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my hand in town, I couldn’t represent this country in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again… simply by the nature of the work, every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects in personally’. His response clearly explains how Atticus perceives the subject of racism. Atticus is the epitome of a ‘color-blind’. Contrary to those around him, he is the only person in the town who outwardly expresses the racism displayed. Ironically, being somewhat blind in his left eye, he has the best insight into the inequality present in Maycomb. He sees beyond the ‘literal sight’ of people his only differentiation between people is through character, not skin color.

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the author, Harper Lee, tells a story about two young children, who live in a period of racial discrimination against African Americans. The reader learns about the characters’ experiences that shape their moral views about people of different social classes and races. Lee portrays African Americans as a segregated community that was considered inferior and constantly faced social injustice, yet they were respectful to the whites, despite the cruel and unfair treatment they endured.

Throughout the novel, African Americans are portrayed as a segregated community that was considered inferior by whites. In fact, segregation was evident everywhere in Maycomb, and blacks were treated as second-class citizens. For example, they lived in a separate area called the Quarters, which was located “outside the southern town limits” (157). To get to their settlement, one had to pass the town’s dump. They also attended a separate church, where they “worshiped in it on Sundays, and white men gambled in it on weekdays” (157). Whether it was the courthouse square or the Maycomb County courthouse, African Americans had to sit in a separate area.

They had to also wait for white folks to enter the courthouse before they could. Whites did everything to degrade blacks and demonstrate their power and superiority. When the residents of Maycomb found out that Atticus was appointed to defend Tom Robinson, who was accused of raping a white woman, they got very furious. Both adults and children proudly exhibited negative feelings and made derogatory remarks toward African Americans. For instance, Jem’s classmate, Cecil Jacobs, told him, “My folks said your daddy was a disgrace, and that “[racial epithet] oughta hang from the water tank!” (102). Even Atticus’ close relatives were filled with racism and hatred towards blacks. At Christmas dinner, Scout’s cousin, Francis called Atticus a “[racial epithet]-lover” (112). He then repeated the hurtful comments by adding that Atticus “has turned out a “[racial epithet]–lover” and we’ll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb again. He’s ruinin’ the family, that’s what he’s doin’.” (110).

The author also portrays African Americans as constantly facing social injustice. The best example in the novel is Mayella and her dad’s action against an innocent black man, named Tom Robinson. It all begins when the young woman falsely accuses him of beating and raping her. During the trial, Tom tries to explain that he never had bad intentions and tried to only show kindness to Mayella. He testifies that he passed her house “going to and from the field every day” (255). He then states that he got invited inside the house many times by the young woman and was asked to do small chores. Since Mayella was poor and didn’t really have any friends, Tom felt sorry for her. He was probably the only person who was nice to her. Unfortunately, the young lady betrayed his kindness. Tom became a victim and an easy target because of his skin color. After she tries to kiss him, out of respect for her, he refuses to kiss her back and tries to leave. Unfortunately, on his way out he hears her father say, “.. you goddamn whore, I’ll kill ya.” (260). Horrified and scared, Tom runs as fast as he can.

Little does he know that Mayella will be later found “lying on the floor in the middle of the front room” pretty badly beaten up and that she will accuse him of raping her (p.223). Right away, Tom Robinson is charged with assault and rape, without any sufficient evidence or thorough investigation. During the trial, he’s treated unjustly because of his race and skin color. By the end of the trial, it’s clear that Tom Robinson is innocent and yet, when Judge Taylor polls the jury, their verdict is “Guilty… guilty… guilty… guilty…” (282). The jury that consisted of all white men finds the young African American man guilty. Finally, Harper Lee presents a black community that is honest and respectful towards whites, despite the cruel and unfair treatment they received from them. The African American residents of Maycomb show their gratitude to Atticus for helping Tom Robinson, by giving and surprising him with gifts. For example, it states, “ The kitchen was loaded with enough food to bury the family: hunks of salt pork, tomatoes, beans, even scuppernongs.” “ They – they ‘appreciate what you did, Mr. Finch”. (286). Even though the community is poor, they do everything in their power to show their appreciation for Atticus Finch. In the courthouse, when Jem and Scout realize there are no seats available for them, Reverend Sykes takes them to the balcony where black folks sit and four men give “their front–row seats” to the children. (p.219).

