Preview

To Kill A Mockingbird Critical Lens Essay

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
613 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
To Kill A Mockingbird Critical Lens Essay
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.” (Lee, 39). Authors have the power to show us others point of view, they can put us in their shoes. Literature teaches empathy, gives us a deeper look at things. To Kill a Mockingbird and “A Bronzeville Mother Loiters in Mississippi. Meanwhile a Mississippi Mother Burns Bacon” shows us things very differently than what we initially thought it would was. Things aren’t always what they seem, the truth is mostly being overshadowed by what others want it to be.

Authors can show us characters that are looked down upon because people believe that they’ve done wrong but in reality they are actually good people with good intentions. In To Kill a Mockingbird …show more content…
Mayella Ewell, from To Kill a Mockingbird, accuses Tom Robinson of rape and assault, which was a lie. The only thing he did wrong was help Mayella, who was lonely and abused by her father. When she met Tom, he was nice to her. She develops feeling for him and tried to kiss him, she was caught by her father, Bob Ewell. Although what Mayella did was wrong and cost the Robinsons family Tom’s life, we feel empathy for her because she was lonely and no one was ever nice to her. Similarly Carolyn Bryant accuses Emmett Till of things he didn’t do, just to get her husband’s attention. She thought her husband was her knight in shining armor and she was his damsel in distress “By the Dark Villain. Rescued by the Fine Prince.” (Brooks, 8) She thought her husband saved her from the villain of her story, Emmett Till. Later in the poem she realizes that Emmett isn’t the villain but her husband is, that he wasn’t the hero she thought he was. Her bad deeds would probably haunt her forever but we see her side of the story and understand why she did the things she did. People that do bad things might not always mean harm but seeing their take on things does help understand
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Essay On Harper Lee's Use Of Emotions In To Kill A Mockingbird
    • 682 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Essay On Harper Lee's Use Of Emotions In To Kill A Mockingbird

    An example of a character pitying Tom Robinson is Mr. B. B. Underwood, who, when referring to Tom Robinson, claimed that it is a “sin to kill cripples” and said that Tom Robinson’s death was like “senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children.” Scout comments that Atticus “had no case” for Tom Robinson because in the “secret courts of men’s hearts” prejudice against and presumptions about blacks overruled reason and apathy in the men of the court. Another example of characters influencing the reader’s reaction is when Atticus informed Scout and Calpurnia that Tom Robinson had been killed and the reader learns that Tom Robinson had a family. Lee included Robinson’s family to make him more human and relatable, creating a stronger bond between the character and the reader. This “bond” is what makes the situation so powerful; by learning of Robinson’s death, the reader feels like they learned that somebody familiar died. This incurs a more vigorous reaction from the reader and in turn makes the story especially…

    • 682 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    To Kill A Mockingbird Essay Questions Essay
    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages

    To Kill A Mockingbird Essay Questions Essay

    The lesson taught to Scout by Calpurnia was that you if you invite someone over, you let them eat however they want to eat. This arose from the scene where Walter was drowning his dinner with syrup. Scout can use this lesson to be more respectful to her guest. The lesson that Atticus taught Scout is that you must walk around in their skin to fully understand them. This arose from when Scout did not was to go to school and for Atticus to teach her just like how Atticus's father taught him and Uncle Jack. Scout could use this to be more empathic with other…

    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    To Kill A Mocking Bird Critical Lens Essay
    • 896 Words
    • 4 Pages

    To Kill A Mocking Bird Critical Lens Essay

    “In literature, evil often triumphs, but never conquers” in famous novels like “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson or “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. The evil is considered the major issues brought upon the protagonists by the antagonists (when comparing these two novels), such as the character of Andy Evans in Speak and Bob Ewell in To Kill a Mockingbird. However, the protagonists always found a way to conquer with the good, and will always shine brighter than the evil.…

    • 896 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of Judgement In To Kill A Mockingbird
    • 616 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Examples Of Judgement In To Kill A Mockingbird

    People tend to judge a lot, and worse; judge based on what others say. In the story, To Kill Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, three characters illustrate being victims of others’ false judgments. These individuals reveal little about their past, and so most of the people in Maycomb knew next to nothing about them. As a result, some misinformed folks make up and spread stories and speculations about those individuals’ pasts. Though the gossipers mean no harm, the individuals’ reputations suffer as a result. Mrs. Dubose, Mr. Dolphus Raymond, and Arthur Radley demonstrate the life of someone who live as an incognito individual. Throughout the story, the truth of their pasts are revealed, making the children learn that they must not believe everything that they hear.…

    • 616 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    How Does Steinbeck Present Social Injustice
    • 1378 Words
    • 6 Pages

    How Does Steinbeck Present Social Injustice

    Social injustices in literature are often used as a plot device, by which authors utilize in an attempt to convey a deeper message to the reader. By detailing forms of discrimination - against race, against gender - through characters and incidents that develop throughout a story, authors are able to speak volumes about times of societal unrest and injustice. Specifically, the motif of racism during the Great Depression era is portrayed through works of literature, such as Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird, in order to depict the oppression and discrimination that African Americans faced during that era. Through the characters of Tom Robinson and Crooks, authors Harper Lee and John Steinbeck are able to provide an in-depth perspective…

    • 1378 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Literary Analysis Of To Kill A Mockingbird
    • 1008 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Literary Analysis Of To Kill A Mockingbird

    As most people have read the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, many have wondered, what contributes most to the story’s themes? Well, throughout the novel, there are three main literary elements that come into play. In the passage “‘It ain’t right, Atticus…”’(pg.284) to “I looked up, and his face was vehement”(pg.296), Harper Lee uses the literary element character, setting, and tone to develop the theme that recognizing perspectives contributes to coming of age. As many other themes in the novel, the theme will show a change in how Jem starts to view the world, and the major roles included in it, such as racism. But his perspective comes mostly from the kind of character he is.…

