To Kill a Mockingbird
A theme is a repeated idea or common thread throughout a piece of literature. Identify a theme in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Refer to specific places throughout the novel that include this theme. Explain how it shapes the
novel—why is it important? How does it affect the characters? What does this theme teach you?
You will respond to this question by leaving a comment on this post.
Responses should be at least 200 words each.
Remember: you must respond to at least 5 questions per novel.
Extra credit will be awarded if you respond to more than 5 questions.
The theme is this book is learning how to grow up. But, for Scout this book not only teaches her how to grow up but how to be more lady like and proper. Learning how to grow up is very important for us to learn. We also have social and racial equality; this affects the characters because Scout and Jem get made fun of at school since their father is defending a black man. This theme teaches me that there is nothing wrong with black people and you shouldn’t be afraid to stand up for them even if you get made fun of. And even if you get made fun of it shouldn’t stop you from doing something that is right. Stand up for what you believe in and have courage. Another important lesson from this book is to not harm people who don’t harm you. Like Atticus always said you can shoot the blue jays all you want, but it’s a sin to kill a mocking bird. That could be exemplified by Boo Radley being the mocking bird. You wouldn’t harm him if he did nothing wrong to you.
ReplyDeleteThe theme of the book is integrity. There are many places throughout the book where the characters have to choose between what is right and what would be easiest. The parts of the book that show this theme the most would probably be the chapters involving the Tom Robinson case. When the town finds out about Atticus defending a black man that is accused of rape, many of them think he’s doing the wrong thing and defending a terrible man. They were rude to the whole family, and almost always had something bad to say to the children about their father. Even though many people were terrible to the Finches about the case, Atticus still wanted to continue defending Tom. He knew it was the right thing to do, no matter what people said. Also, there are parts in the story where people don’t show integrity. Bob Ewell is a great example of this. He knew that Tom Robinson had not committed the crime against his daughter, but still tried to make everyone think he was guilty. Even after Tom was sentenced, Mr. Ewell was showing bad qualities. He threatened the Finches, and eventually came very close to killing the two children. He was definitely not showing integrity throughout the book. The story was showing how the family had grown, physically and morally. The theme is shown throughout the story countless times, and is a lesson to everyone. It shows that no matter what people say about you, or how terrible they are, you can always find a way to practice integrity and choose to do the right thing.
ReplyDeleteThe theme of To Kill A Mockingbird is racism. This book shows us the cruelty of racism. The first time racism occurs is used is when a young poor and lonely teenager named Mayella Ewell, accuses Tom Robinson, a local black man, who does work for her family, of rape. This accusation by Mayella becomes the central part of the story. It shapes the story and displays how evil racism is and that one cannot merely accuse someone based on the color of their skin. Atticus Finch is appointed to defend Tom Robinson as his lawyer and the entire Finch family (Atticus, Jem and Scout) are deeply affected by Atticus taking on this case. Jem and Scout are teased at school because their father is defending a black man. Everyone in Maycomb County figures Tom Robinson is guilty based on his color. As a result, we see throughout the book how ugly racism can be. Atticus continues the case and will not back down from defending Tom, whom he knows Tom is innocent. For the first time in their lives, Jem and Scout witness racism firsthand and they stand behind their father and his belief that an innocent man is being accused of rape. This theme teaches me that racism is ugly. It teaches me to understand that racism is evil and that all human beings should be treated fairly. I was very sad to see Tom being so unfairly treated and be destroyed as a man based on the evils of others.
ReplyDeleteThe most obvious theme to me of the many presented in this book is the overlying theme of racial injustice and racial prejudice. Even though the setting of this book in the Deep South is in the 1930s, we know that Harper Lee published this book during one of the most turbulent times in our country regarding civil liberties for the black race during the late 50s and early 60s. This novel's theme, I'm sure, was to raise the awareness of others to the plight of this prejudice. This theme is manifested by the trial Tom received where he didn't even have one of his peers on the jury, but the law requires it. Some characters are affected by the racial injustice by feeling superior such as Mayella Ewell when she knew she could accuse Tom Robinson and get away with it. Tom Robinson is affected because he won't get a truly fair trial with an all white jury. This theme has taught me that I shouldn't form opinions about people based on skin color. They are a creation of God, and He gave them that skin color.
