The award winning novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, may appear to be a simple story about childhood and life in a Southern town in Alabama, but it is really a complex novel dealing with themes of education, moral courage, and tolerance. Through the eyes of Scout Finch, the narrator, Harper Lee teaches the reader about the importance of a moral education, bravery and courage, and prejudice vs. tolerance. The first theme Harper Lee exhibits in her novel is education. In the beginning of the novel, Scout accompanies her brother Jem to school. She has been looking forward to going to school since she was very young. Her first day was a disappointment when Jem tells Scout that they cannot play with each other at recess, and when Scout gets into trouble for educating her teacher about another student, Walter Cunningham. Walter Cunningham belongs to a family that doesn’t take others’ money for their benefit. Scout’s worst disappointment is when her teacher, Miss Caroline, tells Scout that Atticus had been teaching her to read the wrong way. Instead of rewarding Scout for her intelligence, she is forced to be ashamed. Scout tells her father that she will not go back to school, but he compromises with her and tells her if she goes to school, they will continue reading just as they always have. The good education Scout receives from Atticus is unlike anything she will ever learn at school. In addition to the theme of education, Lee explores the idea of bravery and courage. Scout, Jem, and their friend Dill tend to define bravery by the risks people are willing to take and accepting a dare is the truest test of one's bravery. Jem accepts the challenge to touch the dangerous, Arthur “Boo” Radley’s front door. Jem also views ... ... middle of paper ... ...wouldn't it?’"(Lee 276). She understands that like a mockingbird, Boo Radley had done harm to no one and didn't deserve the unfair attention of the town about his sanity. The other very important lesson Atticus teaches Scout is empathy. After Scout gets into trouble for making fun of Walter Cunningham for pouring syrup on his food, Atticus tells her she will get along a lot better in life if she learns to walk around in other people's shoes. This is a lesson that takes Scout some time to learn, but by the end of the novel it is clear that Scout learns empathy. Harper Lee's novel is a true classic because it teaches the reader about themes that are relevant even today: the importance education, courage, and the need to exhibit tolerance toward others. These are the life lessons that Scout learns as a child and the ones we as readers learn by reading the novel.
Harper Lee uses Scout’s young minded perspective and willingness or lack of to learn and observe people's lives. Scout first learns from Atticus that she needs to walk in other people's shoes to understand their decisions and attitudes. “Jem stayed moody and silent for a week. As Atticus had once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem's skin and walk around.”(Lee, 77). In this passage Scout tries to use the advice Atticus has given her. She ends up not bothering Jem, which in turn strengthens her trust in her father's advice.
Atticus, the father of Jem and Scout, was right when he said, ¨you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.¨ Scout realizes that Boo Radley is not who everyone rumors him out to be. Scout learns that you need to spend time with a person to find out who he truly is. She learns this after walking Boo Radley home after the disturbing experience the Finch kids had been in. Scout finally understood what life looked like from Boo Radley's perspective when she is standing with him on his front porch. Also, when Scout talks to Atticus at the end of the book he shows her how she has turned into a wonderful young lady. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee develops the theme that believing rumors will lead you to false assumptions unless you have walked in that person's shoes through imagery, characterization, and point of view.
One thing that Scout learns is not to believe that everything she hears as the truth. This is a very good lesson because if you did, you become very confused because people can rarely agree on how a story went. For instance, when Scout wants to know more about Boo Radley, Stephanie Crawford gets excited because she sees this as an opportunity to open her mouth and goes on to tell Jem that, " she woke up in the middle of the night and saw him looking straight through the window at her .... said that his head was a skull" (13.) Then Jem goes further into what he heard by saying, " he dined on raw squirrel and any cats he could catch" (13.) This shows how the town compensates not knowing things about others by making up stories. Also Scout sees lies getting passed off as truth when Atticus takes on Tom Robinson as a client. Mean things are spread about Atticus and his credibility is questioned. Since Scout has a short temper and ears that hear everything she is easily offended at the comments that are said, such as the comment made by Mrs. Dubose, " Your father father's no better than the ni**ers and trash he works for." This angers Scout and Jem very much. It also shows that the town isn't happy with the moral decision's that Atticus makes and feel the need to bash him in unfair ways. Scout learns that if she keeps listening to what is said, she would go insane from not hitting anyone.
To Kill A Mockingbird is a heroic tale of leadership and courage during racial times. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Atticus, To, Jem and Scout are unfortunately exposed to a really racist and prejudice society and town. Which ends up causing them to lose a case and really confuse Jem and Scout when they are young. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird it uses characterization to help show a theme which is loss of innocence when people are exposed to surprising and unfair situations.
Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird narrates the journey of Scout Finch from a feisty, close minded girl to a mature, selfless young lady. Scout is the daughter of Maycomb’s lawyer, Atticus Finch who defends Tom Robinson, an African American father and husband, who is strongly accused of rape. Through the eyes of Scout, Lee explores the themes of racial segregation, but most notably the question of what it means to be a hero. Heroism can take many forms, however for an action to be heroic it must serve others and cost the person something. In the novel, Atticus Finch shows true heroism when standing up against the racism in the town and stands up for Tom Robinson in court, or when he raises his children to become respectful and loving adults.
