To Kill a Mockingbird
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What is the theme of To Kill a Mockingbird?
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In Harper Lee’s book, To Kill A Mockingbird, this book takes place on a small town called Maycomb. Two young childrens, Scout and Jem, are the childs to a Lawyer, Atticus, that is defending a black man. In this book, whites and blacks didn’t really got along with each other. This is called Prejudice and prejudice means to judge before getting to know and talk to the person/group, they judge by either how they look or their skin color. The story is teaching the readers a lesson, how throughout the book, how prejudice affected the relationship between blacks and whites. While some might argue that the lesson in the story could be “Kids fear what they do not understand, “ in the text it says how Cecil Jacobs told everyone in his school how Scout Finch’s Daddy defended nig*ers. It seems like he had understand it quite clearly for a kid, and he didn’t say it in fear. So because whites had judged them as bad and all those words, blacks began to do the same. One piece of evidence that shows prejudice had affected the relationship is In chapter 12, as Scout and Jem were walking with Calpurnia to church, they were stopped by Lula, a black women. All of a sudden, hey were asked by Lula why they brung white children to an all black church. Harper Lee added this part into it to show as whites bring the hatred to blacks, the blacks are starting to think that “oh they hate us all!” So then they reversed it up where if whites are hating on us, we hate on them. Most of the people in the church realized that they are the childrens of Atticus, who is helping a black man in defence of a trial. To Lula, it didn’t really matter, if they are still white, if they hate on us, we hate on them. So because prejudice was thrown towards Lula and their kind, she was ready to do the same. Therefore, it was the whites fault that had Lula to think the same towards whites even though most of her church didn’t think the same.
Another detail that shows prejudice is on page 201, it says “The jail was Maycomb’s only conversation piece: it have the town a good solid respectable look, and no stranger would ever suspect that it was full with nig*ers.” So this shows that Harper Lee had put this in as another clue about why isn’t there any whites in jail? There is only blacks in jail, so this allows more white to stereotypes black as evil, dangerous, bad, but really they aren’t. This starts to allow more separation with whites and black.
Because the prejudice had been growing around Maycomb, Childrens had been able to hear about it and bash it on others. Even kids show prejudice throughout the book. In Chapter 9, it said “Cecil Jacobs made me forget. He had announced today that Scout Finch’s daddy defended nig*ers.” Now i believe that this was said on purpose, as an insult towards scout and her dad. It doesn’t really matter for Atticus, because he believes that everyone is equal and should be treated equal. Therefore, parents are the one to blame to show the prejudice towards blacks.
Also In chapter 9 it says “Francis looked at me carefully, concluded that I sufficiently subdued, and crooned softly, “Nig*er-Lover...:” Kids aren’t really suppose to know these words when they are young, but they probably was taught from his parents. His parents are also racist, because if they were to teach Francis about blacks, they would have said all bad things instead of good things. This might have been because of the color. Either his parents taught him this or he had probably heard it from rumors.
Throughout the book, Atticus is the only person to show respect to both colors. Now it might be because he is defending Tom Robinson because he was assigned to, but if he had really hated blacks, he would either had declined or either didn’t try in the trial. He believes and shows that both races are equal and he shows it by what he does and how he does it. It takes courage to help blacks even though he knew the chances of being called a nig*er-lover or being made fun of was high. He didn’t really care, because he was that kind of guy to really respect both races. Now Harper Lee didn’t really fix this problem between both races, but I think she shows it from Atticus.
Now to kind of counterclaim this theme, people have argued that there is another theme in the book. That theme could be “Kids often fear what they do not understand. Now this claim could be true, because in the part where Cecil Jacobs had made fun of Scout because her dad defended nig*ers, maybe Cecil understood that, but Scout didn’t. She was scared what that had mean and went home to ask Atticus about it. This shows that she could be in fear of what she did not understand. But even though that evidence supported that claim, it still has to do with the relationship with whites and blacks, showing that they still have a weak relationship.
So to conclude, Maycomb represents a city of racial injustice, with people around spreading rumors that whites or blacks are evil, that they do no good in our city, that they don’t earn the respect they should get. Racism continued to happen, even after the case and the case was suppose to get them to realize it doesn’t matter about the skin color. Blacks are still trying hard to get the respect they want, Atticus had earned their respect. Even white kids learn from their parents that blacks could be dangerous as they could. Words can hurt you more than actions could. Maycomb stays a town with racism. As prejudice is starting to grow even more, the relationship between the races gets weaker.
Harper Lee’s award-winning novel, To Kill A Mockingbird is about kids from the county of Alabama during the 1930’s. This time was during the acts of Jim Crow and segregation between the whites and blacks. The children were aware of their surroundings, however they kept a closed mouth and stayed as the role as an infidel. They also were aware of a spooky looking house owned by Nathan Radley, Brother of scary man Arthur “Boo” Radley. The children heard about Arthur and were quite scared about the stories told about the man that the kids never even witnessed. The main theme of this novel is that before you judge someone, you must walk a mile in his shoes.To begin, This is the main theme Mrs. Lee wants to show us because the person the children that fear Boo Radley never seen the person, so they are basically prejudging him and making him known as a scary mean killer. A piece of evidence that supports this is one scene where one of the children, Jean-Louise “Scout” Finch walks to school. However, the school is behind Boo’s house, so she runs so she wouldn’t get hurt due to mean stories that probably shouldn’t even be believed. This illustrates that Scout Finch is prejudging Boo due to folktales.
Another scene is when Jeremy and Scouts friend, Dill dares Jem to touch the Radley house. Jem was obviously scared because of the stories him and Scout have heard. So, Jem touched the house and ran for his life even though nobody was chasing him. This is convincing because he is afraid of practically nothing.
Some people might interpret this to mean that the main theme is racism of whites against blacks,but clearly it is not to prejudge because people are not just prejudging black people, the citizens in Maycomb county are prejudging their own race. What!? Yes, the children were told stories by the adults in Maycomb and become scared of the man and prejudge him as an evil,crazy serial killer.
The kids think of this man as a crazy guy, however he is a pretty nice guy. Boo Radley once gave the children gifts inside the knothole of the tree by the “spooky” house. He also picked up Jem’s pants and folded them for him when Jem came back to get them. You must get to know people before you judge, like how Scout changed her feelings at end of the book by being saved by Boo. Scout realized that he was not even a bad guy. Therefore, Scout became a friend of Boo and realized that he wasn’t crazy or anything the town said. This illustrates that prejudging should not be attempted and you should get to know that person instead of labelling.
