Boo Radley & a Mockingbird

Boo Radley is symbolic of the Mockingbird because he does no harm to anyone. Atticus says, "...it is a sin to kill a mockingbird," because they are harmless and do not negatively impact a person. All they do is play music. Boo has lived alone his whole life and has never harmed people the way they think he does or would. He minds his own business and does not get up in the town's drama. Therefore, it would be a "sin" to kill him. Just as a mockingbird he does nothing to interfere with anyone. Boo may have killed Bob Ewell, but in doing so, he was doing a favor for society. Therefore, he should not be put in jail; it would be a "sin" to do so. The sheriff decided that Bob fell on his knife, instead of blaming Boo. Boo Radley is also a victim of society's prejudice, making him a mockingbird in that way as well.

Works Cited

"Farm Life during the Great Depression." Farm Life during the Great Depression. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.

Tolerance and Courage

Atticus

In To Kill A Mockingbird, one excellent example of courage is when Atticus decided to wait outside of Tom Robinson's jail cell. Atticus knew that there most likely would be a mob, however, he was not going to leave Tom alone. Further along, he told Jem that he might have gotten hurt from them. His want for justice was much more powerful than his sense of fear. Atticus sat with Tom, ready to defend him from being punished for a crime he did not commit. A quote that shows Atticus has tolerance is, “You just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anyone says to you, don’t let ‘em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change…it’s a good one, even if it does resist learning” (pg. 76). This quote is saying how no matter how mad someone or something can make you, you cannot let it get to you. You have to be the bigger person and do what you think is right, and Atticus does just that. People are trying to prove Tom guilty, due to his African American Race. It takes courage for Atticus to do the right thing.

Dolphus Raymond

Dolphus Raymond wants to be seen as a man who is always drunk and does not care how about other's opinions of him, and he appears to be doing so. The county of Maycomb treats him as a outcast and dislikes him, due to him living his life under pretense. Since Raymond pretends to be drunk all the time, he has a lot of courage, because he is not forcing the people of Maycomb to face their prejudices. Dolphus says, "Cry about the simple hell people give other people- without even thinking. Cry about the simple hell white people give coloured folks, without even stopping to think that they are people as well." Dolphus Raymond comes from a prominent family that owns lots of land. He was given the chance to marry a white woman and instead, he chooses to marry a black woman. Dolphus Raymond is quite the courageous man considering that he saves the people of Maycomb from facing their prejudices.

Boo Radley

Boo Radley is a man that has been kept away from people since he was a child. He has most likely watched them through the window, but has never physically interacted with them. He shows the trait of courage when he takes a risk by reaching out to the children and leaving them treats in the tree and by sewing Jem's shirt.

Historical Contexts

 The Great Depression

To Kill a Mockingbird is set during the Great Depression. Harper Lee constantly states how hard times are for the people of Maycomb. Not only does it relate to the time period, when Atticus quit the farm and went back to school as a lawyer. He did this because during the depression, the hardships hit the farmers the hardest. This is represented when Jem asks Atticus if they are as poor as the Cunningham's and Atticus replies, “Not exactly. The Cunningham's are country folks, farmers, and the crash hit them hardest,” (pg. 21). Atticus claims that the professional people were poor because of the farmers were poor.

Atticus was talking to Tom and attempting to find evidence to prove Tom not guilty of raping Mayeila. Atticus asks, "Were you picking cotton in November?" This quote shows how the blacks still were working on the farms and making little amounts of money.

The article, Farming in the 1930's, describes the life of farmers during the Great Depression. It mentions how the weather affected every part of life; cold or hot, rain or dust. Farm families did not have heat, light, or indoor bathrooms like the people in town did. Several farm families raised their own food. Such as eggs, chickens, meat from their own cows, and vegetables from their gardens. No one had any money. Neighbors helped each other through sickness and the hard times. Due to the dryness, grasshoppers attacked the crops, so farmers had no way to make money.

http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/life_01.html