Throughout the novel Lee shows how Scout and Jem learn to respect everyone, to refrain from attacking others based on physical appearance, and to have the courage to set things right. As they gain experience, they will utilize these lessons to become more successful in the future and provide an example to everyone on how to understand other people and become a better person overall.
Harper Lee’s only book, To Kill a Mockingbird, is the stereotypical tale of childhood and innocence, yet it successfully incorporates mature themes, like the racism in the South at the time, to create a masterpiece of a work that has enraptured people’s minds and hearts for generations. According to esteemed novelist Wally Lamb, “It was the first time in my life that a book had sort of captured me. That was exciting; I didn’t realize that literature could do that” (111). Scout’s witty narration and brash actions make her the kind of heroine you can’t help but root for, and the events that take place in Maycomb County are small-scale versions of the dilemmas that face our world today. Mockingbird is a fantastically written novel that belongs on the shelves for classic literature that everyone should take the time to read and appreciate for their execution of style and the importance of their content.
Many students believe that Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird displays social issues in early America. In this time standing against common customs was unacceptable, a violation of society. People believe that today courage has overcome adversity that was displayed in early America. Courage is the common subject of To Kill a Mockingbird, which allows Lee’s novel to defy the changing times of humanity. These morals are bound to the “impartiality” and “fairness” taught to people as children, but become unavoidably invisible though selfish actions. The characters in To Kill a Mockingbird express audacity along with resilience in the face of cowardice.
The story takes place in a small, old town known as Maycomb which Atticus and his two children, Jem and Scout call home. They are a closely knit family that go through many ups and downs. Atticus is a very wise man who helps his children through difficult situations by giving them lessons. Often in life the important lessons a person learns are not learned at school but in the community they live and by the people who surround them. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird the two main characters Jem and Scout Finch learn a number of valuable lessons from their father Atticus and their neighbours that live in Maycomb. The importance of education is emphasized throughout To Kill a Mockingbird but the most valuable lessons are learned outside
Actions will always have a great impact on society whether they are morally right or wrong. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Lee uses unforgettable characters to explore Civil Rights and racism in the segregated southern United States of the 1930’s. The novel is told through the eyes of Scout Finch as she develops into a young woman. As she matures by learning from her father Atticus Finch, the actions of how racism are detrimental to society. Atticus defends the innocence of a black man who is accused of raping a young white woman. Another factor that helps her to mature is by the example of Boo Radley’s determination. Boo Radley who is a bizarre neighbor saves Scout and her brother, Jem, from being killed.
In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee told the story of two siblings, Jem and Scout, who went through a series of events that ultimately made them realize how serious being prejudice can be. The fictional book focused on a mysterious next door neighbor and a trial against an innocent black. Throughout the book, Scout learned many different things, including how to look at things from another perspective and the idea that prejudice and injustice exists. The three themes addressed in the novel were growing up, courage, and prejudice.
The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set in Alabama in the 1930s, and concerns itself primarily with the interrelated themes of prejudice and empathy. These themes are explored as the story follows Scout Finch as she learns lessons in empathy, ultimately rejecting prejudice. While all characters in Lee’s novel learn from their experiences, not all are able to grow in the same manner as Scout. The idea of a positive role model, typified by the character of Atticus Finch, and the ramifications of its absence, is a concept that Lee places much emphasis on. The isolated setting is also pivotal in the development of characters. Lee uses the contrast between characters that learn lessons in empathy and compassion, and characters that cling to the ideals of a small town, to explore factors that nurture or diminish prejudice.
Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is an astounding portrayal of Southern tradition and human dignity, a novel whose themes and lessons transcend time and place. The book is narrated by a young girl named Scout who matures over the course of the story from an innocent child to a morally conscience young adult. The cover of the novel displays a knot-holed tree containing a pocket watch and a ball of yarn, accompanied by the silhouette of a mockingbird soaring over the trees through a twilight sky. The portrait on the cover is an emblem that signifies the nature of Scout's maturation and the underlying themes presented by Harper Lee. Lee's signified themes, ethically rich and profoundly humane, epitomize traditional Southern mentality.
In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee Writes about the life lessons Atticus teaches Jem and Scout. Atticus teaches Jem and Scout Different life lessons in order for them to learn how to cope with different situations and problems. Atticus teaches his kids to treat others with respect, he also teaches his kids that having manners and being polite will go a long way. Atticus teaches his kids the importance of equality and by treating people equally you will be treated with respect.
“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” (Lee 30). Atticus Finch teaches his children to look at life and people in a different way, and he also practices what he preaches to his children. By focusing on the coexistence of good and evil, the importance of moral education, and the existence of social inequality one could argue to prove these points and how they form the themes of Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird.