Point Of View In To Kill A Mockingbird

Stepping Into Others Shoes It is often hard to look at things from other people's perspectives. This reality is made clear in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. In this novel, a young girl Scout and her brother Jem live in a small, close knit town located in the south called Maycomb. They both mature and realize the importance of understanding others views as the novel continues. Both Scout and Jem struggle to understand why everyone in the town is extremely racist. This is because they were taught that everyone is equal by their father, Atticus, who is one of the few people in the town who believes in equality. Through the experience with Mrs.Dubose, Boo Radley choosing to always stay in his house, and Atticus’s teachings about point of view, To Kill a Mockingbird presents the theme that people who understand others are more tolerable. The importance of understanding others points of view is shown clearly during Scout and Jems experience with Mrs. Dubose. For example, when Jem is forced to read to Mrs. Dubose he complains that she is an awful person. Atticus responds by telling Jem to try to understand Mrs.

An important time Atticus teaches Scout about understanding others is when he tells her “you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”(39). In this lesson, Atticus is telling Scout to think about what others perspectives are, and that that will help her be much more tolerable. Another way Atticus teaches Scout and Jem about perspective is when he recognizes that the Cunninghams got hit the hardest by the Great Depression. In this situation, Atticus thinks about how the Cunninghams must feel. This sets an example for both Jem and Scout who both have astronomical respect for