To Kill a Mocking Bird Essay free essay sample

To Kill a Mocking Bird character is not determined by race or social standing but the qualities and traits from which the person possesses. Tom Robinson, Atticus and Boo Radely are portrayed to be the mocking birds in the book. Harper Lee shows that Tom Robinson is a major target of racism throughout his time in the book. Tom’s true character has been overthrown just from the color of his skin. People make decisions to treat Tom in an unfair way because of his race. An example of this is when Tom gets convicted of a fraud crime, which he clearly did not commit, just based on the color of his skin. Tom Robinson is an extremely caring man with many wonderful traits. He shows these things by helping Mayella Ewell when she asked for it, even though she is a Caucasian woman. People did not get a chance to realize how good a man Tom Robinson was before he was killed escaping from prison. We will write a custom essay sample on To Kill a Mocking Bird Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page If Tom’s skin color were white he would have still been alive. That is why Harper Lee illustrates in the book that character should not be determined through race or social standing. Boo Radely plays a more mysterious role in the novel. Although he is yet another example of a character that is thought of more based on his social standing than his true character. Boo Radely only appears in the novel for a very brief amount of time, yet you learn a large amount about his character. This is a tactic that Harper Lee used to show how easily people can make an impression on someone based on social standings. For example, from continuously hearing different scary stories about Boo Radely without him being introduced, you begin to develop your own interpretation of his character. Yet your idea of his character dramatically changes when you come to find out that Boo saved Scout and Jem. You begin to realize that Boo is not a scary man but a very brave a courageous one for saving the children. This is a great example of creating a first impression of someone before you find his or her true character. Atticus Finch is a kind hearted and loving man who always stresses to do the right thing. For being such a caring character throughout the novel, Atticus gets treated with no respect. The reason for this is because Atticus is the lawyer for Tom Robinson. Being a time and age where African Americans were used as slaves and treated poorly, no one thought much of Atticus at the time. He was referred to as a â€Å"Nigger Lover â€Å"in the community. Scout, said Atticus, nigger-lover is just one of those terms that dont mean anything – like snot-nose. Its hard to explain – ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebodys favoring Negroes over and above themselves. (11. 107-109) Its slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody. What no one seemed to notice is that Atticus was only standing up for an innocent man. Everyone in the community knows what a good man Atticus is but his actions and social standing overthrew his character. The type of message Harper Lee is trying to illustrate is that, no matter how many good things you do to show your true character, may not be seen as good through the eyes of others. In conclusion, Harper Lee shows that character is not determined by race or social standing in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus, Boo Radely and Tom Robinson are proven to have a different â€Å"Character â€Å"than what people believe, based on their race and social standing.