Some people might interpret this to mean that the main theme is racism of whites against blacks,but clearly it is not to prejudge because people are not just prejudging black people, the citizens in Maycomb county are prejudging their own race. What!? Yes, the children were told stories by the adults in Maycomb and become scared of the man and prejudge him as an evil,crazy serial killer. The kids walked a mile in Boo’s shoes and felt sorry for him. The kids put the judgements aside and became a loyal friend to Arthur.
Thematic EssayHarper Lee wrote a very good story ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ it take place in Maycomb County.A girl name scout is the narrator about the case about that’s happening because their was a girl name Mayella Ewell accused a black for raping her because she had kiss him and she know people would judge her because she kissed a black man named Tom Robson.The theme of “To Kill A Mockingbird” is that racism( to judge a person based on their color)is kept through fear and ignorance.
When Atticus finch (attorney for Tom Robson) was in the trial in chapter 16 Atticus ask what happened she said Tom choke her put Tom only has one arm his left arm got messed up as a kid so how could he have choke her if he has only one arm. I think she did that because her dad had really beat her while he was drunk.While some
Atticus ask Tom Robson what happened and Mayella keep asking Tom to do things around the Uwell house and then He said one day had she ask him to fix a door but the door didn’t need to be fix the after he said she kissed him and then he tried to run but she jump on him and then when her dad came she jump off. This shows that she is scared so she lies and say that she is scared so she lies to and say that she got rapedHarper Lee wrote a very good story ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ it take place in Maycomb County.A girl name scout is the narrator about this case thats happening because their was a girl name Mayella Ewell accused a black for raping her because she had kiss him and she know people would judge her because she kissed a black man named Tom Robson.The theme of To Kill A Mockingbird is that racism is kept through fear and ignorance.While some might argue that the theme of To Kill A Mockingbird is that racism is through fear and ignorance they forget that kids see what their parents are doing so they think that it's the right thing to go because they parents are doing it.
When Atticus finch (attorney for Tom Robson) was in the trial in chapter 16 Atticus ask what happened she said Tom choke her put Tom only has one arm his left arm got messed up as a kid so how could he have choke her if he has only one arm. I think she did that because her dad had really beat her while he was drunk.
Atticus ask Tom Robson what happened and Mayella keep asking Tom to do things around the Uwell house and then He said one day had she ask him to fix a door but the door didn’t need to be fix the after he said she kissed him and then he tried to run but she jump on him and then when her dad came she jump off. This shows that she is scared so she lies and say that she is scared so she lies to and say that Tom Robson had raped Maya Ewell.
In the end of the story racism is bad and could hurt you.Now Maya Ewell has to live with that lie and her dad beating her because he is also drunk.The theme is racism is kept through fear and ignorance .
To Kill A Mockingbird In life you should feel empathy for someone who has had something tragic happen to them. Weather if its fatal or moral. Even if you are on bad terms with them or hear unpleasant things about them.
“Its a sin to kill a mockingbird” In the book to kill a mockingbird by harper lee the characters go through summers spending times together, until they come across a court case that their father is involved in, the defendant's name is Tom Robinson. Tom is not treated fairly and may not receive justice. When Tom dies it symbolizes empathy.
In to kill a mockingbird by harper lees tom robinson is used to symbolize empathy.
In the book there is this collage woman who wants to help Africa but is against blacks. This is a perfect example of the theme. You dont have to like someone to help them. During the verdict dill is crying because deep down in something feels wrong in him. Tom also symbolizes peace. In fact Miss Maudie is very optimistic about ending black discrimination.
Over all you should feel empithetic for people you don't know or don't like
Harper Lee’s suspenseful story, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” takes place in a small southern town maycomb where everyone knows everyone. Jem a 12 year old boy and Scout a 6-7 year old go on to start school. In the beginning the town of Maycomb go to the detention center to kill a black man accused of rapeing a white female. Atticus tried to plead with the townspeople but they said that if he doesn’t get out of the way they were going to kill him too. Jem and Scout went out and they knew the situation that’s was occurring and the still went up their knowing the townspeople wouldn’t kill children.
Tom Robinson a was accused of rapeing a white female. This book was settled in the 1930’s so segregation is occurring and black men and women didn't have as many rights as white individuals and didn’t get as with much respect. Atticus who is a lawyer and caucasian defended Tom Robinson in court. The town didn’t like what he was doing but he still did what he thought was right.
Jem and Scout were coming from a play that Atticus made attend. on the way home Jem started to hear noises. When he would walk he would hear it but when he pauses he can’t hear it anymore. This made Jem worried and he didn’t want Scout to be worried so he told her it was probably cecil Jacobs. He knew they were being followed but Jem didn’t know what who or what it was. Soon later Jem and Scout get attacked and Jem get’s seriously hurt with a broken arm and soon after that he passed out from the pain. The man who attacked Jem was then going to attack Scout but the man wasn’t smart enough to take off the costume first because she got stuck in inside because her clothes were lock in the building where the play took place are stuck at. While he was trying to get Scout another man stabbed the man who was trying to hurt Scout and he died. Later on they found out who hurt Jem and Scout and who saved Scout from getting hurt.
The theme was is that courage is doing what’s right even when the odds of succeeding are against you. this essay was on how you should always try your hardest. you should never give up even people to bring you down you should just push back up. you should think about it.
i like how you say the theme isn't mostly about prejudice, and how you said jem and scout walked in boos shoes but how? they never knew him yet and never experienced his life
Good job donald ..I like how you had good details and how u had really good evidence to support your thesis. But also look at your grammar and spelling because u said got instead of get..
Adrian wrote: "Thematic EssayHarper Lee wrote a very good story ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ it take place in Maycomb County.A girl name scout is the narrator about the case about that’s happening because their was ..."
Tom Robinson was treated unfairly
good job donald on the first paragraph because you explain what prejudice means and how it was back then.
Donald wrote: "In Harper Lee’s book, To Kill A Mockingbird, this book takes place on a small town called Maycomb. Two young childrens, Scout and Jem, are the childs to a Lawyer, Atticus, that is defending a black..."Lovin this essay man. Why do you think this way?
