Boo Radley
In Harper Lee's novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Boo Radley is a marginalized figure. In a book filled with memorable dialogue and conversation, he is the only central figure who never speaks for himself in the text. Because To Kill A Mockingbird describes social existence in a small town, Boo's status as one who does not openly participate in this social existence is responsible for his marginalization. But I hope to demonstrate that Boo is central to Harper Lee's message in the novel: it becomes clear by the end that Boo, no less than Tom Robinson, is meant to be understood in terms of the statement which gives the book its title: "it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" (page 119). The children's idea of Boo basically takes the trajectory of everything that we would define as prejudice: as a result, the story of Boo Radley is a parallel…...

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Discuss the presence of Jim Crow laws and their manifestation in the novel and social ramifications.
Plessy v. Ferguson was a landmark case for maintaining segregation and inequality for blacks. Discuss how this was demonstrated in the novel.
Discuss how the economic stresses of the time added to social tensions in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Tom Robinson is a black man charged with rape of a white woman, tried by a white jury. Discuss the problems inherent in this situation that will ensure he won’t receive a fair trial.
Discuss the parallelisms between Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.
Discuss the parallelisms between Jem Finch and Tom Robinson.
Dill Harris is an intriguing supporting character as he represents a melee of so many of the people and circumstances around him. Discuss.
Critics have described Atticus Finch as overly optimistic. Agree or disagree and explain.
The novel is not a mirror image of Harper Lee’s childhood, but explain how…...

Like other symbols of the civil rights movement such as the song "We shall overcome" and peaceful sit-ins, to Kill a Mockingbird quickly assumed a similar position.
As the focus of the movie was on right and wrong, the director of this film, obert Mulligan, provided the American movie viewing public with a strong lesson in justice but he was also able, largely through the character of Atticus Finch, to demonstrate that humanity can still prevail even under difficult circumstances. Mulligan could have soften the message and still have captured the essence of the book upon which the movie was based but, instead, Mulligan made a deliberate statement in the way that he portrayed the characters in the story and how the movie told the story. He took on the ways of the American South where the beliefs of men, despite their moral depravity, ruled their actions instead of the…...

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Referenced several times in the movie, the mockingbird is a symbol of harmlessness in that its only function is to make music for others. It has no real enemies and should be except from harm. As Atticus warns his children, "it is sin to kill a mockingbird."

In the movie Boo and Tom Robinson are similar to the mockingbird in that they are harmless individuals who would never intentionally hurt anyone, yet, both are harmed seriously in the movie and those who are hurting them is like shooting a mockingbird. The mockingbird symbolizes the good in life but, as the conviction and death of Tom Robinson demonstrates, evil has the power to overcome the mockingbird's goodness.

Another powerful symbol or image in the movie is the genuine goodness of the black community. The Maycomb black community is pictured in the movie as a group of simple, honest, and hardworking individuals who are barely eking out an existence but still manage to be happy. In spite of their poverty, they appear to possess a high measure of self-respect and pride in themselves. When Atticus decides to represent Tom Robinson, one of their own, the black community showers him with gratitude by supplying his family with fresh produce and baked goods to the point that the Finch home is overcrowding with such items and when Scout and Jem appear in the local black church they are treated with the highest degree of respect and deference.

The wholesomeness of the black community is contrasted with the poor whites in the Maycomb community who are depicted as being poor not because of their race but because of their inherent laziness and lack of ambition. Their living conditions are deplorable; their dress is filthy; they are rude; and, they ignore and abuse their children. Yet, in spite of their poorness and depravity they still look down at the blacks and consider themselves superior to them. These whites consider themselves superior not because of the quality of their character but because of the color of their skin.

The timing of the release of the movie is highly significant. The civil rights movement that was initiated to combat the very concerns addressed by the movie was fully active and this movie was a voice for the injustice that was occurring at the time. Because many of the injustices that were depicted in the movie remain relevant even today, the movie still has staying power nearly fifty years after its initial release. In 1962, the movie stood as a reminder of the effects of racial ignorance and it remains as such.

