“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (Chapter 3 TKAM). This essential piece of advice from Atticus guides Scout through the her journey of growing up and helps her develop an enriched sense of self, she understands that not everyone around her is the same. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee portrays children all being raised in the same small town while having completely different backgrounds and morals. Harper Lee’s book illustrates how the varying aspects of a child's life affects their behavior and outlook on life. Surroundings, Family, and financial status all play a big role in how the children were prepared to be active, responsible, …show more content…
For example, the Ewells were the disgraceful burden of Maycomb for 3 whole generations and haven’t improved their family’s social status. When Scout asks why she can’t play with little Walter her aunt, Alexandra, says, “The thing is, you can scrub Walter Cunningham till he shines, you can put him in shoes and a new suit, but he’ll never be like Jem.” (Chapter 23 TKAM). This sad, but honest quote explains that the Cunninghams are not like the Finches and never will be. Alexandra elucidates that it is not just a matter of what Walter wears or how clean his face looks, it is a matter of the simple fact that he is a Cunningham. Another unpopular family is the Ewells. Bob Ewell is drunk most of the time and doesn’t take care of his children at all, he beats them and isn’t usually home. There are 8 Ewell children and that causes them to get even less attention. Scout and Jem get a lot of attention from many people like Atticus, Alexandra and Calpurnia. Atticus reads to his children, teaches them about equality along with other rights, makes sure they are cared for, and tucks them in every night. Both of these families are missing a mother therefore the only figures the kids could look up to were their fathers. Scout and Jem are just fortunate to have Atticus as their father. Children who feel neglected by their family are permanently damaged and children who are raised with care get an
As children grow up, they open their eyes to the harsh truths in the world around them that they once did not understand or question. This is experienced by the main characters of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The story is of a girl called Scout and her older brother, Jem, who go through the trials of growing up in the fictional small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. Racism is rampant in the mindset of the townspeople, shown when the children’s lawyer father, Atticus, takes the case of an obviously innocent African-American man and they convict him in their hearts before the trial even starts. Through this all, we can see the theme of loss of innocence in the children. Lee uses characterization to portray
“You never really understand a person until you consider thing from his point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”(Lee, 39) This quote by one of Harper Lee’s characters, Atticus, in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird relates to Jean Louise “Scout” Finch growing up in a prejudice town because you can not judge someone from their looks and background. Scout lives in a prejudice town called Maycomb County, Alabama. She faces many difficult challenges throughout her life. Scout Finch And her brother, Jeremy “Jem” Atticus Finch, the kids of a lawyer, Atticus Finch, stick together through their many inconvenient problems. Scout’s ideals grow and change as they learn more about others and the
Most people behave different due to their surroundings and their family. This is because one begins to develop based on who one talks to and where one lives. That person will develop their peer’s behaviors and attitudes due to influences of others. In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, the main character has changed a lot and has lost her innocence after the beginning. In the book, Scout’s learning has been affected throughout the journey because of Atticus, Boo Radley, and Bob Ewell.
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." A quote by Atticus Finch a loving single father of two children in a novel by Harper Lee. The story takes place during the 1930s and the Great Depression, in a small (made-up) town called Maycomb Alabama. Scout now an adult is narrating what she experienced and felt in ages 6-9. She gives details of her family, school, and just everything she goes through. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, she also talks about her brother Jem, who starts as a careless young boy that slowly starts getting more mature. Jem changing throughout the story helps show a little bit more of how the story develops and why character development is important in making a good novel.
When real life problems are seen from the perspective of a child, they often change the child in dramatic ways. Such is the case in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, a story narrated by a young girl living in Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. The young girl, Scout, lives with her brother and father, a lawyer who is defending a black man accused of raping a woman from town. In the beginning of the story Scout spends her time playing silly games around the house and yard with her brother Jem and neighbor Dill. As she becomes more aware of the social bias and racial tensions that are building in the small town, Scout and her world begin to change. Although Scout may not fully understand the ins and outs of the real world, she
Both To Kill A Mockingbird and the KKK can be related in several different ways. In this story it is represented greatly, and is clearly shown. Although throughout the story the racism kinda starts to fade away with most people besides the southern white men.
The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is based on the experiences of one girl, Scout, growing up in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. The novel explains some conflicts in Scout’s life. Scout, the main character, learns that things are not always morally correct and is confronted with the reality of prejudice and stereotyping. Scout struggles with understanding the prejudice and stereotyping she witnesses. Atticus Finch, Scout's father, "with his strongly held convictions, wisdom, and empathy, Atticus functions as the novel's moral backbone." (2). Atticus tries to raise his children to be fair and nonjudgmental. It is through the lessons of Atticus and Scout's experiences with discrimination that the reader sees
In the book To Kill A Mockingbird the idea of the mockingbird reoccurs throughout the story. The mockingbird symbol plays an important role in the book and has multiple underlying meanings and connection in the book. The title of the book does not connect to what happens in the book as much as the actual mockingbird itself and what it stands for. The mockingbird os extremely symbolic to the story and plays an important role in having a better understanding to the book.
Unexpected and uncontrollable events have a way of creeping into people’s lives and causing a wave of emotions that will affect the way a person lives the rest of their life. In her award-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee address issues by looking at them through the eyes of a child. The story follows six-year-old Scout Finch as she grows up in Maycomb, Alabama during the great depression. Harper Lee writes for several events throughout the book test Scouts morals in order to call attention to how interactions shape a person. By learning from others, Scout grows to understand the intricacies of the human relationship.
Both children faced trials and difficult criticism from the people in their hometown due to their father’s occupation as a lawyer. Scout and Jem, luckily, had a great support system that taught them life lessons and virtues of the world while they were young. They learned lessons about life from Atticus; each other; their cook, Calpurnia; neighbors, such as Mrs. Maudie Atkinson and Mrs. Dubose; Aunt Alexandra; Tom Robinson; and of course, Boo Radley. Shaffer’s commentary also focuses on the morals taught throughout Harper Lee’s book. Atticus teaches his children to walk in someone else’s shoes before you judge them.
Growing up is a natural part of life that comes with its own accomplishments and adversities, that can define who we are as people. This bildungsroman genre helps authors to portray their characters in such a way that allows the reader to feel their psychological and moral growth throughout their journey. Harper Lee uses Scout as the protagonist in To Kill A Mockingbird to portray her coming of age story within the most important three years of her life. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout goes through her own unique process of maturation due to the guidance and mentorship from Atticus, the expectations the society of Maycomb has for her, and the gradual loss of her childhood innocence. Scouts father, Atticus,
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is about two children, Jem and Scout, and their relationships with their father, Atticus. The children raise themselves growing up, many people would say they were irresponsible, but they are both appear to be intelligent individuals. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird the novel demonstrates a rigid class structure and social stratification in the County of Maycomb. People should not be judged by their social class, they should be judged on their personality.
Children sit in school for eight hours a day for at least twelve years in their lives, learning how to read and multiply. However, children learn the most important lessons in life outside of the classroom walls. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout and Jem discover powerful lessons about life through their father, Atticus, community and experiences. They view an unjust trial of a black man against a white woman, and find that the world is cruel and that they must treat all people with respect. They judged and bothered their neighbor Boo Radley, but he later saves the two of them. Through this, Scout understands not to make assumptions about people until she gets to know them. Also, through Scout’s experiences in school, she finds that
Harper Lee, when asked about her award-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird (TKAM) described it as “A love story, plain and simple.” Many people may interpret love as these ancient Greek notions; Pragma- longstanding love, Ludus- playful love, or even Eros- the love for sexual desire. Agape is another ancient Greek notion meaning the love of God for man and of man for God, and one must understand Agape to understand why TKAM is a love story. In the article by Maria Popova “An Experiment in Love: Martin Luther King, Jr. on the Six Pillars of Nonviolent Resistance and the Ancient Greek Notion of ‘Agape’”, Martin Luther King Jr.(Dr. King) examines the six essential principles of his philosophy of nonviolence, debunking the misunderstandings, and how these six pillars can be used to help the movement of nonviolent resistance in the form of Agape. These six pillars associate and demonstrate that To Kill a Mockingbird is indeed a true love story.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird particularizes the life of the relationship between a motherless brother and sister, Jem and Scout, and their level-headed father, Atticus, who decides to answer any question that their children may have, with ease. Scout Finch, having been a girl, has many masculine influences, which therefore motivate her to dress like a boy and be fascinated with being tough, guns, and adventure. Although improper, Scout’s upbringing shows her how good and evil continuously clash within her society. Through the entirety of the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee reveals how an immature tomboy can grow into a pure hearted young woman, who can tell her superiors about the difference from right and wrong, and who knows how to properly deal with the different kinds of people she will encounter later in life.