ReplyDeleteThe theme has to do with protecting the defenseless and innocent. Early in the book, the protagonist-- Atticus Finch-- gets into a conversation with his children about killing birds. Finch replies to his children that it is always a "sin" to kill a mockingbird because they are innocent, do good and simply exist to sing.
ReplyDeleteThe theme is developed in two indicents. The first is when a black man named Tom Robinson was framed for a crime he did not committ. He is subsequently killed during his imprisonment. The second indicent involves the children--Scout and Jem. They were hunted down and almost killed by Mr. Ewell. They were saved in the nick of time by another key character, named Boo Bradley.
The scenes shape the theme of the book by illustrating what Atticus was teaching his children about mockingbirds. This is important because it applies to issues in our day such as racism and helping the poor and needy. This affects Tom in that he lost his life. Jem and Scout were affected in that they had felt the horrible fear of being hunted down. This theme teaches me to stand up for the defenseless or help the needy.
There are a few themes that shape To Kill a Mockingbird. One of them is social inequality. This is somewhat shown on Scout’s first day of school when she explains to Miss Caroline why Walter Cunningham won’t accept a quarter for him to buy lunch. Because of his family’s financial situation, he knew he could not take the money. This also falls under morality. When Scout wanted to start hanging out with Walter more often, her Aunt Alexandra said, “No Finch girl should ever consort with a Cunningham.” Scout didn’t like what her aunt said because she believes that she should be able to choose her own friends according to what she thinks makes a good person. This theme also applies to the whole case with Tom Robinson. When he was accused of raping Mayella Ewell, just about the entire county was already on the Ewell’s side because he’s black. This affects Jem and Scout because their dad is the one defending him. Since it’s their dad, they get mocked from other people. This defiantly affects Tom; even though he is completely innocent, people still think he’s guilty because of his race. I looked more into social inequality, and it made me realize that just because someone is a little different in a way doesn’t mean they are any less than a normal person.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the theme in To Kill A Mockingbird is racism. An innocent man was found guilty just because he was black. "A white man's word always beats a black man's." He was mainly found guilty because he was a black man accused of raping a white girl, when in essence it was her own father who had beaten her. The jury had ideas that it was him because he was left-handed and a left-handed man would be more likely to beat someone on their right side of their face. Also, it was shown when some of the kids at Scout's school were calling her father a "negro lover" and she stood up for him by fighting back. Finally, it was shown when Mr. Dolphus Raymond preferred black people to whites. He showed this feeling by being involved with a black woman and had several mulatto children by her. Some of the characters were greatly affected by this. An example is Mr. Cunningham. He went with a bunch of fellow people to the jail where Atticus was sitting. They were about to attack him when Scout, who had been watching them quietly from afar with Dill and Jem, ran out in front him. She went up to Mr. Cunningham and told him to tell his son Walter "hey" for her. He acknowledges and says that he will. After she said that, he tells his men to clear out. This book has shown me that our country has come a long way from where it had been in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s time and we continue to make progress everyday. From Rosa Parks to any black being, we have learned to respect one another and show that we don't need to go to a certain place, sit in a certain place, or eat in a certain place because of our color.