Scout's Maturation in to Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill A Mockingbird addresses many issues that were relevant at the time of its writing and which are still relevant today. The book details the financial woes of the Great Depression. It deconstructs the state of race relations in the nited States. Most importantly, however, it provides a tale about growing up and maturing in a society that has a number of deep rooted prejudices and convictions, and which frequently expects people (especially young people) to believe them without understanding them. This final aspect of this novel is its most important, because it illustrates the maturation process that Scout undergoes while growing up. Scout is able to mature throughout this book by gaining the ability to take another person's perspective to understand why he or she acts as he or she does, without simply accepting society's reasons for those actions.

The veracity of this…...

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Understanding Radley's perspective from his vantage point proves a watershed moment for the young girl, who is then able to make these sorts of connections with other people and other events. The fact that she is able to do so readily means she has matured past the early stages of the book when she simply took society's values and opinions for her own, and was not able to distinguish them from her own. She indicates her newfound maturity at the end of the novel as well as she explicates the events of a story to her father. The events of the story eerily parallel those of Lee's novel -- there is a character who is accused of criminal activity yet who is really innocent, a fact that is revealed at the end of the tale, prompting Scout to tell her father "When they finally saw him…he hadn't done any of those things…he was real nice" (285). This passage reveals that Scout is able to transfer her ability of understanding a person's circumstances before transferring judgments beyond just Boo Radley and apply it to the larger world (and literature). Her father readily agrees with her assessment of the book (285). Scout's application is an unequivocal part of her maturation process.

In summary, Scout is able to mature due to some key events in this story. They include her father's advice of learning about other people before judging them, her many encounters with Boo Radley, and her ability to apply this knowledge to both Radley and external circumstances in general. In many ways, her understanding of Boo Radley beyond just what society has portrayed him as mirrors the understanding that many people should have of Tom, who is wrongfully accused of raping a woman. Unfortunately, most of society never came to such an understanding -- which explains Tom's wrongful death. In this fact, Scout is perhaps more mature than the society in which she lives.

 http://www.edmondschools.net/Portals/3/docs/Sue%20Newman/TKaM%20Text/To_Kill_a_Mockingbird_text.pdf

Diversity
Exercise 5: Population Survey

It was in October 1997 that the Office of Management and Budget or the OMB announced that the standards for the gathering of federal data on race and ethnicity in the United States of America would be changed from thenceforth, and that the minimum categories for race would be form then onwards, divided into the following categories: American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian; Black or African-American; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; and White. This meant that any individual, when choosing to self-identify himself, would not have to place himself according to the multi-racial perspective that had been in use earlier, but rather; he could select one or more races when he would have to identify himself for any purpose. In addition, the OMB has today made an added provision, which is known as the 'Some Other ace'. (acial and Ethnic classifications used in Census 2000 and…...

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REFERENCES

Berardinelli, James. "To Kill a Mockingbird, all time 100" Retrieved From

http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/t/to_kill_mockingbird.html

Accessed 27 October, 2005

Dirks, Tim. "To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). Review by Tim Dirks" Retrieved From

Reasoning Behind the Title: To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird took the form of a novel before its adaptation into a film. This is a work that has a strong literal and metaphorical link to the title. To Kill a Mockingbird is an infinitive phrase that describes an action. The title is a phrase that communicates part of the main theme of the novel. By the time the reader has completed the novel, the reader should understand quite clearly what the consequences of killing a mockingbird in real life as well as within the context of the narrative. Mockingbirds, as the novel expounds upon, represent innocence and joy. Through various actions in the novel and as demonstrated through nearly all of the character arcs in the story, to kill a mockingbird is a solemn tragedy.