Good job Adrian i like your supporting details but u forgot some things like for example you said a black instead of black man but your writing was really accurate and details.
good job davon i like how you transition your different ideas
Comrade, I strongly agree to your statement but i dont understand what mayala has to do with racism
Harper Lee’s story “To Kill a Mockingbird,” takes place in Maycomb, at the time of segregation. Scout is learning a lot about Maycomb and the changes over time. Her father, Atticus, is a lawyer who later in the book defends a black man, Tom Robinson. Everyone doesn’t like that Atticus is defending Tom Robinson just because he is black. One lesson that could be learned from “To Kill a Mockingbird” is that you shouldn’t make assumptions based on what you observe or hear from someone else because it’s not always true/accurate.During the trial when it was Mayella’s turn to answer questions from Atticus. Atticus is trying to get answers from her, but she thinks that he is making fun of her when he calls her “ma’am” and “Miss Mayella”. Judge Taylor explains, “He’s not trying to mock you, he’s just trying to be polite. That’s just his way.” This shows that Atticus wasn’t being disrespectful as Mayella thought he was, he was just trying to show his respect to her. Someone who doesn’t know what something means, shouldn’t skip to conclusion because it could make others upset or confused. While some might argue that this shows that Atticus is showing respect, but they forgot that Mayella is making assumptions because she doesn’t know what Atticus means when he ask if she had any friends.
At the beginning of the book, Scout hears all these rumours about the Radleys. In the text it says, “Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom.” This could be true, but there is no evidence that there is an evil ghost living in the Radley place. Also, Miss Stephanie Crawford told Jem and Scout about something about Boo Radley: “According to Miss Stephanie, Boo was sitting in the livingroom cutting some items from The Maycomb Tribune to paste in his scrapbook. His father entered the room. As Mr. Radley Passed by, Boo drove the scissors into his parent’s leg, pulled them out, wiped them on his pants, and resumed to his activities.” This makes the kids think that Boo looks like a very scary person because of what he really did and all the other rumours that are spread around Macomb about him. Spreading rumours isn’t always true, and Miss Stephanie is the neighborhood gossip. Therefore, Miss Stephanie isn’t always telling the truth. Some people might interpret this to mean that gossip shouldn’t be spread around, but clearly it means that the kids are making assumptions off of what Miss Stephanie is telling them because they assume the Boo Radley is a scary man who is crazy.
On the first day of school, Walter Cunningham didn’t bring a lunch. Miss. Caroline noticed and she tried to give him a quarter, but he wouldn’t take it. Scout tries to explain that he’s a Cunningham and he won’t be able to pay Ms. Caroline back if he accepts the quarter. Scout says to Ms. Caroline, “That’s okay, ma’am, you’ll get to know all the country folks after a while. The Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back- no church baskets and no scrip stamps. They never took anything off anybody, they get along on what they have. They don’t have much, but they get along on it.” Ms. Caroline still doesn’t understand what Scout is talking about, so she just assumes that Scout is being disrespectful, when really she is just trying to help and be polite. Some people might interpret this to mean that Scout is trying to be respectful, but clearly it shows that Miss Caroline is making assumptions because she doesn’t really know the history of the Cunninghams.
Therefore, the things that you observe or hear from other people isn’t always true/accurate. Making assumptions could lead to false facts. The rumours about Boo Radley could be true, or they could be false. The rumours are all based off of one true event that happened. Also, the fact that Maella doesn't know what friends mean, which was the other thing that she thought that Atticus was making fun of her with. This shows that making assumptions are not always true/accurate.
Harper Lee story, To kill a Mockingbird It takes place in Maycomb Alabama and its very racist. The Ewells take a black man to court for rape but really it was to show that they are better than blacks, because they are seen down upon. One lesson you learn is what you see is not always true.In the beginning, blacks in the 1930s are seen as bad,dirty,weak people. There was a black man that went to court for raping a white woman. For this trial they had no evidence but they still found him guilty for rape. They jury was all white they was diverted to blacks. After the trial Tom was killed, they say he tried to climb a fences so the killed him. This is not possible because he couldn't use his left hand,so each time he will have to reach with his left hand he will fall. They saw Tom by the color of his skin and not what was true therefore, he was found guilty.
Next, Boo Radley is one of the of the neighbors to Scout . He is never seen by anyone in the town so they make up stories about him. There is three kids that play a game they made up about Boos life. They change things about him because they didn't know him or ever see. He is thought to be a crazy man because of his past, he had stab his dad in the leg. He has been kept in the house he has been in there for 30 years.So he is seen as a crazy man the will hurt you just because he not understand by the peoplein the town.While some might argue that Boo is crazy, they forget that he has not been seen in 30 years so he could have changed.
Then, Mr.Dolphus Raymond a white man he is married to a black woman. He drinks out of a paper sack and everyone thinks its alcohol because he pretend to be drunk. They say that’s why he love a black woman because the influence of alcohol. He do this cause he don’t want to be thought that white man that living with a black women. The way blacks are seen a white man can’t love his black women.
In the end, the people see Tom by his skin color and not what is inside. Boo is seen as a crazy man because of his past. Then Mr.Dolphus Raymond is seen as a drunk man who is in love with a black women. What do you think about Boo and his life. What you see isn't always truth.
To Kill A Mockingbird EssayIn the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee takes place on Finches landing. A a small town where almost everyone knows each other. Atticus is responsible for Tom Robinson's case for his accusation of rape. A very poor white family who lives in the dump accuses a black man of rape. The family was known to have a bad father who wastes his welfare to get alcohol. Tom Robinson on the other hand is known for being kind and gentle of Maycomb county. Now this is Atticus responsibility to defend him.One lesson could be said that responsibility can force people to deal with difficult situations.
The very beginning on when Atticus has the responsibility and take the case of Tom Robinson. Atticus took the case and almost every white man in the county dispise of him. On one part where Atticus camps out to guard Tom Robinson a group of white men came to talk to him or teach him a lesson. Later the kids come up and saves Atticus life. Atticus was scared for their safety but they didn’t make the situation ugly. The next day is when Atticus goes to the trial for Tom Robinson and the Ewells. If responsibility means that you have to deal with difficult situation then Atticus is choosing to take the consequences.
In the case of Tom Robinson raping a white women. This deals with responsibility because its the peoples responsibility to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. In the case Atticus has to control the witness or to interrogate them. This shows that Atticus has power over his victims. Still Atticus has to be mindful of what he is saying. People in Maycomb has their own responsibility. For example Zeebo in church has the power of cleaning the church after. That is his responsibility.Also since nobody in the church can read except for 3 others can he has to sing to make the people follow. If being one of the people who can only read means that he has to instruct the people in what to say then he is responsible.
In the story To Kill A Mockingbird people should think responsibility is one of the biggest things in the story. Now for Jem,Scout and Dill has their own responsibility to. Since Scout is growing up she has to be more feminine. This is why it is Atticus responsibility to call in Aunt Alexandra. She also has priorities of herself. She has the authority to tell Scout what to do to be more feminine and tell Atticus to tell Scout to behave. Scout is not happy about this and Atticus is to but he wants her to follow the aunt. Responsibility is almost in every chapter of the book or all the chapters. Therefore she is responsible for her action. Some people might interpret this to mean respect,but clearly it is responsibility because Aunt Alexandria has responsibility to control over scout.
In the beginning of the story where they meet Dill and try to see what Boo looks like; well then Atticus told them to leave them alone. In this one part there are two responsibilty or powers already. Right there Atticus has power over the kids but responsibility are now for the kids not to mess with the Radleys. This gave the kids a difficult situation of wanting to find what Boo looks like but can’t because of Atticus. This also gave a hard situation for Atticus because now he has to watch them. Still Atticus doesn’t care and goes to work. Though Atticus still catches the kids twice when trying to find what Boo looks like. So the kids stopped trying but acting out the Radleys family. Then again Atticus catches the boys and told them to stop. Some people might interpret this to be strict but clearly its responsibility because Atticus has to watch the kids and the kids have to stay away from Boo Radley place
In the book To Kill A Mockingbird deep into book it gets very difficult.(SPOILER ALERT skip next sentences)After Tom was said guilty and the trial was over Atticus was at the post office when Bob Ewell came up cursed and spat in his face. It was Atticus authority to not fight back to not cause himself a bad reputation. Since Atticus already has a good reputation and he needs to keep it that way. His control over the Ewells are very little and they are a disgrace against the Finches name. Bob Ewell is one of the people that barely has any responsibility. The older sister does by taking care of the kids and cleaning she is though still a bad person for tempting a black man.
There are difficult situations that people have to go through that can deal with having the power over something or the responsibility. Another reason or situation is when(SPOILER ALERT AHEAD skip next few sentences)Atticus has to tell what happened after Tom Robinson was shot seventeen times trying to escape. This was Atticus responsibility to tell his wife and it was going to be very hard. He has to deal with this hard situation because he doesn’t know what to say to her. Atticus goes with Calpurnia and Dill to tell her. Before they even say a word she already collapse to the ground. She already knows what happen since news can spread pretty fast in two days.
At the end of the day almost everyone has to deal with hard situations that Atticus went through. Responsibility can make people go through hard situations and it can go all wrong. For example when it was his responsibility to go tell the news to Tom Robinsons wife,or when Dill ran away from his family they had to take care of him. These things can change the way people look in a good way or a bad way. After the trial that very trial was the one that hit him the most. He said that every lawyer has had a trial that can be personal to them. Some people may interpret this is bravery but clearly it is responsibility because when Scout was attacked by Bob Ewell and(SPOILER ALERT skip next sentence)he accidently killed himself. So Heck Tate the sheriff had to make up something to cover it up. So at the end everyone can say that responsibility can lead to good or bad things but most of all they can make people go into difficult situations.
Adrian wrote: "Thematic EssayHarper Lee wrote a very good story ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ it take place in Maycomb County.A girl name scout is the narrator about the case about that’s happening because their was ..."
You did good with adding a lot of detail, but in your intro paragraph your grammar is a little off.
Bryan wrote: "Harper Lee story, To kill a Mockingbird It takes place in Maycomb Alabama and its very racist. The Ewells take a black man to court for rape but really it was to show that they are better than bla..."This is really good Matthew
Adrian wrote: "Thematic EssayHarper Lee wrote a very good story ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ it take place in Maycomb County.A girl name scout is the narrator about the case about that’s happening because their was ..."
DaVon wrote: "Harper Lee’s award-winning novel, To Kill A Mockingbird is about kids from the county of Alabama during the 1930’s. This time was during the acts of Jim Crow and segregation between the whites and ..." I agree because it is that they judge by skin not person
The book, To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee took place in a made up town called Maycomb,, located in southern Alabama. The time period was in the 1930’s, so things were a lot different than today. This fiction book includes many memories from a young girl named Scout Finch. Her father, Atticus Finch, was a lawyer and decided to defend a black man. He was not supported by very many people. This made him & his family’s life a lot tougher. The theme of this story is that prejudice is responsible for most social injustice. Scout lives with her father Atticus, and her older brother, Jem.. Calpurnia is their maid, she is a colored women, that keeps things going in the Finch household. She takes care of the children, she cleans the house, and cooks the food. The kids love her and are very comfortable with her, for they had known her almost their whole lives. At one period of time, Atticus had to leave for a few days so it was up to her to keep things going. However, Sunday came and she had no specific direction from Mr.Finch on what she should do with the children. So, she decided to bring them with her to her church.
At this time, things were very segregated. There were black churches and there were white churches. When they arrived, everyone was welcoming and kind to the Finch’s. However, there was this woman there who didn’t like the idea of them being at her church. Lula, this woman, said “I wants to know why you bringin’ white chillun to nigger church.” This shows that she doesn’t understand why Calpurnia brought the kids and feels like she shouldn’t have. Calpurnia calmly responds with, “They’s my comp’ny”. By this statement, you can tell that Calpurnia doesn’t realize a legitimate problem with what she decided to do. A man named Zeebo came over to welcome the Finch’s & told them not to pay Lula any attention because she’s always like that and they carried on with their morning at the church. This is just one example in the book where the kids get called out by an African American women because of their race.
Later on, Zeebo started singing lines out of a hymn book. Everyone in the church repeated his words after he was finished. The children were confused on why nobody else had hymn books. Jem asked Calpurnia, “.. Why do you all sing hymns that way?” She told him it’s called, “ linin ”,and they do it for two reasons. For one, the church cannot afford enough for everyone in the church to have a hymn book. For two, most black folks at this time couldn’t even read so it would be pointless. This shows the social injustice at this time for the blacks.
