The novel that teaches us history Essay Sample
One novel that teaches us that history does non turn a blind oculus and shows us all the immoralities that exist in our universe today is Harper Lee’s novel. To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus’ determination to support Tom Robinson during his test is declarative of how harmful human behaviour can be towards one another. Prejudice. which is abundant in Maycomb and the South. is seen by kids as confounding until they are old plenty to hold on the construct. Lee portrays the kids in the novel every bit perceivers as they strive to understand why bias and racism lead to Tom’s civil rights being violated. Afro-american battles continue today. but their battle for their civil rights throughout history analogue this novel. Even though events in the novel are a work of fiction. their battles are really existent. Amendment 14 to the Bill of Rights provinces that all American citizens shall hold civil rights regardless of skin colour.
Tom is denied his civil rights even though he is a U. S. citizen ; his tegument colour is other than white so he has no rights. Atticus defended Tom to the terminal but since Tom was an Afro-american. he was judged before the test even began. As Americans we value our civil rights like we value our lives. When these autonomies become endangered we will support them with our lives with merely cause and this fresh expresses this cardinal thought. All citizens. despite skin colour deserve to be treated equal without bias. Lee shows us the truth about civil rights and the dangers of bias and racism in times where it was preponderantly merely human nature.
There are two instances that give To Kill a Mockingbird a sensible cause for person to believe that this was truly how the South was during the Afro-american motion. In 1931. The Scottsboro Boys test was taking topographic point and nine immature male childs were falsely accused and found guilty of ravishing two white adult females on a train. Lee uses this instance as an illustration of Tom’s test in the novel ( Salter ) . Another event in history that gives us a clear image of the bias South and how civil rights were violated is the Brown v. Topeka Board of Education test in 1954. The Supreme Court ruled that segregation was unconstitutional. but people in the South did non take a liking to the opinion. Even when Torahs or tribunal opinions are distinct people tend non to alter their biass. and this was apparent in the deep South. Tom’s position represents merely how people relate to the jurisprudence and the duties of being a citizen are. Peoples are supposed to obey and transport out jurisprudence. non go disorganised and disorderly when they wholly disagree with jurisprudence. The traditional imposts of the South have been set in topographic point for coevalss and these are difficult to interrupt. particularly when the authorities. non household sets new Torahs.
Maycomb represents the south absolutely and stands true to the impression that African-Americans are belongings. non self-sufficing people worthy of freedom. Even though the jurisprudence states that they are a free people. the topographic point where they live sets the criterion of equality. With all the inequality in the South. hatred for the colored was apparent in mundane society. What Lee tries to convert the reader is that our civil rights were granted to us and every citizen deserves to be treated with self-respect. In Maycomb. the lone civil rights Tom had were the rights that Atticus tried to win him. It’s in our human nature non to accept alteration without a battle ; in To Kill a Mockingbird this is apparent in Tom’s test and in the instances that helped the Afro-american motion. This novel and the events that unfolded in history to let coloreds to be accepted as peers will ever be fresh in the reader’s heads.
The issue of civil rights in Tom’s instance expresses the south’s discontent for the jurisprudence because of Tom’s skin colour and because of this he is considered guilty even before he reaches test. Atticus can non even express or demo cogent evidence of Tom’s artlessness because the people are deaf to his supplications of artlessness. Maycomb’s racism is revealed when the townsfolk are in such incredulity that he. Atticus. would support a adult male of such stature. a black adult male. The hatred shown by the townspeople toward Atticus and his kids show the extent of the negative traditions and imposts inherited by the coevalss of Maycomb. At the test. Tom’s civil rights are disregarded from the get go. Even though we are populating out the test through the eyes of striplings. we the readers are non blinded by the wrongs these people are thrusting upon the judicial system. Throughout the novel we get a glance from these adolescent eyes that prove merely how awful worlds can handle one another. Gilmer was successful in his cross-examination of Tom. but even though he won. it was non right. Throughout the novel Dill was ne’er blinded by bias and it was apparent in the test that he was confused by the maltreatment of the tribunal.