The African American community tried to show their respect and gratitude in every way they could. Loyalty was another quality that many blacks possessed. One of the best examples would be Calpurnia, who is Mr. Finch’s housekeeper. She is a very strong and smart woman who plays an important role in Scout and Jem’s upbringing as well as their lives. In fact, she can be considered as the only mother figure to the children. Tom Robinson is another character in the novel, who constantly shows respect and kindness. For example, he helps Mayella around the house without expecting anything in return. When she tries to kiss him, out of respect for her, he stops Mayella in a very polite way. He mentions the incident in his testimony, “She says she never kissed a grown man before an’ she might as well kiss a nigger.” (260). Tom never took any advantage of the young lady. Throughout the history of the United States, African Americans have continuously faced racial discrimination from whites. The author, Harper Lee, does a great job exploring the topic and educating readers about the unfair treatment and cruelty many blacks experience. However, Harper Lee could have given us more insight into characters, like Tom Robinson. We never really learned about his life, his family, or his feelings. After all, he does play a major role in the novel. He is the one that brings the title to life – he is the mockingbird, who was wrongly accused and got killed in a cruel way.

No matter what time period we are in, humans are learning new lessons from every situation they experience. Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, was set in the 1960s in Maycomb, Alabama during The Great Depression. Narrator and protagonist, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch learns some important life lessons from her experiences throughout the novel. As she grows older, Scout starts to notice the world around her and witnesses the racial inequalities and prejudices towards different types of people. Her father, Atticus, and maid, Calpurnia have a huge impact on her, as they play an important role in Scout’s life and teach important life lessons such as understanding people from their point of view and treating others with respect and equality.

Atticus, who defends an innocent man accused of rape in court, is the father of Scout Finch and a role model. He emphasizes the importance of having empathy and putting yourself in someone else’s position. In a town like Maycomb County, where the individuals are suffering immensely from ‘The Great Depression’, Atticus practices the ethic of sympathy and treats the individuals of Maycomb indifferently despite their callous opinions about racial inequality. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (Chapter 3, pg. 39). Here, Atticus explains to Scout the value of having empathy and trying to understand a person’s situation from their point of view. An example of this can be shown when he defends Tom Robinson, an innocent man convicted of raping a white woman. While he knows that his odds of winning the case are low, considering the prejudiced jury, he continued to fight for the freedom of Tom Robinson as he believed it was the right thing to do. Atticus emphasizes the importance of empathy and ‘putting yourself in someone else’s shoes’ in order to consider the condition in which they are and suggests that it is important to associate emotionally with the hardships of the disadvantaged or underprivileged’s situation.

Atticus also focuses on implanting these values into his children, Jem and Scout. This is shown in the quote when he explains to Jem the importance of understanding a situation that someone else is experiencing through their perspective.“Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes for a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial if he had any, to begin with. The man had to have some kind of comeback; his kind always does. So, if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take.”(chapter 23, page 238). Through this quote, Atticus reveals to Jem that he would prefer for Bob to target his rage on Atticus, rather than on Bob Ewell’s children. He attempts to get Jem to see it from Bob’s point of view and to understand his embarrassment and frustration after only revealing the facts about Bob and the case of Robinson. Atticus plays a positive role in the life of his children by instilling these morals in them throughout the novel by leading by example. He stuck by Tom right to the end, ignoring all the racial prejudices of the people of Maycomb County by empathizing with Tom and continuing to do what he believed was the right thing to do.

Calpurnia, the Finch’s housekeeper, has a significant impact on Scout as she not only acts as a motherly figure to her but also raises her with a positive influence. Throughout the novel, Calpurnia primarily focuses on teaching the children, the value of etiquette and discipline and she wishes for them to grow up with a strong moral education.