Towards the end of the service, the children were telling Calpurnia how much of a good time they were having, they asked if they could come see her sometimes. She said she didn’t mind. However, later on when the kids asked their father about it, Aunt Alexandra denied them. She felt like the children shouldn’t be at a negroes house for any reason. They were white & she was their colored maid, It just wasn’t quite right. Their father remained quiet during this conversation. From this incident, you can guess that Aunt Alexandra isn’t very fond of Calpurnia & the kid’s relationship with her. This shows social injustice, because of someone being prejudice.
In the book Atticus gets appointed to defend Tom Robinson, a respected black man accused of raping a white woman named Mayella Ewell. It seemed like nobody in the town liked the idea of Mr.Finch supporting this black man. One night, there was an angry group of men who came to their house, wanting to talk to Atticus about the case. Everything Scout and Jem heard from the conversation was negative and didn’t seem as if they were talking to Atticus, but yelling. A neighbor, Mr.Link Deas told Atticus, “You’ve got everything to lose from this, Atticus. I mean everything.” This shows how people thought that what he was doing was a horrible idea. Only because Tom was black and Atticus was white.
There were many incidents with the Finch children that were involved with their father’s choice to defend a black man. For example, one time at school when somebody said a remark to Scout about her father. It was an ignorant comment made by a kid, that resulted in a fight.
There was a neighbor named Miss Maudie. She was a sweet old lady who loved nature, but disliked negroes. Miss Maudie didn’t want to attend the trial, like the rest of her neighbors. When the children asked why won’t she be there, she said “...T’s morbid, watching a poor devil on trial for his life. Look at all those folks, it’s like a Roman carnival.” She compared the trial to a Roman carnival, because she feels like everyone knows that Tom Robinson doesn’t have a slight chance of beating the case because of his race & what he’s accused of. However, everyone still goes to watch. This shows how because people are prejudice, there’s sure to be social injustice.
There were many times where the Finch family got called names and talked about because of the case. They were once a respected family, but then everything changed because of something silly. I believe the theme of To Kill A Mockingbird is that prejudice is responsible for most social injustice.
Racism is kept alive through fear and ignorance Harper Lee’s story, To Kill a Mockingbird, takes place in Maycomb county. The story is Scout’s journey of learning how people are treated and how they should be treated through many lessons. Such as the treatment of colored people by white people during a racist time. Scouts father, Atticus, is a lawyer that is going to protect a colored man in court. This will help Scout learn the most about racism in her area. Racism is kept alive through fear and ignorance.
For instance, at Scouts school Cecil Jacobs yells in the schoolyard the Scout Finch’s father protects “niggers”. When Scout comes to Atticus later she says, “do you defend niggers?” This surprises Atticus because of the ways children talk these ways. This shows that the guardian of Cecil is teaching him to talk that way and Cecil isn't aware of what he is saying at that age. This supports my theme by the kids are being racist because of what they are taught, so this will keep racism alive all because of the parents ignorance about who black people are.
While some might argue that this language is not okay they forget that the time period the book takes place stereotypes and language like this is common. The language doesn't matter only actions matter to white people. If the language matters then saying hello would be wrong. The evidence that language shows racism is kept alive through fear and ignorance fails to support the theme.
Another example is the way Tom Robinson is kept on trial by the all white jury while there are pieces of evidence provig how Tom couldn't have raped Mayella Ewell. The jury doesn't know Tom and have already grown up racist so the evidence brushes right past them. When they do this they are keeping racism in the world, and it doesn't bother them that they are doing that. This also supports my theme because it shows that through the jury’s lack of knowledge of black people and their equality they are keeping racism alive.
In conclusion, the book To Kill a Mockingbird supports my theme of racism is kept alive through fear and ignorance towards black people because they are taught and grew with the standards of separating black from white, because the book is about the lessons Scout learns from the treatment of people at her time.
Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, takes place in Maycomb County. It is a small area where everyone knows everyone. I think the theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is that racism is kept alive through fear and ignorance. The main character of this book is a little girl named Scout, she is 6 years young. Her father, Atticus, is a lawyer. He is currently trying to win a case, he is defending a African American male, Tom Robinson, who was accused of raping a white female. This white female’s name is Mayella Ewell. Her father, Mr. Robert Ewell also known as Bob Ewell, was the one that threatened her to say accused Tom. Atticus’ wife died when his children were very young and he hired a African American woman named Calpurnia that is a Nanny for them. I think the theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is that racism is kept alive through fear and ignorance. In life many people experience racism. No matter where you go in life there will be racism. If everyone would come together we could rise and try to end racism. Mayella’s father is a drunken abuser. Her father threatened to beat her even more if she didn’t lie and accuse Tom of raping her. This is a big part of the story because the Ewell’s accused him of raping her just because he was of color and Mr.Ewell didn’t want to be caught being a child abuser. Mayella’s injuries from Tom were supposedly created with his one arm. Tom was disabled with his left arm, his hand was caught in cotton wheel and his arm has been disabled ever since. I believe that Mr.Ewell only tells this lie because he has a fear of being put into jail for the abuse he caused to his daughter Mayella.
Racism is related to fear because people fear what they don’t know and if a person is uneducated or has a lack of education then that causes people to assume what they believe is true but in all actually is false. People also fear sharing power with other people. Others want to feel better or more superior than others surrounding them. Aunt Alexandra is an ignorant person. I know this because she was telling Atticus that he needs to keep the children in check and make them behave more like the little lady and gentleman they are. She also states that he needs to get rid of their nanny Calpurnia. I know this because she says, “...you’ve got to do something about her.” She also says that, “ You’ve got to face it sooner or later and it might as well be tonight. We don’t need her now.” This proves that when people are ignorant they can also be racist at the same time. This illustrates that she is only thinking about the good that will come of it for her, not what will be good for the children and Atticus.
To conclude, the theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is racism is kept alive through fear and ignorance. This is shown through many different parts of this novel and that was only two examples of the theme. There are people all around us that are afraid and ignorant, but do we always notice when these people are affecting others? We don’t always see these people doing or acting these ways, but we know they are there. It’s just a matter of time until we can see the damage that is being caused. Will we stop this from happening? The answer to this question could improve the world or abolish it. Working to end this problem and people are trying to end it. Therefore, the world is getting one step closer to ending this.