Characters such as Jem, Dill, Tom Robinson, Mr. Raymond, and Boo Radley are the people…...

tticus Finch's identity prevents Scout from thinking that all is lost in society because of the fact that everyone is inclined to commit immoralities. tticus is the bona fide merican individual who is unwilling to join the masses in discriminating black people and even goes as far as risking his position in society with the purpose of demonstrating Tom Robinson's innocence. From watching her father's determination, Scout learns that one has to dedicate their lives to being moral, even when the respective person's campaign is doomed from the very start. Maycomb's general attitude toward black people challenges Scout's personality and influences the girl in acknowledging the insecure position of justice in society. s she realizes that the masses can easily overturn clear facts so that matters progress as they want to, she becomes even more determined to support people like her father. In becoming familiar with Boo Radley, Scout discovers…...

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Atticus Finch's identity prevents Scout from thinking that all is lost in society because of the fact that everyone is inclined to commit immoralities. Atticus is the bona fide American individual who is unwilling to join the masses in discriminating black people and even goes as far as risking his position in society with the purpose of demonstrating Tom Robinson's innocence. From watching her father's determination, Scout learns that one has to dedicate their lives to being moral, even when the respective person's campaign is doomed from the very start. Maycomb's general attitude toward black people challenges Scout's personality and influences the girl in acknowledging the insecure position of justice in society. As she realizes that the masses can easily overturn clear facts so that matters progress as they want to, she becomes even more determined to support people like her father. In becoming familiar with Boo Radley, Scout discovers that one can survive in society without getting involved in the local affairs. However, Radley's intervention in the clash between Scout, Jem, and Bob Ewell, proves that it is virtually impossible for an individual to remain passive to what goes on in his or her vicinity.

Even with the fact that he is unsuccessful in trying to save Tom Robinson, Atticus Finch nonetheless manages to live the American Dream through the fact that he is free to express himself at all times, in spite of the fact that his thinking comes against the one of the town's majority. The city of Maycomb is nothing like the American Dream in effect, considering that it is filled with corruption, racial inequality, and individuals devoted to committing crimes. Boo Radley's intention is most probably that of living the American Dream. However, in spite of the fact that the character struggles to ignore everything that goes on around him, he is eventually caught in the game and even risks being charged with murder.

Lee, Harper. (1960). "To Kill a Mockingbird." J.B. Lippincott & Co.

Furthermore, he taught his son that society is not always right in what they believe. With that, racism is wrong because everyone is a human being and deserves equal rights. Even though America has racism in today's modern society, there are more people like Scout's father who honestly believes in diversity (120 Banned Books: Censorship Histories of World Literature).
Don't attack something if it hasn't harmed you: This lesson is taught to Jem and Scout by Atticus when he teaches them about the mockingbird. He says that the mockingbird is innocent and only sings for you. It is therefore wrong to kill it. The examples of the mockingbird within the novel are Tom and Boo. Tom was attacked by the entire white society in Maycomb County. These attacks and accusations destroyed his innocent, respectable life. Arthur "Boo" adley was also an innocent victim to the taunts and of the people…...

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References

To Kill a Mockingbird. 1998. 13 March 2008. http://www.bellmore-merrick.k12.ny.us/mockingbird.html

Bloom, Harold. "To Kill a Mockingbird" (Bloom's Guides). 2004. Chelsea House Publishers, U.S.

Felty, Darren. Novels for students. 13 March 2008.  http://www.answers.com/topic/to-kill-a-mockingbird-novel-7 

Sova, Dawn. 120 Banned Books: Censorship Histories of World Literature. 2005. Checksmarks Books.

Kill a Mockingbird is one of the classical American novels that described the lynching of a black man accused of rape in Alabama during the 1930s. In this story, Tom Robinson is completely innocent, having been accused falsely by a white woman named Mayella Ewell. In reality, she was attracted to Tom and attempted to seduce him, but when her father found out he forced her to accuse him of rape. Atticus Finch knows the charges are false and defends Tom in court as best he can, knowing that the death sentence is inevitable in this case. As I reader, I can identify with the heroism of Atticus in the case, and sympathize with the injustice being done to Tom, who never has a chance of surviving once these charges have been made. Even the Ewell family, as degraded, violent and racist as they are should also be considered…...