In the beginning, Scout describes Calpurnia as strict and demanding and complains about the harsh ways in which Calpurnia punishes her in order to discipline her. Scout states that her “hand was wide as a bed slat and twice as hard” (chapter 1, pg. 6). We learn through this quote that Calpurnia possibly hits Scout, in order to discipline her. Scout clearly does not like this and sometimes rebels against her teachings.

In chapter three of the book, Calpurnia addresses Scout in the kitchen when she embarrasses Walter Cunningham Jr at the dinner table when he poured syrup all over his meal, and says, “There are some folks who don’t eat like us…but you ain’t called on to contradict ’em at the table when they don’t. That boy’s yo’ company and if he wants to eat up the tablecloth you let him; you hear?” ( chapter 3, pg. 26). Calpurnia explains to Scout that she is to treat him equally and with the utmost respect. Essentially, she gives Scout a lesson in etiquette, fairness, and respect. She encourages Scout to consider Walter as an equal and treat him the way she would want to be treated.

As the novel develops, we see the soft side of Calpurnia. She balances her discipline with affection for Scout which she often is very appreciative for. It is proven that Calpurnia values morality and the importance of treating others ‘the way you would want to be treated’. Although Scout does not always appreciate the way in which Calpurnia disciplines her, she is very much grateful as Calpurnia fulfills her responsibility of acting as the motherly figure the children have not been exposed to and raising them as her own kids. Therefore, Calpurnia positively influences both Jem and Scout in the novel and teaches the values of empathy and respect for others in her life. Her impact on the kids as a motherly figure guides Scout in the right direction into her adult life.

Empathizing and treating individuals with respect and equality, regardless of their differences, are common principles and practices that dictate how people communicate with each other and the world surrounding them. It helps individuals consider things from someone else’s perspective and how they feel so that they can react accordingly to a certain situation. The character of Bob Ewell in relation to the theme of empathy and treating people with respect and equality can be shown through his lack of morals.

Bob Ewell frames Tom Robinson for raping his daughter Mayella Ewell primarily because of his race and color. This is a representation of the embodiment of the uneducated and narrow-minded lower class of Maycomb County. When Bob Ewell states in the court during the trial of Tom Robinson, “I saw that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella,” This showed that Ewell judges Tom Robinson more for his race than as a human being He first calls Tom a “black nigger” instead of calling him by his name. He then proceeds to describe how he supposedly raped Mayella by using words such as ‘rutting’, a word typically used in an animal context. Bob represents the lack of morals in the uneducated and ignorant portion of the Southern population. While known as the worst guy in Maycomb, he is a white man which immediately places him above Tom Robinson based on the social and economic status hierarchy during that time. Knowing this, Bob took advantage of his superiority for his own gain only so he might get a few minutes of attention in Maycomb County and look like a local hero for ‘ saving his daughter’. Nevertheless, it appeared like that wasn’t enough for Ewell. Bob continues to be disrespectful to Atticus after the trial, because he’d revealed the facts about Bob and the case to the people of Maycomb and Bob doesn’t get his 10 minutes of fame. “Too proud to fight, you nigger-loving bastard?” (chapter 23, pg. 237). Bob spits on Atticus, to get revenge for the humiliation he felt after the trial. This shows the disrespect Bob Ewell feels towards Atticus Finch and towards the black community. Due to his lack of education and morals, Bob believes that the only way he can be better than Atticus is to beat him physically, instead of owning up to his mistakes and being the bigger person.

Atticus, however, responds to Ewell’s comments with honor and dignity by walking away. This shows the difference between the two characters and how they represent their values through their actions. Bob clearly could care less about his reputation, whereas Atticus continues to act in compliance with his values and ethics, despite all the difficulties he faces. He not only does so to be a good citizen but also to be a positive role model and influence to his kids in teaching them his principles.

