Examples Of Hypocrisy In To Kill A Mockingbird - 822 Words

In life people learn mostly from experience, even if they experience something through another means. Over this past summer I had the privilege of reading the award winning book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. At first glance, the novel just reinforced one of my basic morals: racism is wrong. Upon a closer look I picked up on some more subtle themes that Lee expressed in her novel. One of the underlying themes made me think about a belief I had come to believe for many years: hypocrisy is wrong. The characterization Lee used in To Kill a Mockingbird taught me that although hypocrisy is wrong, it is beneficial because it destroys innocence which is necessary for change. The hypocrisy that was obvious to me at first was when Aunt†¦show more content†¦If Aunt Alexandra had kept her innocence she wouldn’t have been able to change. So while I still think hypocrisy is wrong, I do believe it can be beneficial. Even though this situation stuck out to me as being hypocr itical, a different situation stuck out to Scout. At school, Scouts teacher made some comments regarding Hitler, which made Scout see the hypocrisy that was widely spread throughout Maycomb. After some thought, Scout addressed Jem saying, Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad an then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home (Lee 283). In third grade, Scout is able to see that people are blind to their hypocrisy. They are easily able to look outward and criticize others for their behavior but yet are too blind to realize that they do the same thing. Jems response to this question was rage, which showed Scout that people do not like to be called out on their hypocrisy. It was not right for Scouts teacher or anyone in Maycomb to judge Hitler for persecuting good people when they persecute good people themselves. As a result of this, Scout learns that people are extremely hypocritical which helps to take away her innocent thought that the world is a fair and just place. Now that she can see this more clearly, she can make an effort to call people out on their hypocrisy so they put a stop to it. Looking back on this I am able to see a beneficial side to the teachers hypocrisy. It taughtShow MoreRelatedExamples Of Hypocrisy In To Kill A Mockingbird1782 Words   |  8 PagesAn award winning novel, To Kill A Mockingbird was brilliantly written by author Harper Lee, intertwining multiple themes to create a classic piece of American literature to represent white southern ethics of the 1930s. A common theme throughout the novel, hypocrisy is a method for Harper Lee to communicate an underlying message to readers. Hypocrisy reflects how societies, communities and the church benefits from it as a means for being ignorant of oneself’s wrongdoings and sins, placing blame elsewhereRead MoreEvil and Injustice in Harper Lee ´s Novel:To Kill a Mockingbird 639 Words   |  3 Pagesprejudicing. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, these themes are pr esent. People and how they commit evil, hypocritical, and unjust acts. We see these themes and great issues through the point of view of a child; the vigorous, youthful, elementary-aged Scout. Through this character Harper Lee shows the innocence of children, and what they go through in our inequitable world. The first major theme in To Kill a Mockingbird is evil in society. The mostRead MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird: Irony and Sarcasm1440 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird is a highly regarded work of American fiction. The story of the novel teaches us many lessons that should last any reader for a lifetime. The messages that Harper Lee relays to the reader are exemplified throughout the book using various methods. One of the most important and significant methods was the use of symbols such as the mockingbird image. Another important method was showing the view through a growing childs (Scout Finch) mind, eyes, ears, and mouth.Read MoreTo Kill a Mocking Bird Hypocrisy Paper800 Words   |  4 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird Term Paper Imagine having your life completely destroyed by a fraudulent charge just because of the color of your skin. There are many examples of hypocrisy in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Some of the most glaring examples of hypocrisy come from three female characters: Mrs. Dubose, Mrs. Merriweather, and Mrs. Gates. Each character said a hypocritical statement in this novel. 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Rarely is such racism binded withRead MoreRacial Discrimination During The Second World War1443 Words   |  6 Pagesmoods of domestic communities, including outside influences, social prejudice, and economic discrimination in both America and Europe. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the young narrator named Scout witnesses racial tensions in the glacial-paced town of Maycomb shake up the community, and create grand-scale cracks in the ground contrasting opinions and revealing hypocrisies hidden underneath as a certain court date inches cl oser. This legal case takes an alleged rape incident, applying racial undertones andRead More The Hypocrisy of Humanity Depicted in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird1311 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, has many stories from Scouts’ little town in Alabama that teaches the reader the good and bad sides of the human being. When all these come together, the result is this fantastic novel. One of the stories that stand out is the one when Mrs. Gates and Cecil Jacobs have a conversation in the classroom. They talk about Adolph Hitler and the malicious things he did to the Jewish people. Mrs. Gates tries to tell her students that what he did was wrong in a very firmRead MoreThe English Assessment Task For Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1360 Words   |  6 PagesEnglish Assessment Task 1 - ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ Essay â€Å"Whether Maycomb knows it or not, we’re paying him the highest tribute we can pay a man. We trust him to do right.† To what extent are life values and lessons reflected throughout the novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’? The great degree that Harper Lee reflects life values and lessons throughout ’To Kill A Mockingbird’ is elucidated through the teachings of the main adult protagonist, Atticus Finch. Over three summers, Atticus guides his children