To Kill a Mockingbird - Racism essays

To Kill a Mockingbird - Racism essays To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel rifle with references of racial prejudice and injustice. The South has never been a bastion for racial equality, and still can be seen by some to harbor the last vestiges of bigotry. Harper Lee does a great job demonstrating the effects of racial inequality, through the main characters reactions, and the overall outcome of the novel. The novel itself encompasses many of the feelings that were flying around during the time at which it was written. The first racist event that occurs in the book, is the incident that ensues at Calpurnias church. Calpurnia is a servant at the finch house, and is an African American. One Sunday when Atticus is not at home, Calpurnia has to decide what to do with the children. She does not wish to send them to church alone, because there was a mishap that occurred the last time the children went by themselves. After thinking about it, she decides to take Scout and Jem to the church she normally attends. When Calpurnia and the children arrive, a black member of the church gets irritated, and wants them to leave. Segregation at the time was normal, and the whites and blacks went to different churches. Scout and Jem, not wanting to cause any trouble, were ready to leave. Calpurnia, however, stands up for the children and as a result, the church comes to her aid. Reverend Sykes and other members of the black community accept the Finch children with open hands. This skirmish here shows that racism is not one sided. Many blacks hold a deep resentment for the white race at this time. When church is over Scout questions Calpurnia. She wants to know why Calpurnia does nigger-talk to her folks, when she knows its not right. At first Calpurnia contends that she is black, but Scout quickly brushes it off. After Calpurnia thinks for a little while, she claims it is not necessary to tell all she knows. She does not want to make her fellow blacks be...

7 Redundant Adjectives

7 Redundant Adjectives 7 Redundant Adjectives 7 Redundant Adjectives By Maeve Maddox Redundancies abound in everyday speech: phrases that say the same thing twice. For example, two of the most common expressions that include a redundant adjective are â€Å"free gift† and â€Å"closed fist†: Credit cards  offer free gifts  to new cardholders.   Still she came at me, so this time I  hit her with a closed fist. 1. free gift A gift is a thing given willingly to someone without payment. The adjective free is redundant. 2. closed fist A fist is by definition a hand with the fingers folded inward toward the palm and held there tightly, typically in order to strike a blow or grasp something. The adjective closed is redundant. 3. verdant green The adjective verdant derives from a Latin word meaning â€Å"green.† Verdant came into English from a French word meaning â€Å"becoming green.† The English meaning of verdant is â€Å"green† or â€Å"green with vegetation.† An enthusiastic fertilizer manufacturer advertises a product that will provide the consumer with â€Å"a verdant green lawn.† Either verdant or green will do. 4. rubicund red The adjective rubicund derives from a Latin verb meaning, â€Å"to be red.† Something that is rubicund is red or reddish. This description from fan fiction can do without one of the adjectives: â€Å"Drawing rivulets of blood, his fingertips glowed a rubicund red.† 5. overused clichà © The blogger who wrote this sentence could have saved an adjective: â€Å"The overused clichà © I hate the most is ‘off the beaten path.’† In reference to language, a clichà © is an overused expression. 6. unexpected surprise A surprise is an unexpected occurrence. The phrase is not uncommon on the Ngram Viewer, and is frequent online: An  unexpected surprise  greeted us upon our  arrival  home. Life is full of unexpected surprises. A foreigner in the dining hall was an  unexpected surprise. As â€Å"unexpectedness† is part of the definition, it’s enough to say that something is a surprise. 7. universal panacea Panacea derives from a Greek word meaning, â€Å"cure-all† and is defined in English as â€Å"a universal remedy.† Because panacea contains the meaning universal, it’s not necessary to tack universal onto it, as in this sentence written by a journalist: â€Å"When Henry Grady was inviting Northern capital South, we were much more certain that industrialization was the universal panacea for all economic and social ills.† Panacea is sufficient. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:35 Synonyms for â€Å"Look†Email EtiquetteTypes of Plots