Historical processes seeded by the aftermath of the American civil war and its subsequences leading up to the end of the 19th century has been reflected in Upton Sinclair’s 1905 fictional novel The Jungle. The novel captivates its audiences by vividly depicting the grim consequences of mass immigration, dense urbanization, and the political climate of its time. Through the eyes of Jurgis, the protagonist of Sinclair’s novel, the audience is presented with the exploitation and struggles immigrants faced that were brought by the American industrialization which stem from the outcome of the American Civil War.

The exertions of the union government during and after the Civil War paved way for mass immigration. During the war, the union government passed two legislation acts that promoted mass migration internally in the United States. The Homestead Act and the Pacific Railway Act made it possible to migrate civilization from east to west in the United States by giving away Federal Reserve lands and uniting the nation via a transcontinental railroad, respectively. The conclusions of the combined Acts are felt in the novel when Jurgis ventures into the west, after a series of tragic events, via railroad trains and encounters farmed settlements. After the Civil War, the 14th amendment was passed in 1866 by Congress that made it a constitutional right for immigrants to be granted citizenship by neutralization and extending citizenship to the offspring of immigrants that were born in the United States. The novel attributes the effects & exploitation schemes of the 14th amendment when Jurgis becomes a US citizen, free of cost, by signing neutralization papers but with the basis of being used in political paid-to-vote schemes such as graft. Despite the systematic paid-to-vote scheme; westward expansion alongside with the 14th amendment cascaded to influence mass immigration due to rapid advances in industrial production.

Progression in the industrial production induced capitalistic support for mass immigration. As civilization made its way to the west, so too did capitalism. A paragon transformation arose with the introduction of capitalism in the west that changed small local farms to large factories that were water powered by natural rivers. The large factories produced more goods at cheaper prices, which required an increase in labor supply due to new technologies in agricultural production. Further changes in the United States demographic came with the introduction of the electrical age, in the 1890s, that used electrical energy as a source for industrial production. An example of industrial production is the air-conditioned railroad trains that enabled the transportation of perishable goods, such as pork and cattle—depicted in the novel, which made it possible to survive long distance journey from the Pacific to the Atlantic coastlines. Electrical energy shift available work from the west back to major cities in the east. With the invention of the incandescent light bulb, factories were able to run everyday at all hours of the day. This in turn increased the demand for labor. The increasing demand for labor by capitalist was meet by a new wave of immigrants which presented capitalist with the opportunity to select those best suited for work—reflected in the novel when Jurgis is selected for his larger body size. As capitalist favored mass immigration so too did they favor their exploitation in cheap labor. The liberty of contracts, for example, created fierce competition amongst newly arrived immigrants to compete for long hours—labor demanding jobs in exchange for low wages. This exploitation is a recurring theme in The Jungle. For example, grandmother Majauszkiene’s tale of the new immigrants from eastern Europe taking over the work of the old immigrants from western Europe. Another example is when a socialist informs Jurgis about the wage competition. The novel characterizes economic mobility obtainable due to industrial progression in the late 19th century as the driving force for many immigrants to journey to the United States.

The Jungle sets economic mobility of industrialized cities of the United States as a premise for Jurgis and his extended family to journey to America. Many immigrants at the time set out for America to avoid economic and political tensions that plagued them in their respective country. Jurgis and his family arrive in New York and make their journey to Chicago to work in the meatpacking industry where they hope for a better economic stability. The premise to leave their country is further advocated by tales of rags-to-riches opportunities available in America inspired immigrants to leave their country; just as Jurgis and his extended family did after hearing tales of the success of their fellow countrymen Jokubas Szedviles in Packingtown. Furthermore, tales of high wages was perpetuated onto villages in Europe to influence the masses to set their hopes of economic mobility towards America. Unfortunately, the economic opportunity available in the United States were skewed to favor the established wealthy class as was the case with Jokubas Szedviles, an immigrant in The Jungle, who had many financial setbacks despite owning his business. For many immigrants, economic mobility was inaccessible due to language constrictions and high cost of living. This is exemplified when Jurgis and his extended family discover the hidden fees that are included in their mortgage due to their inability to read English. Supplementary to the cost of living in urban cities, mass immigration presented yet additional dilemmas—the adverse consequences of dense urbanization.

