FREEDOM OF SPEECH. I'm not
sure there are many examples in the novel of a person's freedom of speech being denied.
Certainly, Jem and Scout knew to hold their tongues in some instances, such as when they
were being scolded by Atticus, Calpurnia or their Aunt Alexandra. Examples of speech
being freely expressed are frequent.
- B. B.
Underwood's editorial in the local paper compared Tom's death with the "senseless
slaughter of songbirds." - Atticus begs the jury to
overlook their racial prejudice and judge Tom fairly. - Bob
Ewell is allowed to tell his side of the story in the courtroom, even though it is
inflammatory and it is apparent that he is
lying.
FREEDOM OF
WORSHIP. Likewise, I don't recall any examples of the denial of free
worship. Although it is almost certain that Maycomb's Negroes would not have been
welcome in the town's all-white churches, the narrator never mentions this in the
novel.
- When Jem and Scout joined Cal at the
First Purchase Church, they were confronted by Lula, who objected to the white children
attending their church. - Boo's parents were known to be
highly religious, but they chose to worship within the walls of their own
house. - Miss Gates points out the injustices that
Germany's Jewish population felt under Adolf
Hitler.
FREEDOM FROM
WANT. Several examples arise during Scout's first day at
school.
- Walter Cunningham Jr. has no lunch or
lunch money, nor can he pay back the money offered by Miss Caroline. Feeling sorry for
him, Jem invites Walter to eat lunch at the Finch
house. - Burris Ewell comes to school filthy and
lice-ridden. He announces that he won't be back, signifying his father's total disregard
for his children's welfare and education. - It can be
argued that Boo Radley is forced by his family to remain inside their home, where he has
no friends or other human contact. Even when Boo attempts to make friends with Jem and
Scout via the secret knothole, Boo's brother cements the tree, effectively ending their
relationship.
FREEDOM FROM
FEAR.
- Bob Ewell's ability to roam
the town at will obviously worried Aunt Alexandra, though Atticus tried to downplay the
depths of Bob's revenge. - School children feared Boo
Radley, but Boo may have also feared others who misunderstood
him. - Atticus feared that there would be an attempt to
take Tom from the jail, and both he and Tom were lucky that the lynch mob left
empty-handed.
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