In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the main character, Scout, is facing troubles in her life when her father, Atticus Finch, a white man, is defending Tom Robinson, a black man, in court. This story takes place in the 1930’s, and the narrator, Scout is about 6, so she doesn't understand why a white man is looked down upon for defending a black man in court. Scout is confused as to why the kids in her grade are calling her father bad names, and why her neighbors are looking at her family differently. The theme, mostly shown by Atticus, is courage is doing what you think is right even when the odds of succeeding are against you.In chapter nine, one scene that shows the theme is courage, is when Scout first heard about Atticus defending Tom from the people in her town, Scout asked Atticus why he defended Tom when he shouldn’t be. “For a number of reasons. The main one is, if I didn't I couldn’t hold my head up in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again.” (Ch.9,pg.75).By Atticus saying this, it shows how ashamed Atticus would be if he didn’t defend Tom because he was black. This relates to the theme, because it shows that by defending Tom Robinson, Atticus feels he would be doing the right thing. He would be acting courageously. Also, in the event that led up to this conversation, a boy named Cecil, who goes to school with Scout, was talking badly about Atticus. The narrator says,”He had announced in the schoolyard the day before that Scout Finch’s daddy defended niggers.” By Cecil saying that, it shows that people in the town are against Atticus, and Atticus knows this and still goes through with what he was doing. Therefore, Atticus is showing courage by doing what he thinks is right.
Also, the author adds literary devices, such as descriptive words or sentences to exemplify the theme. For instance, in chapter fifteen, Atticus is sitting on the jail porch, right by Tom’s cell, reading a book. Scout, her brother Jem, and her friend Dill, have snuck out at the late hour, to see where Atticus was heading. As the children were watching, from a distance, they saw four cars pull up in front of the jail. Men got out of the cars in twos and threes. When Atticus said something to the men and they listened, the narrator says,”In obedience to my father, there followed what I later realized was a sickeningly comic aspect of an unfunny situation: the men talked in near-whispers.” The descriptive phrases,”sickenly comic aspect”, and ,”unfunny situation”, shows the seriousness that Scout felt in the situation. The men were coming to lynch Tom Robinson, and Atticus knew it. This scene also shows the theme, because even though Atticus knew the men were coming to lynch Tom, he went to the jail to protect him anyway, which shows courage. While some might argue that Atticus didn’t know the men were coming, and he just went to visit Tom, they forget that in the text it says,” He seemed to be expecting them(Chapter 15, page 201).” Atticus was expecting the men to come and try to hurt Tom, so instead of ignoring it, he was at the jail waiting for them. The men could have easily hurt Atticus, so they were the obstacles that made the odds of succeeding against Atticus.
Although the main theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is courage, there are some other themes present in the book. One of those themes is prejudice is responsible for many social injustices. At the end of the trial of Tom Robinson, it is made clear that Tom is innocent, because Atticus had many pieces of evidence to prove it. The “victim”, Mayella Ewell, who Tom was on trial for “raping”, was suspected purgerizing in court, and her story changed multiple times. The jury of the court consisted all of white men. Tom Robinson was found guilty, not because he was guilty, but because nobody would take the word of a black man over a white man. In chapter 21, page 279, the court is waiting on a verdict, and Jem tells Reverend Sykes that they’ve won the case, and Reverend Sykes says,”Now don’t you be so confident, Mr. Jem, I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man…” This racism resulted in the death of an innocent man.
Even though prejudice is a major theme, courage is the bigger theme, because it connects all of the other themes together. Without courage, the trial would have never happened in the book, for Atticus wouldn’t have defended Tom. One of the bigger pieces of evidence that Atticus shows, is on page 149 in chapter 11. There was a dog with rabies, and the sheriff asked Atticus to shoot it because Atticus was the best shot in town. The kids didn’t know this about Atticus, so they were wondering why he had never told them. Also, the Finch’s neighbor, Mrs. Dubose had just passed away, but before she passed, she sent a gift to Jem that upset him. Atticus was trying to explain to Jem that Mrs. Dubose didn’t mean anything by it,“ She had her own views about things, a lot different than mine, maybe...son, I told you that if you had’nt lost your head I’d have made you go read to her. I wanted you to see something about her- I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hands. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.” This scene shows that if having real courage means that you know you will lose, but still do it, then Atticus is showing his courage by tackling the Tom Robinson case.
In the end, Atticus loses the Tom Robinson case, and even though he knew he would lose, he saw it through no matter what and did all that he could. Atticus had courage throughout the whole book, by doing what he thought was right by defending Tom Robinson, even though the odds were against him since it was him against the town. Someone who does what they think is right even when the odds of succeeding are against them, is courageous, because not everybody does what they they believe is right when the odds are against them. Atticus trying to win Tom Robinson’s case was like an ant fighting a human. This theme is so important, because in the book teaches you that you should always have courage and do what you think is right, even when it is difficult to accomplish.
Hannah wrote: "Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, takes place in Maycomb County. It is a small area where everyone knows everyone. I think the theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is that racism is kept alive t..."I really liked your essay and I like your claim about the theme.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place during the 1930s in Maycomb county Alabama. The story is told through Jean Louise who goes by the nickname Scout, a vivacious young tomboy living with her father and brother. She recalls her life during the Trial of Tom Robinson, a colored man who is accused of raping a white woman whom her father is representing in court. Tom was most likely only taken to court for this accusation because he was colored, which introduces the theme of the story, prejudice is responsible for much social injustice.Scouts father, Atticus, chose to represent Tom because he felt Tom was not guilty of the accusations made against him and he knew Tom would have trouble getting a lawyer who really had Toms best interest in mind. The town looks down on Atticus for representing a black man even though he is a perfectly respectable man and an upstanding citizen. There is barely any evidence to support the claim the tom raped the woman but still he is taken to trial and found guilty. There's even evidence that points towards the woman's father; the majority of her bruising is on the right side of her face which strongly suggests the impact came from someone who was left handed. Tom’s left hand is not by any means dominant. In fact, it hangs at his side limp and useless. We later find out Mr. Ewell (the woman's father) is ambidextrous but predominantly uses his left hand.
Even though Tom is crippled and evidence points towards Mr. Ewell, Tom is still convicted. The jury in this case was obviously extremely racist and prejudice. They made Their decision based on the pigment of Toms skin and not by the goodness in his heart. Even the children understand this is wrong and unjust, we see this when the children step out from the trial because Dill’s stomach has become uneasy form the display of racism and prejudice they saw in the court room.