The horrors of dense urbanization and its consequences is a recurring theme in Sinclair’s novel The Jungle. Sinclair captures the reality of mass immigration of the time in dense urban cities by depicting exploitation schemes used by capitalistic Americans and malicious individuals that opposed the growing immigration influx. The first encounter of exploitation was when Jurgis and his extended family arrived in New York and meet an agent that puts them in odds with local officials. Another is when they are led into a hotel which charges them a large sum of money. Sinclair reveals the harsh reality of being a foreigner in a country by stating in the novel “The law says that the rate card shall be on the door of a hotel, but it does not say that it shall be in Lithuanian.” (Sinclair, The Jungle Nov. 4 1905) Urbanization, apart from exploitation of immigrants with language barriers, also hosted other cruelties such as unforgiving living conditions and social class tensions that often lead to an increase in crime activity.

The Jungle captures the harsh living conditions of the 19th century. When Jurgis and his extended family arrive to Packingtown, they are immediately settled into a boardinghouse that is overcrowded by other families and domestic animals. These conditions were, however, common in metropolitan cities throughout the northeastern parts of America at the time. Laws regarding the regulation of sanitation and public sewerage were not heavily administrated by local governments. This in turned allowed diseases to plague urban civilization. A lack of central heating also afflicted low-income families, such as Jurgis and his extended family when the cold, combined with poor working conditions, brought the death of Jurgis’s father. Still, poor conditions were not exclusive to the dwelling of immigrants; factories also faced poor conditions. Particularly the meatpacking industry for which the book uses through its tale as a background character that antagonizes Jurgis and his extended family. Poor working conditions affected, not just Jurgis’s father, but also all the other characters that put their lives and health in jeopardy. A case that exemplifies this, but is not solely intrinsic to Sinclair’s novel, is when accidents occurred that injured the workers or were fatal. Yet the ultimatum that Sinclair’s novel exposes is that poor conditions are intertwined with the home and the meatpacking industry when the youngest child in the extended family dies from eating contaminated meat. Sinclair includes this not just for literary tension but was included, with intention, to address these poor conditions and to speak of the lack of concern by capitalist and local government of its time to make any reformations. However it is the conclusion of poor conditions that entices many immigrants, just like Jurgis, into a life of crime.

City planners combat against crime syndicates in the late 19th century due to poor conditions and the troubles of both poor and wealthy urbanist. As mentioned earlier the meatpacking factory is an antagonist that brings the death of several of Jurgis’s family members, the rape of his wife, and the driving of the other female members into prostitution and drug addiction. The accumulated battering on Jurgis and his family leads Jurgis into a life of crime in order to survive. Crime syndicates grew in the 19th century in urban dense cities and in response the wealthy urbanist vacationed to the suburbs to escape victimization by the underprivileged. Victimization of the wealthy exists correspondingly in The Jungle when Jurgis goes on a battery and assault period. A progressive movement called “city beautiful” brought by wealthy reformist sought to fight poverty, poor sanitation, and crime by increasing the quality of life in the city. In their campaign, reformist strategically designed city blueprints that would present city dwellers with more open green space in order to ease the troubles of both the poor and wealthy. This movement caused reformist such as Frederick Law Olmsted to design the construction of Central Park in New York City. Although the novel doesn’t exhibit the response from reformist in confronting the victimization of the wealthy, it does exhibit a reply from the political machine’s decree over Packingtown.

