Essay Example on The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The setting is 1930’s Maycomb County Alabama, Imagine the sights. Everywhere 2 bolded signs letting everyone know that one section is for COLORED and one section is for WHITES as if being a different race other than white is some sort of crime. A little girl with pigtails and ribbons in her hair with a freshly starched dress playing hopscotch while another girl in overalls and a ponytail running through the fields with dirt all over herself. Or that one house on that one street that everyone has their own rendition of the story about the old man who never has been seen in public in years and some chaotic background story of him to match. The main characters of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird struggle with prejudice and rumours throughout the length of the novel. Setting foreshadowing and point of view are all factors in supporting the theme of prejudice of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The setting of Alabama in 1930’s was a very racist time period. It was not only The Great Depression but also a time where White Supremacy groups began to retaliate against colored civilians. Segregation was becoming more and more popular across South America and whites saw themselves as above every other race therefore didn’t have to treat them with any respect. Black people were harshly forced away from jobs and lucky ones were able to get unskilled work picking cotton or pecans like character Tom Robinson. When Tom Robinson sat in that courtroom prejudice hate racism stubbornness and oblivion flooded in with every white person that sat down.

More than half of whites that were on the jury had their minds made up about the case from the second they laid eyes on Tom. The disadvantages Tom had from the very start of the trial rest solely on the fact that he is African American and would never have a fair and just trial because of it Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson’s lawyer even blatantly stated. There’s something in our world that makes men lose their heads, they couldn’t be fair if they tried In our courts when it’s 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 page. Although Tom Robinson was the main focus for injustice and discrimination, his wife fought the same battles. Helen Robinson has forced away from her job that she was working during the time of the trial and not a single person would give her a chance to make ends meet to feed her 8 kids. Until Mr. Link Deas gave her a chance to work for him and welcomed her with open arms. Why Mr. Deas was originally Tom Robinson’s employer up until he was sent to jail. Link Deas was quoted saying he felt right bad about the situation page. While this was a huge helping hand to Helen and her family she was harassed by a man on the way to work. Bob Ewell's father of the rape victim accused Mr. Robinson of violating his daughter Mayella.

 As Helen had to pass his dump on the way to her job she called and told Link Deas about the situation. Mr. Deas being the loyal man he is went down to the dump to straighten Bob Ewell out saying “You don’t have to touch her all you have to do is make her afraid an if assault ain’t enough to keep you locked up awhile I’ll get you in on the Ladies Law so get outa my sight If you don’t think I mean it just bother that girl again” page chp 27. The injustice his trial brought to not only him but his wife was appalling to every reader and shows the corruption of minds based on the social norms. The entire novel in itself is foreshadowing. The most important plot twists supporting details and conflicts are foreshadowed which adds to the suspense of the novel In Chapter 10. Calpurnia the housekeeper sees a rabid dog in the street and calls Atticus Finch and Sheriff Heck Tate to the scene. Heck, Tate hands his rifle to Atticus knowing full well that Mr. Finch is a better shot Atticus shooting the innocent dog to put it out of its misery because of its suffering represents something bigger than just shooting a crazed dog It represents the innocence of Tom Robinson and the inference that he tried to escape jail knowing that he would be shot and killed. Mr. Underwood proves to be confident in himself and has a strong sense of justice as he prints what he feels is the truth about Tom Robinson’s death, that it’s a sin to kill a cripple no matter if they’re being harmless or trying to escape. He put it so bluntly that a child could have understood page. Even though this might have been overlooked by some readers and not seen as important but the foreshadowing of the dog set up a plot for the story. Another example of this literary device would be later in the novel when Aunt Alexandra cautioned Atticus about the unforgiving nature of Bob Ewell.

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