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WORKS CITED

Bloom, Harold. Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Infobase Publishing, 2007.

Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. HarperCollins, 1960, 1988.

McElaney, Hugh, "Just One Kind of Folks': The Normalizing Power of Disability in To Kill a Mockingbird in Michael J. Meyer (ed). Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird: New Essays. Scarecrow Press, 2010: 211-30.

Murphy, Mary McDonagh. Scout, Atticus, and Boo: A Celebration of Fifty Years of To Kill a Mockingbird. HarperCollins, 2010.

strength"-Oprah infrey:
The coming-of-age struggles of to Kill a Mockingbird and Romeo and Juliet

Although written in radically different styles (one is written from the perspective of an Elizabethan playwright, one is written in the voice of the child), at radically different eras, and in completely different media (one is a play, the other is a drama), both illiam Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird can be classified as coming-of-age dramas. In Romeo and Juliet, the teenage protagonists gain a sadder and more sophisticated understanding of the conflict-ridden world in which they live as a result of their love for one another. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the young narrator Scout comes to better understand the evils of the simmering racial tensions which exists within polite Southern society. Through the emotional struggles they personally undergo and witness both characters attain new levels of maturity they did…...

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Works Cited

Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 1988.

Shakespeare, William. Romeo & Juliet. No Fear Shakespeare. Web. 31 May 2015.

Kill a Mockingbird Scouts view innocence beginning, middle end a multi-Paragraph 2 chunk 1:2 ratio. I a requirement sheet faxed emailed . Thank Zoanne Gray [HIDDEN]
Scout's view of innocence in "To Kill a Mockingbird"

The central character in Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," Scout, is initially an innocent girl. The fact that she does not associate the low social status of black people in Maycomb, Alabama, with them being discriminated by the white community is essential proving this. This contributes to the belief that she is innocent, considering that she cannot possibly consider that people's nature can be so immoral. Although her father taught her in regard to life and concerning what would be best for her to do, he did not relate to society's problems and to their seriousness. Her innocence is reflected through the fact that she is curious about who is leaving presents to her and…...

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Bibliography:

Lee, Harper and Bloom, Harold, To Kill a Mockingbird, (Infobase Publishing, 2010).

By allowing his children to address him by hist first name, Atticus is dismantling one of the many traditions that serve to reinforce and perpetuate traditions that ultimately only serve to delegitimize the experience and perspective of certain people. This forces the viewer to take Scout's recollections and narration more seriously, because although they are the memories of a relatively young child, the viewer cannot help but treat them with a little more respect in recognition of the respect that Atticus, as the most idealized character in the entire film, grants them.
Thus, taking a cue from Atticus, Scout and Jem are respectful and relatively well-behaved, but are never hesitant to question or challenge attitudes and behaviors that they perceive as unjust or unjustified, and particularly in the case of Scout, are especially sensitive to behaviors that hypocritically contradict the ostensible moral standards of society. hile is worth noting that…...

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Works Cited

Edgerton, Gary. "A Visit to the Imaginary Landscape of Harrison, Texas: Sketching the Film

Career of Horton Foote." Literature/Film Quarterly 17.1 (1989): 2-12.

Foote, Horton. To kill a mockingbird, the screenplay: and related readings. Boston: McDougal

Littell, 1997.

Scout initially fears "Boo" Radley based on his race and his seclusion, "You never understand a person until you consider things from his point-of-view until you climb into his skin and walk around in," (Lee 62). Yet, once she can begin to "climb" into other people's skin, she understands the error of her ways. Eventually she and her brother begin to slowly understand Boo as an affectionate person rather than one to be feared. He had begun initial communication with the children by presenting them gifts, yet still refused to come out of his reclusion, "Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives. But neighbors give in return. e never put back into the tree what we took out of it; we had given him nothing, and it made me sad," (Lee 39). In…...