Political subjugation in the 19th century was subordinated by the political machine and is the factual felon of The Jungle. The 1870-1900 is referred to as the “gilded age”, coined by Mark Twain used to describe the astonishing success of the American industrialization at its surface but beneath it lies an enormous imperfection that was the political machine. The Jungle embodies the term with its surface gilded with economic and social mobility but beneath it lies the dreadful reality of economic and social stagnation as well as political corruption. The architect behind this stagnation and corruption was the political machine. A political machine is a political organization whose sole purpose is to produce electoral votes that give political power to its selected candidate. In return for political power, the candidate must work in favor of its supporters, often by empowering them into other governmental jobs or by corruptibly favoring local laws in their favor. An example of the latter, in which corruption favors its supporters, is the political club called “War Whoop League” in which association with it provided immunity to arrest in the district of Packingtown. Another example of this corrupted support system is found in The Jungle when Sinclair introduces “The ruler of the district which was the Democratic boss, a little Irishman named Mike Scully. Scully held an important party office in the state, and bossed even the mayor of the city, it was said; it was his boast that he carried the stockyards in his pocket. He was an enormously rich man—he had a hand in all the big graft in the neighborhood.” (Sinclair, The Jungle Nov. 4 1905) Here we observe the subjugation of politics on a local level (often involving police and judicial corruption) and on a state level by political machine in which Scully’s position in the political party allows him to decree over Packingtown.

The historical processes by the end of the 19th century are innate in Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. By representing the grim features of the late 19th century, Sinclair is able to engulf readers into the world that plagued the newly arrived immigrants. The historical analysis of this paper demonstrates the parallelism of the novel with historical processes that are characterized in the book: mass immigration, dense urbanization, and political subjugation in the late 19th century.

Sinclair, Upton, The Jungle, (Doubleday, Jabber & Company) 1906

Upton Beall Sinclair was born September 20, 1878 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was an only child of a father who sold a lot of different stuff from liquor, hat, and etc. and his wife who lived poorly. Sinclair graduated from the New York City College in 1897 entering at only fourteen years old, after graduating he attended Colombia University to study law. Sinclair was one of the most important writers of the 1900’s because of the politics and business he would write about. One of his more important novels was “The Jungle “which talked about the working conditions in a meat-packing industry. In result of him writing this novel he helped improve the working conditions. Upton later died on November 25,1968.

The Jungle talks about a Lithuanian family immigrating to Chicago in wanting a better life and finding work. The couple of Jurgis Rudkus and Ona Lukoszaitae were the family coming to find work, while Jurgis was quick to find work in a meatpacking industry with some of his family members. After working for a good amount of time and confident with their wages they decided to purchase a home as a family, but soon realizing the home came with hidden fees that they couldn’t understand because of the low knowledge of knowing any English . Ona ended up going out to get a job in the meatpacking industry as well, while everything went good for a good amount of time, once the winter came things started to go downhill because of the work slowing down and the family getting paid less. Despite the loss of a loved one, Ona gave birth to a healthy child, but right when the summer came along they all went to go back to work to produce for the family again.

Jurgais later discovers that Ons’s boss Conner has been raping her and forced her into brothel a couple of times. Jurgis losses it and immediately finds Conner and beats him, after all of this Jurgis is put in to jail for about thirty days for aggravated assault. After Jurgis gets released from jail, he finds out that his family has been evicted from their house and his wife Ona was sick with their child, sadly Ona and the child were not able to survive the illness. Not letting the death put him down Jurgis finds a new job to support his child and the rest of the family, with no luch Jurgis eventually leaves Chicago and becomes a tramp for the rest of that summer. Coming back to Chicago he becomes a crime worker for a political boss to be able to support himself, which feel apart when he ran into Conner again and gets put back to jail, he pays his bail and runs to the other side of Chicago. He attends a socialist speech to get out of the cold but the message triggers Jurgis, after hearing the speech he hopes himself for a better future for himself in socialism.

The main location of “The Jungle” took place in Chicago, Illinois. Packingtown is Chicago’s meatpacking district in the 1900’s. The family traveled to Packingtown, Illinois which was the Chicago main places for the meat-packing. Packingtown was the main place to find work in Chicago and that’s where the family decided to go. Chicago was also the main place in where the family bought their home.

Jurgis was put in jail in a jail in Chicago as well. Also Jurgis went across the whole town to run away from Conner and ended up in a Socialism speech in just a different part of Chicago. So most of the story took place in the city of Chicago.