When we meet Dolfus Raymond Jem explains he is a social outcast because he has a black wife and mixed children. He pretends to be an alcoholic so that he can give the town an excuse for his behavior which they find unacceptable. Dolfus just wants to be happy with his family, Jem even tells us through his conversation with Scout and Dill that Dolfus is a great father and loves his children, but he is still dubbed to be crazy because his children don’t have the same skin color as he does.
The 1930’s was a time of segregation and unequal rights among races. Tom Robinson was convicted of a crime he did not commit because of the color of his skin. Atticus knows this is wrong. He wants to make difference by supporting Tom when no one else is. He knows he cannot change the minds of his fellow townspeople but he can make a difference in Toms life by supporting him throughout his trial. When Tom is convicted and sentenced to death Atticus fights to get an appeal trial because he knows the prejudice placed upon Tom made the first trial extremely unjust.
To Kill A MockingBird Theme EssayIn Harper Lee’s gruesome novel; “ To Kill A Mockingbird,” Takes place in Maycomb County Alabama- a place where there are many racist white men and women. Scout a young lady who is a daughter of Atticus Finch- a man who supports a black male trying to fight against a young white women. Scout doesn't see why black and white people are different from each other, except from skin color. Scout watches her dad as he supports the fellow black man named Tom Robinson in court. One lesson this novel suggests is that “Racism is kept alive through fear and ignorance.”.
Since the very beginning of the novel we have seen many cases of racism, most of all people not liking that Atticus Finch- a white male, is defending Tom Robinson- a black male, in court. Scout has seen a difference in black and white people ever since she was a young girl. She noticed that black people were on a different “social” class than whites. Blacks always had a lower sense of things because white people always think that black people are “under” them, and that they should have to listen to whatever they say. Which is certainly not the case.
For example a scene in the novel where, Atticus has a talk with Jem and Scout about why he has taken on the trial the attempt of the lynching mob to kill Tom Robinson and Mayella’s thought that Tom Robinson raped and beat her. This is saying that atticus is trying to tell the kids that just because Tom Robinson is black does not mean that he is automatically assume that he was officially the one who raped Mayella. Also atticus is trying to explain that atticus is not taking advantage of being Toms lawyer he is actually trying to defend him in the court of law.
Another example of this theme is, Bob Ewell was blaming Tom Robinson for beating Mayella. Giving His mom a hard time while she was working. And lastly trying to kill jem and scout. To me this means that Bob is being racist towards tom because he is saying that just because tom is black he should be automatically put in jail for rape without a trial. Also he is blaming tom robinson for things he would not even think of doing. And had no reason for doing.
In conclusion Atticus is trying to make scout believe that racism is kept alive through the fear of colored people. And the ignorance that colored and white people are the same, and the only difference is color.
Harper Lee’s realistic fiction “To Kill A Mockingbird,” takes place in a small town called Maycomb where everyone knows each other. In Maycomb there is a man and his name is Arthur Radley but his nickname is Boo Radley to the children, Scout, Jem, and Dill. Boo “never” comes out of his house and the children suspect the wrong ideas about Boo. This leads to one of the many lessons in this story that prejudice is caused by ignorance. The children Scout and Jem have always been afraid of Boo but once Dill came into Maycomb the children get more fascinated with seeing who Boo Radley really is. Scout had wanted to know more about Boo Radley so she asked Miss Maudie some questions, “Do you think they're true, all those things they say about B---Mr.Arthur?” asked scout. “What things?” Miss Maudie asked. “i told her.” said scout “No child she said , that is a sad house. I remember Arthur Radley when he was a boy. He always spoke nicely to me, no matter what folks said he did. Spoke as nicely as he knew how.” Miss Maudie added. This shows how all the things that scout heard were people being prejudice towards Boo Radley. Scout has misconceptions about Boo Radley and Miss Maudie knows many answers to questions about Boo Radley therefore, Scout asking Miss Maudie questions about Boo Radley leads her to lose some of her ignorance. This leads her to not have as many prejudice thoughts as she had before.
More than just children make up rumors about Boo Radley. An example of an adult being prejudice towards Boo Radley in this book is, Miss Maudie talking to scout saying, “Stephanie Crawford even told me once she woke up in the middle of the night and found him looking in the window at her…” This represents that an adult can make assumptions just like children do.Miss Stephanie Crawford is prejudice because she came up with the small idea of Boo having a long look at her. Some people might argue that Miss Stephanie Crawford is not being prejudice in this situation. They forget that in the text it says that she “found” Boo looking at her but really, it could have been anyone else. Also as everyone in Maycomb knows,Boo radley never leaves his house.
Boo Radley seems as if he wants his story to be unknown to others but this only makes everyone more curious and eager to find out about him. This causes people to make up stories about Boo so that when someone asks about him they can lie. This is because no one really knows the truth and Boo was never around to hear it. Boo radley won't come out and say what the truth really is because well, nobody knows. In these type of situations prejudice is caused by ignorance
Harper Lee’s story ‘’To Kill A MockingBird’’ takes place in Maycomb County, a small town in Alabama. Atticus Finch a defense attorney decides to take on a case defending Tom Robinson. Tom was accused of rape by Mayella Ewell. This was a very big deal because Tom is a black man. And Atticus is a white man defending him. And to people in Maycomb this is considered taboo. Because no white person should go against their own race. But Atticus doesn’t care and would rather do whats right whether other people agree or not. Which means he is courageous. Courage is the ability to do something that frightens one. Therefore, the lesson the story suggest is Courage is doing what’s right even if others don’t agree with your choice.From the beginning, the detailed and explicit language in the story show how people in Maycomb feel. They are really upset that Atticus would go against his own race and defend a black man. And some people are not afraid to share what they think. Harper Lee describes Ms.Dubose opinion saying ‘’Your fathers no better than the niggers and trash he works for!’’ And “Not only a finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse lawing for niggers!” These lines show that some people in Maycomb don’t agree with what Atticus is doing. And they are very irate about it.
Another scene in the book that makes me believe this is when Jem and Scout tell Atticus what Ms.Dubose said. The kids were surprised because Atticus has an unusual reaction. He wasn’t affected by the comments made about him whatsoever. He said “Well they’re certainly entitled to think that, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions.” This shocked Jem because he was more hurt than Atticus from the comments that are always being made about him. She continued saying “... i couldn’t go to church and worship god if i didn’t try to help that man.” This means that Atticus has to much courage to listen to what others think of him.