ReplyDeleteOne theme for To Kill a Mockingbird is evils of racism. If it was a white man, the court would not have been so hard on him. Because Tom Robinson was black, he was accused. One place that shows the evils of racism is that Tom worked as a slave for Link Deas for eight years. He said that Tom was no trouble. Tom's family lived in the black cabins past the dump. Another example of the evils of racism is Calpurnia's colored church. They only have one hymnal, and only a few can read. The white churches didn't have only one hymnal, and where a lot nicer. This theme shapes the novel because everything that Tom Robinson did to get to the position he was in with the accused rape would not have happened if he was not a black slave. Atticus would not have people hate him for defending a black man. Tom would probably not be dead if there was no racial discrimination. It affects Tom and the black community because they have to live a hard life working for white men. It affects Scout because she gets in fight with kids who disagree with Atticus. This theme teaches me to never be racist.
ReplyDeleteOne theme I have identified in “To Kill a Mocking Bird” is trust. When Scout, Jem, and Dill all like to check out the spooky house on their street. They know that Boo Radley lives in it, and are very scared to go knock on the door to meet Boo. They kind trust each other not to make any moves, so to speak, to the Radley’s house without it being planned. They waited to go as a group. I also think trust was being shown when the Finches all cooperated in their family. I can imagine it can be extremely hard to live without having a mom that is with you through your childhood, or especially her passing away at a young age. They got along very well and seemed to manage with out there mother. It was great that Atticus put a lot of his time into helping his kids and giving them support and judgement. It is definitely a good thing that Scout and Jem put their trust in their father. Atticus did a great job of comforting them when they needed it, having no mother in the family. I think trust was definitely a huge aspect of this story, and my point is shown through-out the story.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the most important theme of To Kill a Mocking Bird is prejudice. Atticus tells Scout around the beginning of the book how you can't understand someone until you see things from their perspective. An example of this is all of the racial prejudice that had swelled up and boiled over at the trial of Tom Robinson. Testimonies at the trial had explosive reactions because of all of the built up hate the white community had towards the black community. In the end, Tom Robinson (a black man) was convicted of a crime he didn't commit by an all white jury. This kind of racial prejudice was common back then, and conflict similar to that was common across the country. Another example of this prejudice is Jem and Scout's experience with Mrs. Dubose. Mrs. Dubose was old and mentally ill, causing her to say horrible things about Jem and Scout. When Jem took his revenge on Mrs. Dubose by vandalizing her garden, Atticus forced them to read to Mrs. Dubose every day for a month. They resented this because they did not understand why she was so horrible to them. By the time Mrs. Dubose had died over a month later, they had begun to feel sorry for her; because they had begun to understand that she couldn't control the way she acted. This had happened because they had begun to see what it was all like from her perspective. This theme teaches me how we all have our reasons, and I can solve problems more easily once I have reached a common understanding.
ReplyDeleteI believe the theme of 'To Kill A Mockingbird' is racism. Tom Robinson was accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white girl, but by the end of the book, it was obvious he did not committ the crime. He was found guilty just because he was black. It was proved later on that her father, Mr. Bob Ewell, had beat her after Tom stopped by to do some work for her. I was clear that Bob Ewell had beat her instead of Tom Robinson because he was left handed, and a left handed person would beat someone on the right side of their body. While Atticus defends Tom, Jem and Scout are made fun of at school by the other children. They tease them nonstop, which only makes Scout irritated. After Tom Robinson is found guilty, Jem Finch is shocked. He believes that it's unfair how Tom Robinson is guilty just because of his color. Atticus was upset by it also. This theme teaches me not to judge people by their outside appearances. We shouldn't judge people on their skin color or their clothes or just their appearances in general. Instead, we should focus more on the personality of people, because that's what truly matters.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the theme of this book: I believe that the theme of this novel is mostly about racial prejudice. This story also says things about compassion because Atticus was very compassionate to his kids, Scout and Jem, throughout the novel. Atticus is a great role model for them and they learn a lot from him.
ReplyDeleteHow is this shown throughout the novel: This is shown at the court trial when Thomas Robinson was falsely accused of a horrible crime. The jury (made up of white people) believed a white man’s word rather that his, even though Tom had a better reputation and the evidence did not point towards him.