The Jungle was a reorientation of the Progressive era. The story talked about the causes and concerns during this time period in American history. It also shows the struggle of an Immigrant from another country trying to find a better life for him and his family. It shows all the ups and downs he went and struggles of the working class in American. From the horrible work conditions of the factory and how bad the bosses treated immigrants wanting to work.

The family was just trying to come to America just to have a better life than they did in Lithuania. But found out the reality of America work in factories and plant work. The city was also full of crime which didn’t help there wants. But at the end it also showed the Socialism during the progressive era of how some people wanted to change to a republican president instead of a democrat in wishing that the times would change in America with more work and better money opportunities

The issues that went down in this book was how many immigrants were coming to America wanting the “American Dream” which thinking that there was going to be jobs for them and money for them to make. But all that was just a reality, it showed in the book how bad the working conditions were in the meat-packing factory of how dangerous and contaminated it was. Sinclair wrote this book to expose these conditions in the meat-packing industry, which later led to new safety laws that these establishments had to follow.

Some issues were also the money problems these immigrants had and how easy it was to lose their jobs. In “The Jungle” it explained how the family had no work during the winter which made it real difficult for them in making money cause that all the work they had. They ended up losing their home and also them not having money led to the death of Ona and the child she was carrying at the time. It also showed how much that the American bosses would take advantage of their immigrating workers, for example when Conner was raping Ona, and she only did it because she was “ going to get paid more” and well she did it because of the trouble to find jobs and make money in America was at the time.

Introduction

Kingsolver addresses various issues in this best-selling novel. Using a young Kentucky woman as the main character, the writer explores several concerns facing middle-class Americans in their daily survivals. A brief overview of the writing points out Taylor Greer as a woman with strong intentions. She had made up her mind in life not to be impregnated during her teenage and also not end up as a tobacco farmer’s wife like her mother. Her ambitions make her leave Kentucky and head west in search of adventure in her Volkswagen. What follows is a series of events that portray the strong-willed woman she is.

Main text

There are various themes exposed in the novel. What stands out most though is the theme of families. Kingsolver focuses on this subject matter and brings it out as the major idea. The turtle was abandoned in Taylor’s Volkswagen. Taylor decides to take up the child and make her hers. Taylor is later on accommodated by Ann Lou who had a son and together the four make up a family. Though neither of them can afford much, they combine their efforts and share whatever they have thus even making their family stronger and surviving all the impenetrability that comes with life.

Ann Lou disregards biological attachment that usually defines a family. She contents in regarding Taylor and Turtle as part of her life because they have gone through life’s hard times together. This is what makes up a successful family. These two ladies depict that a family is more than blood ties and that sometimes water can be thicker than blood. Their relationship develops into one of perpetual camaraderie and real love towards each other. This unrestricted acceptance of each other characterizes the true meaning of a family. With it comes the priceless poignant and psychosomatic support for one other.

Apart from the family of Taylor and Ann Lou, there is also the family unit of Edna and Virgie Mae. Despite Edna’s blindness, she gets the full support of Virgie Mae and together they sail through the hurdles of life. The political immigrants in Mattie’s house are her grandbabies (Kingsolver 46). This is a family to Mattie even though the state considers these people illegal citizens. They are individuals who also need the care and support that usually comes with a family unit.

In this novel, Kingsolver defines a family in the way people help each other. Taylor accommodates Turtle and gives her the best that a family can provide. Though Taylor is not recognized by the law as the lawful parent to Turtle, she disregards this fact thus stressing that a true family is not formed by state rules but by true love. Taylor tells Estevan “I spent the first half of my life avoiding motherhood and tires and now I’m counting them as blessings” (Kingsolver 144). Taylor embraces this unmitigated family and together with Turtle, Ann Lou, and her son, they decide to become one happy unit.

This book depicts that a family is not really defined by a father and a mother but by people who come together and support each other unconditionally. These families are not defined by tradition although Alice’s unconditional support for Taylor can be described as traditional. Their family does not have a father which prompts Taylor to remark “I was lucky that way” (Kingsolver 9).