Because racism during this time was a very big deal, Atticus was being courageous by defending Tom Robinson since Atticus is white. That was the reason a lot of people in Maycomb weren’t happy with Atticus and the choice he made. This goes back from years before and at this time period when black people were discriminated against because of their skin color. So, if a black man was accused of a crime they were automatically found guilty in the minds of white people. They were also not immune from false accusation and/or wrongful conviction. Which is why it was so important to Atticus to help Tom Robinson.
While some might argue that Atticus isn’t being courageous, they forgot that in the text it says “you know the court appointed him to defend this nigger”. This means that Atticus didn’t choose to defend Tom, but he was given to. Although, some might argue that Atticus is actually courageous. Explaining that “...but Atticus aims to defend him. Thats what i don’t like about it” This shows that even though Atticus didn’t choose to defend him that he will still try all that he can to help Tom Robinson out. This also shows that people in Maycomb don’t like that even though Atticus didn’t choose the case that he is still trying to get a black man off for a crime he didn’t commit.
There are many themes that could go with this book. However I think “courage is doing what’s right even if others don’t agree with your choice” is a more appropriate theme. I think this because in To Kill A MockingBird the main overview is how not to let other peoples opinions of a decision you make affect the choice you made and why its the right one.
Natalie wrote: "Harper Lee’s realistic fiction “To Kill A Mockingbird,” takes place in a small town called Maycomb where everyone knows each other. In Maycomb there is a man and his name is Arthur Radley but his ..."I really liked how you had good evidence on your theme. Also i agree with the theme you chose. Overall you did really good on your whole paper
Olivia wrote: "Harper Lee’s story ‘’To Kill A MockingBird’’ takes place in Maycomb County, a small town in Alabama. Atticus Finch a defense attorney decides to take on a case defending Tom Robinson. Tom was accus..."you added really good evidence and its very well structured
Hannah wrote: "Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, takes place in Maycomb County. It is a small area where everyone knows everyone. I think the theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is that racism is kept alive t..."good evidence i really liked it and i agree with this^^
According to Wikipedia the behavior of mockingbirds "They are best known for the habit of mimicking the songs of other birds and the sounds of insects and amphibians". Why is the bird mimicking these other species? Is it because it doesn't understand them and thus is harassing them or it wants to be like them. I think this book is about understanding those who are different, blacks, whites, and Boo Radley instead of harassing, making fun, suppressing, disdaining and killing everything not like you
This is the second time I have read this book and it will not be my last. This book is part of our American History. To "Kill a Mockingbird" is a compelling story set in 1930 Alabama. The author Harper Lee has written several messages for everyone in this book. Those messages are the innocence of children, about justice (or lack of it), racism, hypocrisy, human compassion, trust and love told from the perspectives of a small child(Scout). Her literary strengths also come to the front when she describes relationships between Scout and her father Atticus, Scout and her brother Jem, the children an Boo Radley. She brings emotion to her prose when she describes the fury created by racial hatred and false accusations in a lynch mob scene before a trial. But her greatest writing is beautifully done when the reader understands the message she gets across when Atticus defends Tom Robinson a black man put on trial for raping a white woman. This book is a must read and the messages that depicts racism and prejudice, childhood innocence, and the perserverence of a man who risked it all to standup for what he believed in is powerful
Told through the eyes of a youngster, Harper Lee's masterpiece may appear to take a shortsighted perspective, yet Scout's reality is rich and complex. What's more, the creator doesn't spell with regards to the real factors Black individuals face in a bigoted society - and the pressing factors that neediness puts on the Maycomb people group. The entirety of that said, Lee's story is about a White family and is told from a white viewpoint. To Kill a Mockingbird https://deepsouthmag.com/2016/06/16/mary-the-mockingbird/ is a classic that has become relevant in the 21st century. And it was the people who made us come back at that time and show that the lessons are very important for the present. No matter what year, the perception of society is important
Donald wrote: "In Harper Lee’s book, To Kill A Mockingbird, this book takes place on a small town called Maycomb. Two young childrens, Scout and Jem, are the childs to a Lawyer, Atticus, that is defending a black..."This was written by an EIGHTH-grader???? And this eighth-grader doesn't even know that the plural of "child" is "children"??? Is this the "quality" of education children are receiving nowadays? If so, then may God help us all!
You are a teacher at a "premier charter school"? These are eighth-grade students?How in hell does a child get to the eighth grade without knowing that the plural of "child" is "children"? Or without knowing that Alabama is a state, not a "county"? Or without knowing the difference between "their" and "there"? Or the difference between "weather" and "whether"?
These "essays" are so larded with errors in grammar, usage, and spelling that they should have received an "F"-- and you, as the teacher, should have given that "F" and pointed out their errors to them and required them to do better. A REAL "teacher" TEACHES; she does not just pat kids on the back and praise them for anything and everything they do, no matter how bad it is.
My seventh-grade English teacher was an asshole. He made it clear, from "day one," that he didn't care about us or about whether we passed or flunked. His job was to teach, and OUR job was to learn-- and if we didn't learn, we would flunk! It was just that simple.
Well, he certainly did his job! He taught grammar, and sentence structure (including diagramming), and usage, and spelling, and vocabulary. Every week, we were given ten new words to learn, in addition to everything else.
All the students hated him. I hated him, too. But he made me LEARN-- and because he did, I have come to regard him as the best teacher I ever had! Nearly every day, I am thankful that I had Mr. Hill as a teacher.
And now I see you-- you who dares to call yourself a "teacher"-- praising and publicizing the error-filled writings of your students? Well, tell me-- WHAT are you "teaching" them? Are you teaching them spelling? No, obviously not! Are you teaching them grammar? No, not that, either. Are you teaching them sentence structure, or agreement between pronoun and antecedent, or verb forms, or... anything? Anything at all? Or are you just patting them on the head and telling them, "Oh, that's fine, darling!"?
If I were a teacher of eighth-grade English, I would be deeply ASHAMED if my students couldn't write any better than yours do, and I certainly would not be encouraging them in their erroneous ways by publishing their mistake-riddled junk on the Internet! I WOULD encourage them to write-- BUT I would say, "You've got some good ideas here! Now all you need to do is learn how to express them better and more clearly." And then I would point out their errors and how to fix them. That is what a REAL teacher DOES.
Mr. Hill was a real "teacher." You, obviously, are not.
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Happy Reading,
Ms. Crain