There are various issues and themes presented in the novel "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee and "The Rabbits" by John Marsden and illustrated by Shaun Tan. These themes are being smoothly conveyed through the use of different language techniques including complex metaphors, similes, hyperboles, imagery, personification and symbolism. Among the main themes used in the novels are courage, prejudice, hypocrisy, justice, education, social inequality, poverty and perspective."Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square. Somehow it was hotter then: a ...view middle of the document...
Other significant characters include Boo Radley; a mysterious recluse who had captured the imagination and curiosity of jem, Scout and Dill, Tom Robinson; the gentle, crippled black man who stands falsely accused of the rape of Mayella Ewell, Calpurnia; caring house keeper of the Finches, Aunt Alexandria; Atticus' sister who is very strict and prejudice, Bob Ewell; Mayella's father and an terrible, ignorant man who belongs to the lowest point of Maycomb society and Mrs. Dubose; a very old, sick, morphine addicted lady who is generally very mean and unkind to Jem, Scout and Dill.In the 1930s, when the novel is set, commonly, people had very racist views and the whole town of Maycomb (excluding Atticus) was prejudice against Black people. In the court case, Tom is asked why he helped Mayella for not a penny in return and he replied, "I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more'n the rest of 'em-' which was a grave mistake on Tom's part as a 'Black' man feeling sorry for a 'White' girl was a total outrage in the prejudice town of Maycomb. Tom Robinson is wrongly accused, and loses his life due to the racism of the community. Even though it is obvious, to every person in the jury, that Robinson could not have committed the crime, and that he is an upright and religious churchgoing man, he is still accused of rape, and jailed. This shows that the Maycomb community have only one set of mind, which is white man over a black man no matter what the case. This is how they have been taught and have been teaching their younger generations to think, it could take many, many generations before this belief is abolished.Courage or bravery takes many forms in TKAM. Atticus is brave to defend a black man in the face of criticism and threats of violence. Atticus urges Scout to be brave and prevent herself from fighting those who criticize her or her family;" You're gonna hear some ugly talk about this in school. But I want you to promise me one thing: That you won't get into fights over it, no matter what they say to you." Atticus holds up Mrs. Dubose as the ultimate definition of bravery, as she finds against her morphine addiction in order to be free from it before she dies, even when she knows she will die in the process, "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.".Bob Ewell represents the greatest cowardice, as he both lies in the courtroom to protect himself and resorts to attacking children in the darkness in order to make himself feel more of a man.When scout first starts school she already knows how to read due to the teachings of Atticus and Calpurnia but Scouts school teacher believes that she shouldn't know how to read and write as it is not taught in school until later, "Your father does not know how to teach. You can have a seat now". This is the first clear conflict between institutionalized education and education in the home. Also perspective plays an important role in...
