To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird

Introduction

The story, 'To kill a Mockingbird' is a famous one that has highlighted the issues that exist between the white people and the black. The plot is set in Maycomb, Alabama, a small town. People in this town are very narrow minded and conservative and think that white people are better than blacks. They do not consider the fact that all human beings are equal and make sure that they discriminate with respect to the race and color. This novel focuses on the same issue of white and black and the discrimination that exists between them.

Discussion

The main theme of the novel is the racial discrimination. The main characters in the play are Atticus, Scout, Jem, Calpurnia, and Dill. In Maycomb, Alabama, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch and her brother Jem are being reared by their widowed father, Atticus Finch, a lawyer. Atticus is trying to teach his children respect for others as the individuals they are. Thus Atticus reprimands his children for prejudging their neighbor, Arthur “Boo” Radley, who has been shut up in his house since attacking his father years before. Atticus also points out the difference between superficial manners and the behavior of a real lady, such as the unconventional Miss Maudie Atkinson. Atticus even insists that the children respect the bigoted Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose, who must be admired for her battle against addiction. Atticus explains that there are great differences between people of the same class. Though poor, Walter Cunningham is an upright man, while the equally poor Bob Ewell is reprehensible (Champion, 2003).

In the second part of the novel, Scout and Jem see their father's principles put to the test. He undertakes to defend a worthy black man, Tom Robinson, who has been falsely accused of raping Ewell's daughter. Viewing ...