Examples Of Sacrifice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Javier Jimenez
English 1
Mr.Sholtz
May 14, 2018
Community, Empathy, and Sacrifice are three important themes that run through to book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. These are all important elements in the story; but the main theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is coming of age, a moment of transition from childhood to adulthood. The community of Maycomb is a small, low class town where the people are trapped in their own heads and don’t consider expanding out of their mindset. People’s lack of empathy affects how one person feels towards another person. When a character does feel empathy, they become more likely to sacrifice things that represent them. Through out the story these three things help contrast Jem and Scout from the

rest of the town and change their mindset and mature mentally.
The community of Maycomb is a small town in Alabama during the great depression. Everyone in town knows everyone else and each others family history while not seeing what individuals go through. On page 26 Scout mentions that “The Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back...they get along with what they have.” Scout has to mention this to Miss Caroline, because she is an outsider and Scout wants her to learn about the kids and their lifestyles. The Maycomb lifestyle will affect how these characters develop, as they learn, change, and grow along with their peers. Certain characters such as Burris Ewell are seen as trouble makers, becuase “The Ewells had been the disgrace of Maycomb for 3 generations. None of them had done an honest day’s work.” This is seen as family who are determining who you are. For example, Atticus and his daughter Scout are seen as people who have high values. Once a community has an opinion about you, it is set and defines who you are, and it is almost impossible to change.
The town seems to have a negative feeling about the Radley’s who do not receive a bit of empathy from the people of Maycomb.

The people who lack empathy for the Radley’s are the kids such as Scout, Jem, and Dill. On page 16, Jem describes Boo Radley as a monster with yellow and rotten teeth, eyes that popped, drooling, blood stained hands, and having a long jagged scar across his face. They also dare each other to get as close as possible and make mean plays about the Radley family. When Miss Muadie’s house burns down Boo gives Scout a blanket and she sees that he is not a monster. Later when Atticus is defending Tom Robbinson the town seems to turn their backs on Atticus and his family, becuase he is defending a black man which is looked down upon in the town. Tom Robbinson is innocent, but because he is a black man the town views him as guilty anyway. When the town comes to a conclusion that he is guilty, Jem comes to the conclusion that the outside world is unfair, because he knows Tom Robinson is innocent. This is a good coming of age moment for Jem, because he develops empathy for Tom Robbinson and changes his mindset. Scout throughout the story is forced to develop empathy towards other people by her farther, Calpurnia, and Jem. In chapter 3, when she is beating up Walter Cunningham, she is forced to stop by her older brother Jem, who later invites him to dinner. Then later in the house, Scout was being rude to Walter for the way he ate. Calpurnia scolds Scout by

saying “There’s some folks who don’t eat like us, but you ain’t called on to contradict ‘em at the table when they don’t.” Later Atticus asks Scout to consider how much Calpurnia does for her. She is taught by her two parent figures to be more respectful and considerate for those who have less than her.
Atticus is seen as the alpha male and leader during the first half of the book.

He is the one everyone looks up to and can turn to in their time of need; he is well regarded and respected throughout the county. Later Atticus sacrifices his reputation to help an innocent man and everyone turns their back on him. On page 100, when Scout asks Atticus why he is defending Tom Robbinson, he responds by saying “If I didn’t, I couldn’t hold my head up in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again.” Atticus does this simply because it is his job and the right thing to do. As mentioned earlier, when the head of the family is labeled a certain way, the whole family is destined to have that label on their name. Atticus isn’t just sacrificing his own reputation, he is sacrificing his family’s reputation. Throughout the story Scout stubbornly defends the family and her father. As the trial moves forward Atticus tells her “You might here some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anyone says to you.” Scout is seen as the girl who throws punches first for the family, but she cannot do that anymore as told by Atticus and has to sacrifice her own reputation as well. At the end the family is going to be seen as outcast, for example, Francis says “We’ll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb again.” Thus the

Family’s reputation is ruined.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a story about a family that sacrifices their reputation because they have empathy for individuals in the community. Scout and Jem mature throughout the book because they learn from other people like Boo Radley, Atticus, and Calpurnia. They change their mindset about the people in the community, like Boo Radley and Tom Robbinson. Scout learns empathy by being around different people throughout the book. Jem sacrifices his childhood when forced to learn that the world is unfair. Scout and Jem both come of age when they finally learn why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.