How does this affect the characters: Scout and Jem are constantly challenged by racism. They need to make the right decisions and listen to Atticus instead of their racist community. It also affects Atticus a lot because many people started hating him when they learned he was defending a black man in court.
What does this theme teach me: This theme teaches me that racism is horrible and idiotic. It also shows me that racists must be full of pride and arrogance to think so lowly of a person because the color of their skin.
One of the many themes in this book is discrimination and racism. A black man named Tom Robinson was being accused of something he did not do, raping Mayella Ewell. Because he was black, everyone assumed he was guilty and did not think he should be defended. Many of the folks living in Maycomb County gave the Finch’s a hard time because Atticus was defending this black man in court. Jem and Scout were teased at school because of this. Even their cousin called Atticus a “nigger lover.” This theme shapes the novel because it shows us the cruelty of racism and how everyone has a right to be defended, no matter what the color of their skin is. This theme affects the characters in a big way. I believe it makes Atticus a stronger person because he stood up for what he believed in. He did not follow the crowd and assume Tom Robinson was guilty because of the color of his skin. This affected Jem and Scout because they were being made fun of, even by adults. It hurt them because they had to hear these things about their father. They wanted to do something about it, but Atticus told them to not let it bother them. They tried their hardest not to. This theme teaches me how stupid and pointless racism is. Everyone should be treated equally no matter what thier skin color is.
ReplyDeleteA theme is this book is judging. In the book Mrs. Dubose always judged Jem and Scout about what they would amount up to when they were older and that they wouldn't be anything. Another place in the book is when Calpurnia brings Jem and Scout to her church and the one lady judges them and yells at Calpurnia that they shouldn't be there. Also in the book Jem, Dill, and Scout always judged Boo Radley and always said he was a murderer and he was dangerous but in the end he wasn't so bad after all. This theme shapes the novel because it shows that people may think someone is bad but in the end it ends up they aren't. I think this theme affects the characters in a big way because Mrs. Dubose judged Atticus and told Jem and it made him really mad and he cut her flowers. He ended up paying for it by reading to her for a month and two hours at a time. It also affected the kids when they realized Boo Radley wasn't bad. This theme teaches me that even though I may think someone is bad that they may actually be a good person.
ReplyDeleteOne of the primary themes in To Kill a Mockingbird is racism. This is illustrated in the trial of Tom Robinson. Mayella Ewell accused Tom Robinson of raping her. But, after the trial, it was very obvious that he did not commit this crime. He was convicted solely based on the color of his skin. This theme affects Tom Robinson because an all white jury convicted Tom based on his skin color. It affects Jem and Scout because before the trial, Jem and Scout were teased at school just because Atticus was Tom Robinson’s lawyer. Atticus told Jem, “ ‘As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it – whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash.’ Atticus was speaking so quietly his last word crashed on our ears. I looked up, and his face was vehement. ‘There's nothing more sickening to me than a low-grade white man who'll take advantage of a Negro's ignorance.’ ” He is saying that cheating someone who is already considered less than you is worse than cheating someone considered on the same level as you. This teaches that some people on juries will make up their mind on what their decision on who they think is guilty just based on race and not on the actual facts of the trial.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of themes in to kill a mockingbird. One of those themes is racism. I think racism is the theme of to kill a mockingbird because Bob Ewell accused Tom of raping his daughter when Tom was really innocent the whole time, and I believe the only reason Bob accused Tom was because of his race. It is important because, because of racism an innocent man was sent to prison and shot. It affects the characters greatly. One way racism affects some of the characters is because it affected Tom Robinson’s whole life, because of his color and him being accused of rape he had to leave his life and go to prison when he did nothing wrong. It affected Atticus Finch’s life because he had to work no stop to defend his case and when Tom died he just stopped working on that because without finishing it. This theme teaches me that first of all not everything someone tells you is true and lastly is never to judge someone by their outside appearance.
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