He tells Scout. “It ain’t right. somehow it ain’t right to make ‘em that manner. Hasn’t anybody got any concern talkin’ like that–it merely makes me sick” ( Lee 199 ) . This illustrates absolutely how striplings perceive the test. even though they are confused because they know nil else. they are non filled with racism. so they see all the incorrect in the universe. Dill knows that Tom is being ridiculed on the base but realizes he can make nil about it. Jem is besides profoundly affected by Tom’s strong belief because he starts to shout. Jem realizes that the determination is unjust and how prejudice and racism played a function in the opinion. He discovers that civil rights play no portion in tribunal when the jury is ran by bias. Jem candidly believes that “we oughta make away with juries” since the jurymans don’t decide candidly.
Atticus tries to explicate to Jem how bias works and that a person’s belief can non be changed by sentiment or jurisprudence. Because Tom was a coloured adult male he ne’er stood a opportunity in Maycomb. The tribunal scene proved merely how deep the Waterss run in the South. Every white adult male bases by each other when up against a adult male of another colour. Prejudice runs thick as blood in the Waterss of Maycomb.
In the Finch family at that place seems to be a tide. known as civil rights. between Calpurnia and Alexandra. Alexandra believes it to be incorrect of Atticus to let the kids to see Calpurnia’s place. Besides. the fact that Calpurnia has raised his kids non to Alexandra’s liking and stating Atticus that he has “You’ve allow things travel on excessively long. Atticus. excessively long” ( 136 ) . Racism is portrayed in Alexandra when she tries to take the rights off of Calpurnia which were given to her by Atticus. Scout finds herself listening to others around her when she matures. taking in what she wants to believe is right. She has her aunt conveying one message and her male parent another. Her aunt. Alexandra. represents the complacent head that has ever obeyed the traditions and values instilled in her by her ascendants. While her male parent. Atticus. represents the good in world that believes in germinating into nice minded people that teach the difference of right and incorrect to his kids.
The kids are rather more observant in peoples behaviours than the seniors around them. particularly Alexandra. which gives the perceptual experience that her traditions have blinded her world. From these type of traditions that are inherited by the townspeople come the victimizing of lives and the violent death of mockers. Tom Robinson is a symbol of artlessness. and that of mockers. He is guiltless of the offenses and so are the people around him. The people around the town portray him and the coloreds as immorality. and their racism radiances through. They. the bulk of Maycomb. can non see their biass because they are blinded by barbarous traditions. It is difficult now. even back in Maycomb. excessively see a coloured individual and non allow the colour of their tegument order how you feel about their race and it all boils down to societies traditions.
Today it is easy to accept person for whom they are. We are governed by Torahs and our traditions. Back when the novel was written it was clear that everyone did non hold on certain rights that would subsequently be granted to our coloured citizens. To Kill a Mockingbird has shown us for decennaries that biass are still relevant today as they were so. Readers today can still larn a great value from Lee’s novel. Lee did an outstanding occupation portraying the narrative through the eyes of kids and adolescence. Through their point of view we can see the unfairnesss that were generated from the Black Marias of our white citizens onto the same colored citizens that stand beside us today. Atticus tries to learn his immature kids about the racial favoritism that dominated the South. his efforts were worthwhile. but they got to see it for themselves in the courtroom.
His influence on the town of Maycomb is overpowering. but his attempts were non for nil. Neither Atticus or Tom came out on top. his dawn will be felt everlastingly. This narrative was hard to penetrate towards the terminal. but it reminds us that we must turn as a society and travel past these wrongs to ne’er let our people to return to such times. To Kill a Mockingbird will stay in our ideas as a reminder that civil rights need to be upheld and that even though bias and racism will ever be relevant in our lives. we are a better people now for our past errors every bit long as we continue to endeavor to compensate our wrongs.
