TrumanCapoteHarper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is considered a classic text because it is based on the meaning of a mockingbird, the idea of growing up, and the theme of prejudice and racism which still is a problem today. George Orwell’s Animal Farm is considered a classic text because it holds historical importance and shows how easily humans can be corrupted by power. The story of To Kill a Mockingbird is set in Alabama, a town in Maycomb, during the Great Depression. The story is told in the eyes of Scout Finch, a six year old child (eight years old at the end of the novel), who represents innocence in the novel.
The title To Kill a Mockingbird carries a metaphorical meaning. The ‘mockingbird’ represents the idea of innocence. The quote “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but . . . sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. ” (said by Miss Maudie to Scout) explains how mockingbirds come to represent innocence. Thus, To Kill a Mockingbird is to destroy innocence. Scout grows up and experiences different things about the harsh nature of humans. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…
until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it” is a quote that Atticus (Scout’s father) says to Scout. She struggles, with varying degrees of success, to put Atticus’s advice into practice and to live with sympathy and understanding toward others. At the end of the novel, she succeeds in comprehending Boo Radley’s perspective of things. The theme of prejudice and racism is present during the court case of Tom Robinson’s accused rape on Mayella Ewell. “The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place.
It has relied instead upon the testimony of two witnesses whose evidence has not only been called into serious question on cross-examination, but has been flatly contradicted by the defendant. The defendant is not guilty, but somebody in this courtroom is. ” At the end of the court case, Atticus proves that Tom Robinson (a black man) isn’t guilty, but someone in the courtroom is. Despite his strong closing argument, the jury found Tom Robinson guilty because of his race. The story of Animal Farm is set in countryside England on a farm called Manor Farm, which is owned by Mr and Mrs Jones.
The story is based on the history of the Russian Revolution. At the beginning of the novel Old Major (a prize-winning boar) gathers all the animals of Manor Farm for a meeting in the barn. He tells the animals of a dream where all animals live together with no humans to control them. He tells the animals to work hard for such a paradise and teaches them a song called “Beasts of England”. Three younger pigs (Snowball, Napoleon and Squealer) formulate his main principles into a philosophy called Animalism. Animalism represents communism in the real world, where everyone is equal.
The seven commandments of Animalism are written on the side of the barn after driving out the human owners of the farm and rename the farm to ‘Animal Farm’. Snowball, Napoleon and Squealer take up the position of leader and after the Battle of Cowshed, Napoleon and Snowball begin to quibble over the future of the farm and start to struggle with each other for power and for influence among the other animals. Napoleon overpowers Snowball with nine attack dogs and drives him out of the farm and says that the pigs will make all the decisions, whether the other animals like it or not.
From here, Napoleon falls to corruption like many other communist countries in the real world. Over the passing years on Animal Farm the pigs become more like the humans and eventually the seven commandments are reduced to one, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. ” Napoleon also changes the name of the farm back to Manor Farm, saying that this is the correct name and a loop of the story begins. Another revolution will take place and overthrow the current system and eventually become corrupt.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is considered a classic text because it bases and presents its plot around innocence, growing up and the theme of prejudice and racism which are still relevant in today’s society. George Orwell’s Animal Farm is considered a classic text because of its historical importance and shows how easily humans can be corrupted by power. Both these novels are considered classic texts because the problems that these novels address in the past are still present today.
