To Kill a Mockingbird Essays - Atticus Finch :: Kill Mockingbird essays

Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, Harper Lee's, To Kill a Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior, to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, and the struggle between blacks and whites. Atticus Finch, a lawyer and single parent in a small southern town in the 1930's, is appointed by the local judge to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accused of raping a white woman. Friends and neighbors object when Atticus puts up a strong and spirited defense on behalf of the accused black man. Atticus renounces violence but stands up for what he believes in. He decides to defend Tom Robinson because if he did not, he would not only lose the respect of his children and the townspeople, but himself as well. In addition to being a lawyer, Atticus enjoys being a father to Jem and Scout. When Jem and Scout found out that their father would be defending a black person, they knew immediately that there would be much controversy, humiliation from the people of Maycomb and great difficulty keeping Tom alive for the trial. It was not long when Atticus had to leave the house very late to go to jail, where Tom was kept because many white people wanted to kill him. Worrying about their father, Jem and Scout sneak out of the house to find him. A self-appointed lynch mob has gathered on the jail to take justice into their own hands. Scout decides to talk to Walter Cunningham, one of the members of the mob. She talks about how her father Atticus thought that "entailments are bad "(154 ) " and that his boy Walter is a real nice boy and tell him I said hey"(154). Upon hearing this, the mob realized that Atticus cannot be all bad if he has such a nice daughter as Scout. Atticus, with some unexpected he lp from his children, faces down the mob and cause them to break up the potential lynching of the man behind bars. Having gone to a black church earlier, the children found out that Tom is actually a kind person, church-going and a good husband and father to his children. The town of Maycomb in the 1930's was split into two sections, the white section and the black section. This was a time of racial segregation, where blacks were not permitted to go to the same schools as the whites.

Literature in the Trash Essay

Society has almost forgotten how to appreciate literature. These are the themes of both Mario Vargas Llosa’s essay entitled, Why Literature, and Bob Swift’s On Reading Trash. Both writers believe that people nowadays are not delving into books because of misconceptions regarding reading. However, they have written their ideas using very different and contradictory approaches. Llosa’s belief is that people are so engrossed in their own worlds or professions to provide time for reading good literature. Society has learned the wrong notion that great books can only be read by those who can afford to devote time to it. Since work is the priority in most people’s schedules, literature has to be put aside. He also believes that this miserable state of literature in society is caused by the fast development of science and the other scholarly aspects of life. Llosa states that â€Å"in our time, science and technology cannot play an integrating role, precisely because of the infinite richness of knowledge and the speed of its evolution, which have led to specialization and its obscurities.† However, Llosa strongly feels that literature is a binding force that helps humans reconnect with each other through their experiences, dreams and ambitions. He writes that â€Å"the brotherly link that literature establishes among human beings, compelling them to enter into dialogue and making them conscious of a common origin and a common goal, transcends all temporal barriers.† His most controversial claim is that â€Å"genuine literature is always subversive, unsubmissive, rebellious, a challenge to what exists.† He simply wants to imply that good stories or readings usually depict a life that is much better than what reality has to offer. This normal characteristic of literature is a driving force that makes humanity attempt to copy the fictional worlds in books so as to live better lives. Bob Swift’s very brief essay, on the other hand, recounts how he has grown to love reading. His story does not directly point out society’s weaknesses but it is evident to the reader that he is attacking the wrong notion that appreciating literature is only for those who like classical readings. He clearly believes that children should be free to read even popular books (a.k.a. â€Å"trash†) because their appreciation for these simpler to understand books can lead them to love good classical literature. Although both writers are criticizing society for not reading enough, Llosa and Swift have written their essays in very different ways. Llosa used lengthy, descriptive sentences that can easily tire and lose the reader. His use of words that are not commonly heard in daily living can really be very boring to a young reader. Words like â€Å"solipsism† and â€Å"arcane† are deterrents in getting his message across. It might have been easier to understand these words if they were not part of such long sentences that seem to be saying more than just one message at a time. Swift was direct to the point and frank in every way. His use of brief but very concise words allowed the reader to quickly pick up his point. The hardest word in his essay seemed to be â€Å"omnivorous.† However, because the word was used in a very short sentence, it was easy to understand what it meant. Llosa’s approach encompassed the whole world. He even used Spain’s surveys to prove his point. Swift’s farthest distance to get his message across was the local library. Somehow, Llosa’s essay tends to be arrogant and cynical. Statements like â€Å"I feel sorry for these men† and â€Å"they earn my pity† forces the reader to look up to him and feel his judgmental tones. His sentences such as â€Å"When we close the book and abandon literary fiction, we return to actual existence and compare it to the splendid land that we just left. What a disappointment awaits us!† gives a peek to how negative this writer is about his surroundings. Although Llosa claims he loves literature, he delved too much on the subject of what hinders good literature from being read to the point that the reader does not feel the passion in his words. The author’s perspective dwelt so much on current and historical problems that it was inevitable for the reader to feel anxious throughout the essay. It seems he has alienated himself from the world because of literature. Swift’s love for reading is very much felt in every paragraph of his essay. His personal approach and overflowing description of his excitement when he is reading books was contagious. One cannot help but reach out for a story to read after finishing his essay. Swift’s very practical and positive outlook is evident in the way he has written his essay. His own theory that states â€Å"if you get kids interested in reading books – no matter what sort – they will eventually go to the grander literature all by them selves† shows how down to earth the author is. It also shows how much faith he has on beginning readers. Mario Vargas Llosa and Bob Swift both recognized that society’s misconception about literature is a problem that needs to be addressed. Their approaches to the subject provide clues to their own outlooks in life. Whichever approach may be preferred, it is still to a reader’s advantage to learn his lesson from these authors and read a good book soon.