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Works Cited

Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Dramatic Publishing. 1970.

Unlike other court depictions, the questioning of the witnesses and Robinson occur in the center of the room, creating a more intense feeling of interrogation.
The editing of the film helps to further drive the story. Shooting the film in black and white helps to exasperate the tension between social classes while commenting on the fact that the morality is not as simple as black and white and that there are many grey areas. The passage of time is marked by transitions in which a preceding scene fades into the next. Long shots are utilized to show the freedom that the children have within their neighborhood as they travel down the street and throughout town. The use of medium and medium close-up shots is best represented during the closing arguments of Robinson's trial in which Atticus tries to convince the jury to find his client innocent of the charges brought…...

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Works Cited

Mulligan, Robert, dir. To Kill a Mockingbird. Universal Pictures, 1962. Film.

This is especially valid when considering the position of a white jury concerning a black man suspected of rape. Even with that, the only thing worse than a corrupt jury system is a racist angry mob. Although many white people in the South expressed racist beliefs during the early twentieth century, it is very probable that most of them were unable to argument their thinking. The novel is likely to fit perfectly in civil rights literature because of the way that it addresses the concept of racism.
The general style of the novel and the elements present in it "enable the student to begin the process of becoming a critical reader by learning that there is more to reading fiction than simply being able to tell "what happened" (Glenn). Boo Radley's character is most probably meant to be a reference to the fact that people should always look for good…...

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Works cited:

Brown, David and Webb, Clive, Race in the American South: From Slavery to Civil Rights (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007)

Glenn Richard A. "TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, by Harper Lee," Retrieved September 27, 2011, from the University of Maryland Website:  http://www.bsos.umd.edu/gvpt/lpbr/subpages/reviews/lee0408.htm

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most beloved books and movies of all time, making it no surprise that it has become a popular theatre production.  There are so many issues that arise in the novel, movie, and screenplay that even seemingly insignificant things, such as Atticus allowing his children to call him by his first name, take on a significance in the story.  If you were working on a narrative criticism or essay, you would highlight that significance.  However, in outlining an act from a play, you do not....

A Comprehensive Examination of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird: Exploring Themes, Characters, and Symbolism

1. The Injustice and Innocence of Mockingbirds: A Literary Analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird

2. The Power of Empathy and Perspective in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

3. The Complexities of Race, Class, and Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird: A Critical Examination

4. To Kill a Mockingbird: A Timeless Tale of Childhood, Loss, and Social Inequality

5. The Role of Symbolism in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

6. Mockingbird as Metaphor: The Destruction of Innocence and the Burden of Empathy

7. The Evolution of Scout Finch: The Journey....

1. "The Great Gatsby"

This title is appropriate because it reflects the grandeur and extravagance of the Roaring Twenties setting in which the novel takes place. The character of Jay Gatsby is also seen as a larger-than-life figure, embodying both the glitz and glamour of the time period as well as the darker themes of wealth, power, and unattainable dreams.

2. "To Kill a Mockingbird"

This title is appropriate because it symbolizes the innocence and vulnerability of the characters in the story, particularly the unjustly accused Tom Robinson and the misunderstood Boo Radley. The metaphor of killing a mockingbird emphasizes the theme....

of character development in "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee'

I. Introduction
A. Brief overview of the novel
B. Thesis statement: The character development in "To Kill a Mockingbird" is significant as it allows the readers to witness the growth and transformation of various characters.

II. Scout Finch
A. Introduction of Scout as the narrator
B. Description of Scout's initial innocence and naivety
C. Events that shape Scout's character, such as her interactions with Boo Radley and witnessing her father's defense of Tom Robinson
D. Analysis of Scout's growth and how she learns about empathy, courage, and the complexities of social....