Scouting Out Racism By Harper Lee - 1487 Words

Scouting Out Racism Harper Lee s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, has remained enormously popular since its publication in 1960. Recalling her experiences as a six-year-old from an adult perspective, Jean Louise Finch describes the circumstances involving her father, Atticus, and his legal defense of Tom Robinson, a local black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. In the three years surrounding the trial, Scout and her older brother, Jem, witness the unjust consequences of prejudice and hate while also witnessing the values of courage and integrity through Atticus’ example. Additionally, the film of To Kill a Mockingbird lacks many details that the book contains, however, they both share the same morals and portray the same basic storyline. Lee incorporates Scout and Jem’s visit to Calpurnia’s church to provide background information on the black community and to communicate her attitude toward the racial discrimination of African Americans and whites in the 1930’s. Additionally, Aunt Alexandra is a character foil of Atticus and therefore, Lee includes Aunt Alexandra to develop the character and of Atticus. The visit to Calpurnia’s church is included in the novel to visually demonstrate the black community and to display Lee’s ideas about the racial discrimination of African Americans and whites in the 1930’s. In the novel, Scout and Jem’s journey to the First Purchase M.E. Church is the first glimpse of the black community in Maycomb,Show MoreRelated Symbolism and Allegory in To Kill a Mockingbird Essay3753 Words   |  16 PagesSymbolism and Allegory in To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee uses symbolism extensively throughout To Kill a Mockingbird,, and much of it refers to the problems of racism in the South during the early twentieth century. Harper Lees effective use of racial symbolism and allegory can be seen by studying various examples from the book, namely the actions of the children, of the racist whites, and of Atticus Finch. One of the more effective allegories in the novel is the building of a snowman