The Power of the Pen - 2028 Words

The Power of the Pen It is said that the pen is mightier than the sword. Throughout history many important leaders have demonstrated that the power of writing is stronger than the tyranny of man. These men were often incarcerated for fighting for what they believed in. Heroes like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela are a few of many who fought injustice or unfair living conditions and made a difference in the lives of their fellow men by speaking out through their writings. Jimmy Santiago Baca is also a man who has been able to change lives through his works. His short story, Coming Into Language, demonstrates the immense power of writing to give not only faith and hope, but purpose, to both an individual and an†¦show more content†¦It demonstrates that a man can not only endure, but becomes a better person, while in prison. We are taken on a journey deep into the writers scarred soul to witness how he survived the horrors of prison, solitary confinement, and the mental ward. We share the depths of torment and the hellish despair he suffers as well as the birth of faith and hope as he finds his footing as a poet. And in the end, we experience this joy as his love on language overcomes the miseries of a childhood marked by crime, cruelty and violence. (McCuen-Metherell, Winkler) Another great world leader who was unfairly incarcerated was also very much influenced by the life and writings of Mahatma Gandhi. Martin Luther King fought for his people in the United States shortly after Gandhi won independence for his own nation. Segregation, racism and Jim Crow laws created a life of injustice for people of color throughout the United States after the Civil War, but especially in the South. Martin Luther King struggled to create a better life for African Americans and drew inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi. He read several works by this great leader, including his autobiography, and believed in the non-violent ideals that it promoted. The impact they made on him is best described in his own words: As I read, I became deeply fascinated by hisShow MoreRelatedPen Versus the Sword (Peace Versus Violence) in World History: The Pen is Mightier!1415 Words   |  6 Pages The pen is mightier than the sword The pen influences your mind peacefully. Weapons do not. They tend to violate every path of human kind. The pen influences more people than the sword and has more impact on their lives. The power of the sword is negative destruction of life, and the sword has only caused problems during its reign of power. Early man relied on their muscle power. In fight the for existence, it was survival of the fittest. Gradually man became civilized and progressedRead MoreIs The Pen Mightier Than The Sword?959 Words   |  4 Pages Is the pen mightier than the sword? Yes, it is. 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