Like I've said in many previous blogs, there are so many incredible characters in To Kill a Mockingbird, though there are three characters that I absolutely love the most; Calpurnia, Scout, and Tom Robinson.
To begin, I truly admire Calpurnia. She is an African American woman, and even though most African Americans were discriminated against, she always seems to act proud and confident. Despite the color of her skin, she is a strong woman, who knows how to be polite and courteous at all times. Whether she's at Church, or simply working in the Finch household, she always conducts herself like a proper lady. She is very respected by all of the Finch's and most of the people in the neighborhood, even though she was of color. She is a very hard working lady, as she takes care of the cooking, cleaning, and well being of the Finch's home, and the Finch's themselves. She's always there when someone needs her. She was there when Atticus needed someone to help break the news to Helen Robinson that her husband died. She was there when Jem and Dill were excluding Scout, and she needed someone to talk to and hang out with, so she wasn't so lonely. Though most importantly, she is there to be a mother figure to Jem and Scout. It's very hard for children to live with only one parent, disciplining them, taking care of them, and teaching them. With Calpurnia there to be with the children, she can take care of them and be there for the children when their father can't be there, or in situations where only a woman can really be of assistance. She truly is a wonderful woman, despite her occasional tough love and slightly harsh discipline, and I truly admire her in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Another character that I admire and have found a love for, is Scout. Scout's very intelligent and aware. Even from a very young age, she could both read and write, something some people in their 30's still were unable to do at this time in History. As time progresses, she is able to understand situations better, and gain stronger insights on events. Her growth is incredible, as I don't think that by the time I was 8 or 9, I was able to put myself in other's shoes and imagine their feelings, something Scout finds herself being able to do around this age. Besides her intelligence and understanding, I also admire how she is subtly but surely able to make the transition from an immature Tomboy, to a Lady. She surely does not make this change overnight, as I don't think anyone could, but you can slowly see the change. She goes from being too outspoken constantly saying the wrong things at the wrong times, to being able to compose herself in a court case, and have tea with her Aunt and neighbors while having appropriate and lady like conversations. She really matures over the course of the book, and that's where we can see her greater understanding of life and people. As at one point, she was completely critical of Boo Radley, believing every rumor she heard about him. Though, towards the end of the novel, we see her able to see things from his point of view, and realizes that the rumors she heard may not be true after all. Scout is an amazing young girl, and is pretty inspirational in her growth in my opinion!
One last character that I really admire and find myself favoring, is Tom Robinson. Actually, I admire pretty much all African Americans during this time period! People of color were discriminated against, and we can obviously see this during the Trial of Tom Robinson, and how the African Americans are treated and spoken about in the book. Tom Robinson was accused of raping a White Woman, a crime that (once the trial was through) was clear that he didn't commit. Though, he was not found "Not Guilty" the case was appealed to a higher court. It amazes me though, how strong he was, even though he knew the cards were stacked against him. He knew he wasn't going to win the trial, because he was African American, but that didn't stop him from doing his best on the witness stand. He never cracked until the end, when he tried to escape, but he truly did put up the best fight he could. I couldn't imagine knowing that I didn't commit a crime, but being convicted of it anyways, knowing I wouldn't get out of the situation as "Not Guilty". I would be fearing for my life, I wouldn't be able to stay sane, I would be scared, and I wouldn't want to face anyone in court. Even if Tom was feeling any of these things, he really didn't show it! He conducted himself properly, didn't show anyone that he might be nervous or scared, and laid it all out. In the end, it didn't really pay off, as he was killed, but I will always think that he was the bravest, strongest, and frankly one of the most admirable characters in the Novel.So, those are some of the characters that I have found my self favoring and admiring in the Novel To Kill a Mockingbird.
No comments:
Post a Comment