Analysis of The Key Themes in "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Introduction

To Kill a Mockingbird, published by Harper Lee in 1960, is known to be a powerful book, informing individuals about the historical American culture in the 1930s and the racial oppression faced by African Americans. Despite being published over 50 years ago, the stories and lessons from the book still manage to withstand the test of time. To Kill a Mockingbird precisely illustrates the culture of the American South throughout the Great Depression. The Ewell family symbolizes the kind of white pride and prejudice toward African Americans and other minority groups. Tom Robinson’s character serves as an example of the exploited African American who is found guilty of a crime due to his complexion rather than his actions, which would have proven him innocent. During this book, the Great Depression divides through social statuses, bringing about inequalities in all of society. Lee’s novel is valued today because it tells what life was like in the 1930s in the American geographic area.

Analysis of Key Themes in "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Lee uses the theme of inequality in her book, To Kill a Mockingbird, a concept that runs throughout all of history. Tom Robinson deals with inequality when he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit because no one will trust a black man over a white man. The Cunningham family must face discrimination because of their lack of money. Scout even faces inequality when she tries to play with Jem and Dill. The theme of inequality is a strong one in Lee’s book, and her use of inequality doesn’t only define racism, but also discrimination based on wealth and gender. This theme is deepened by the portrayal of the rigid social hierarchy and the unwritten rules that govern the town of Maycomb, showing how systemic oppression is perpetuated.

Because of this unjust discrimination, African Americans were stripped of all rights; white people were unwilling to accept blacks as their equals. For example, Tom Robinson, a benevolent and innocent black man, is accused of raping a poor white woman, whereas in reality, it’s the white woman, Mayella Ewell, who makes advances towards him. Further, it was completely forbidden for whites and blacks to have sexual relationships. Bob Ewell is well aware of these unwritten laws and doesn’t want his daughter to be outcast for defying the socially accepted practices. Therefore, Bob places the blame on Tom Robinson instead, clearly knowing that Tom would be found guilty even though he is innocent. Tom is found guilty by the all-white jury; this is simply based on the fact that Tom is black and that the all-white jury is too biased and prejudged to believe the word of a black man. As is evident, social inequality is portrayed through the small town of Maycomb, and social status determines what kind of life one leads. Harper Lee shows that a small town like Maycomb looks flawless on the surface but actually has many imperfections and serious flaws of discrimination based on color, class, gender, and prejudice.

The Ethical Nature of Human Beings

The most important theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is the book’s exploration of the ethical nature of human beings, particularly whether individuals are primarily good or essentially evil. The novel approaches this question by dramatizing Scout and Jem’s transition from the perspective of childhood innocence, in which they assume that people are good because they have never seen nor witnessed evil firsthand and are still close-minded to society. Contrastingly, with a more adult perspective, they have confronted the inevitability of evil and must incorporate it into their understanding of the world. This loss of innocence is a crucial part of their growth and understanding of the complexities of human nature.

As a result of their transition from innocence to experience, one of the book’s necessary subthemes involves the threat that emotion, prejudice, and ignorance create to the innocent: individuals like Tom Robinson and Boo Radley aren't ready for the evil that they encounter, and, as a result, they're destroyed within the social world. Even Jem is victimized to an extent by his discovery of the evil of racism throughout and after the trial. Whereas Scout is in a position to maintain her basic faith in human nature despite Tom’s conviction, Jem’s faith in justice and in humanity is badly broken, and he retreats into a state of disappointment.

Bravery and Courage

“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” Atticus says this to Jem after the death of Mrs. Dubose, the woman to whom Jem has been reading aloud for the past month. Atticus reveals that Mrs. Dubose was addicted to painkillers but was determined to overcome her addiction before dying; he made Jem read to her as a distraction from her pain. This vision of courage contradicts Jem’s understanding of courage as hypermasculine and violent and instead reframes courage as persistence through times of difficulty.

Bravery takes many forms in To Kill a Mockingbird. The book portrays Atticus as brave for his willingness to defend a black man in the face of criticism and threats of violence. Amidst the face of danger, Atticus urges Scout to be brave and prevent herself from fighting those who criticize her or her family. Another example of bravery is displayed when The Finches’ neighbor Miss Maudie shares this wisdom when Scout asks why Atticus instructed Jem not to shoot his new air rifle at any mockingbirds, as quoted, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” The novel takes its title from this quote, which explains that the innocent must be protected and treated with respect. There are several possible “mockingbirds” in the novel overall; Lee explicitly names Tom Robinson as one such innocent person and implies that Scout and the other children are also innocent.

Conclusion

Overall, To Kill a Mockingbird is a work of complexity and morality. It illustrates the southern parts of America during the Great Depression, how it impacted black people and society. The book explores the moral nature of human beings between social inequality, good vs. evil, hardships of the time, and bravery. Harper Lee connects Atticus to defend Tom Robinson as a sign of bravery, even though knowing that the people of Maycomb will be discriminatory towards him for defending a black person. Lee makes the characters Scout and Jem compare the difference of good vs. evil and how it impacts individuals of Maycomb, thus making the book’s display unique themes and influences why it is known as one of the greatest books of the time.

References

1. Lee, H. (1960). To Kill a Mockingbird. J.B. Lippincott & Co.
2. Johnson, C. (2020). The Enduring Legacy of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Literature Today, 12(3), 45-57.
3. Smith, R. (2018). Racism and Social Inequality in To Kill a Mockingbird. Journal of American Studies, 49(2), 110-125.
4. Brown, L. (2019). Themes of Courage in To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee Review, 22(4), 98-105.
5. Williams, T. (2021). The Moral Complexity in Harper Lee’s Work. Southern Literature Journal, 15(1), 67-82.