A Mockingbird, By Harper Lee - 5251 Words

Zwierschke 1 Alicia Zwierschke Mrs. Reade ENG2D4 19 May 2015 Man’s Inhumanity to Man in â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† A mockingbird is a harmless bird that makes the world a more pleasant place. In â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird†, by Harper Lee, the mockingbird symbolizes Boo Radley and Tom Robinson/ They were both more than peaceful people who never did harm, until a man’s inhumanity hurt them or ruined their life. This novel exposes the inhumanity through various scenario’s throughout the telling of Scout’s story. Lee’s prize-winning novel has remained quite popular since its publication in 1960. Recalling her experiences as a six year old girl from an adult perspective, Jean Louise Finch, nicknamed â€Å"Scout†, describes the circumstances involving her†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† examines the very central theme of man’s inhumanity to man. The many types of inhumanity, whether it is intentional or not, is seen throughout the novel in its many fo rms. It is shown through the ignorance and prejudice of the people in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. Most examples of inhumanity found in the novel are not as innocent as Scout and Jem’s actions. It is evident that racism of all kinds affects the everyday lives of many people. Although this novel may be fictional, the conflicts are as real and valid in the world of Scout and Jem Finch as they are in reality today. The reader witnesses Bob Ewell’s inhumanity towards his daughter, and pretty much everyone he comes in contact with, the inhumanity shown by the Radley’s as well as the other Maycomb citizens towards Boo Radley and lastly, the inhumanity shown by the white people in Maycomb towards the Blacks. In â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird†, there are many examples of Bob Ewell being inhumane, as well as imprudent. Bob is the current head of the family that has been the â€Å"disgrace of Maycomb for three generations.† (Lee 30) Considered human tra sh by the Maycomb community, the Ewell s live in a shack of a cabin, out by the county dump. Bob Ewell has no ambition to improve his life or the lives of his eight motherless children. Instead, he spends his welfare cheques on whiskey, and the local landowners disregard his out of season hunting activities out of pity for his