    • 1008 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    To Kill A Mockingbird Critical Lens
    • 476 Words
    • 2 Pages

    To Kill A Mockingbird Critical Lens

    In the novel Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee comments, “Prejudice, a dirty word, and faith, a clean one, have something in common: they both begin where reason ends” (Lee 270-1). This quote not only describes what prejudice is, but also how it comes to be. Prejudice is illustrated in many different forms throughout various works of literature. A few skillfully portrayed classics include: Twelve Angry Men, a play by Reginald Rose, “As I Grew Older”, a poem by Langston Hughes, and To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel by Harper Lee. The aforementioned works all convey messages of racism, bigotry, and injustice.…

    • 476 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Who Is Coming Of Age In To Kill A Mockingbird
    • 1057 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Who Is Coming Of Age In To Kill A Mockingbird

    Do others ever think how others feel before speaking? In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee explains how the color of your skin affected a person or favored a person. Harper Lee talks about a trail that took place with a black man named Tom Robinson, and a white young lady named Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinson was accused of rapping Mayella Ewell, because he was a black man he ended up losing the trial. Tom Robinson was sentenced to life prison, and later on was killed during one of his breaks.The message in this story is that people in our world are treated very different because of their color of their skin and can be accused of things for the way they look without knowing if they are innocent or guilty. Harper Lee utilizes the literary elements character, setting, and conflict to show the theme that when a person comes of age they start to realize their surroundings and feeling of others.…

    • 1057 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    to kill a mockingbird essay
    • 712 Words
    • 3 Pages

    to kill a mockingbird essay

    In “To Kill a Mockingbird” by harper lee clearly says that killing a mockingbird is a sin because it does not commit crimes,besides making its beautiful music. therefore there are a few characters in the story that could be considered to be mockingbirds.…

    • 712 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    To Kill a Mockingbird Essay
    • 730 Words
    • 2 Pages

    To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

    A child learns so much from interacting with its surroundings. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Jeremy Finch does a whole lot of learning. Jem and Scout witness some of the evils of man and learn important lessons from them. However, Jem understands most of the events going on around him than his younger sibling Scout. From roughly the age of 10 through 13 we see how much Jeremy (Jem) Finch has evolved from the point-of-view of his little sister, Jean-Louise (Scout) Finch, which gives an exceptional perspective on his growth.…

    • 730 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    To Kill A Mockingbird Empathy
    • 258 Words
    • 2 Pages

    To Kill A Mockingbird Empathy

    In the third chapter of To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus proclaims that “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”. At the core of this statement is the idea empathy and that people are greater than who they appear to be on the surface. Applying this idea to characters in the book can teach us invaluable lessons. Empathising with Mayella Ewell’s situation can help us to comprehend why people act in certain manners. Examining the character of Mrs Dubose teaches us that everyone is fighting their own battles and demonstrates what true courage is. Understanding Miss Caroline helps us to learn that people who are seemingly antagonistic are occasionally simply uneducated, can be well intentioned and still deserve our compassion.…

    • 258 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    To Kill a Mockingbird Essay
    • 722 Words
    • 3 Pages

    To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

    An important event in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee is the trial of Tom Robinson who was accused of raping a young white woman from the lower class. This event had a huge effect on Jem Finch’s life. It was what triggered him completely losing his already disappearing innocence. This happened because the trial exposed many new things to him. For example, he saw his father extremely disappointed. This was significant because he was used to seeing him always in control. Jem also saw racial injustice, which shattered his view of how the world worked, making him grow up from an oblivious child, changing his life forever.…

    • 722 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    to kill a mockingbird
    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages

    to kill a mockingbird

    Empathy for others and understanding different perspectives are very important thematic topics in To Kill a Mockingbird. In the story Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are both ridiculed for being different. Tom Robison is ridiculed for being black. Many people assume he raped Mayella Ewell just because he is black. Boo Radley is often ridiculed because he rarely leaves his house. Since he rarely leaves his house people assume that he is a terrible person. Although these characters are assumed to be awful, in this story we find out that they are both good men.…

    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    To Kill a Mockingbird Essay
    • 1658 Words
    • 7 Pages

    To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

    Cultural values and social practices inevitably over time as individuals and societies are subject to change with it. In the timeless bildungsroman novel, “To Kill A Mockingbird” (1960) written by Harper Lee, it explores the confronting experiences of a young child, living in a world of racism, injustice and disability. In a more modern context, however, the novel “The Family Law” (2009) written by Benjamin Law, is a hilarious memoir describing the quirky and “stranger-than-fiction” family circumstances that he and his family lived through. Both of these texts vividly describe their culture values and practices, and looking at it from a 21st century, modern perspective, we can see how much these morals and principles have changed.…

    • 1658 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    To Kill A Mockingbird Essay
    • 774 Words
    • 4 Pages

    To Kill A Mockingbird Essay

    “The witness of the state… have presented themselves to you… in cynical confidence that their testimonies won’t be doubted [because of]... the evil assumption - that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings.” (Lee 273). This was a line quoted from Atticus during Tom Robinson's court case in To Kill a Mockingbird. To Kill a Mockingbird took place in the early 1930’s in Maycomb County, Alabama, when many people were strongly prejudiced against blacks. Atticus said this line not only to save Tom Robinson, a black man, from the wrongful verdict of rape, but potentially even some of his town from the stifling grip of prejudice. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee demonstrated that prejudice causes lack of empathy and bias; this was shown through the words and reactions to conflicts of prejudiced characters.…

    • 774 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics