To ¨walk in someone else’s shoes¨ before making judgement is shown throughout the novel of Harper Lee’s How to Kill a Mockingbird. This is shown many times throughout Scouts journey through the novel. Scout had judged people based on words heard from another mouth or a person's actions. But when Scout got to step into the misjudged persons shoes, she began to understand and change the way she viewed them and their situations. Atticus’ point to ¨walk in someone else’s shoes¨ before judging another person is seen through Scout and Ms. Caroline, Walter Cunningham, and Boo Radley revealing one cannot judge another without a step in there shoe. Scout reveals her misjudgement on Ms. Caroline in the beginning of the story. Ms. Caroline notices Walter Cunningham with no lunch and offers to buy him lunch but he refuses the offer because Cunninghams don't take anything they can't pay back. Scout informs Ms. Caroline about the situation and she gets upset with Scout and spanks her leaving Scout with a bad impression. Scout informs her dad about the situation and Atticus tells her,¨ “First of all,” he said, “if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-”... “-until you climb into his skin and walk …show more content…
Caroline's point of view, which made her realize that she had, ¨... learned many things today, and Miss Caroline had learned several things herself. She had learned not to hand something to a Cunningham, for one thing, but if Walter and I had put ourselves in her shoes we’d have seen it was an honest mistake on her part. We could not expect her to learn all Maycomb’s ways in one day, and we could not hold her responsible when she knew no better.¨ (30). This made Scout realize that Ms. Caroline wasn’t a bad person just not informed about the people in Maycomb County
Scout tried to explain this to her teacher, Miss Caroline, but got in trouble. Scout was so angry she rubbed Walter’s nose in dirt. Jem invited Walter over for dinner and Scout made a remark that made Calpurnia furious. She told Scout, “That boy’s yo’ comp’ny and if he wants to eat the table cloth you let him, you hear?” (32). Scout went on to say how just because he is a Cunningham he was not company. Calpurnia became even more furious and raised her voice and said, “Yo’ folks might be better’n the Cunninghams but it don’t count for nothin’ the way you’re disgracin’ ‘em” (33). This lesson was important because Scout learned just because you might be better than someone or have more does not mean you should act like it. Calpurnia gives the talks and is there for both children just like a real mother would be. Miss Maudie is another Maycomb citizen who is an important role model for Jem and
Many of the scouts learning experiences are in clearly insignificant scenes. Ultimately she must learn to respect the difference in behavior between vastly different people, especially when the behavior differs from the normal as radically as in the cases of Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose, and the Cunninghams. So early in the novel, Scout in the novel, Scout is faced with some confusing experiences at school, where she confronts a teacher who doesn’t understand why she can read and where she meets Walter Cunningham. Later, Atticus explains to her that to judge a person, you must try to see things from that person’s point of view. You must learn to walk around in his skin.
Before the statement, she liked to assume information and had little understanding of others. During her first day of school, Scout spoke to Miss Caroline and Scout stated,”Walter’s one of the Cunninghams” (26). She just assumed that Miss Caroline understood these things about Maycomb. However, after Atticus makes the statement about understanding from another’s point of view, Scout turns into a new woman. She even finds herself understanding Boo Radley when she recalled,”Atticus was right… just standing on the Radley porch was enough” (374). Scout has started to gain the quality of understanding people from their points of
Atticus helps scout with interacting and showing her how to socialize with others while getting to know them. Atticus tries to teach scout that not everyone is going to like her but, as Atticus states, "no matter what anybody says to you, don't let them get your goat", (Chapter 9 page 101). He explains how scout should not let what people say influence her to think otherwise about something. At the same time, Atticus explains how she neither can judge anyone either, as Atticus formally says, "you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view" [...] (chapter 3 page 39). Atticus wants scout to know and understand that it is wrong to judge or assume something about somebody if you don't know the accurate reason as to why they do what they do. Being the kind, respectful man Atticus is, he also wants to teach scout the right from wrong,
Scout first learns to show compassion and tolerance by refusing to go to school because she hates Miss Caroline. Atticus tells her that, 'First of all, if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along better with all kinds of folks. 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'; (30). When Atticus told her this, she began to accept Miss Caroline as well as other people's differences and opinions.
Atticus illustrates walking in someone else’s skin throughout the novel by seeing things from other people’s points of view when he confronts various dilemmas. As a parent, Atticus considers other people’s situation to assist him in teaching his children valuable lessons. Atticus explains, “Most of the time you were reading to her I doubt she heard a word you said. Her whole mind and body were concentrated on that alarm clock. If you hadn’t fallen into her hands, I’d have made you read to her anyways.” (Lee 111). He sees Mrs. Dubose’s side of the story and describes her courage, health state and consciousness. This assists Atticus in explaining to his children the importance of Jem reading to her. Secondly, Atticus stands in his audience's shoes to strengthen his argument. In his closing speech he states “She must put Tom Robinson away from her. Tom Robinson was her daily reminder of what she did...There is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has never looked upon woman without desire” (204). Atticus defends Tom by judging things from various perspectives. When Atticus sees the crime from Mayella’s eyes, he realizes that she is a victim of guilt and is ready to do anything to put Tom far from her. When Atticus takes in that everyone is a victim of desire and dishonesty it allows him to reinforce his closing remarks on Tom’s inn...
highlighted by the reader, often understanding events better than Scout herself. The first example of Scout moving from innocence to experience is in Chapter 2, when Scout unwillingly begins school. Her fellow pupil, a student. Walter Cunningham, refuses to borrow money from Miss Caroline. buy lunch, however Miss Caroline will not accept this refusal.
Her comment embarrasses Walter. Calpernia, the housekeeper, brings her into the kitchen and tells her that she should never comment on the ways of their guest's eating habits or otherwise. To drive home her point, Calpernia not only informs Scout of her mistake, she slaps her. & nbsp; Prior to these events happening, Scout had never known that it was improper to make fun of or judge a guest of the house. In her innocence, she had never before realized this behavior was inappropriate. The hit as well as the scolding have removed her innocence.
”We could not expect her to learn all of Maycomb's ways in one day, and we could not hold her responsible when she knew no better.”(Lee 40)After looking back on the day, Scout realizes that she should not have expected Miss Caroline to know everything about Maycomb, and what the last names of people meant. Furthermore, Scout failed to realize that Miss Caroline was just trying to do her
Later in the novel, readers see Scout has picked up this lesson when Cecil Jacobs talks bad about Atticus for the second time. Scout remembers her father telling her about the Tom Robinson case and how she, along with the rest of the Finches, are going to get a lot of negative attention in the months to come. This time, she decides to be accepting of the new change, and doesn’t fight him. She recalls the event saying “I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped my fists and walked away. (88)”
However, their lack of money was a result to Mr. Cunningham not wanting to accept assistance from anyone out of fear of causing them an inconvenience (Lee 20). Walter Cunningham is referred to as having hookworms and not having shoes (Lee 19). He is discussed between Scout and Miss Caroline when she realizes that he did not have a lunch and offers to loan him money (Lee 19,20). Scout explains, “‘The Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back-no church baskets no scrip stamps. They never took anything off of anybody, they get along on what they have. They don’t have much, but they get along on it’” (Lee 20). By this encounter, Scout hoped to educate Miss Caroline on the status of Walter’s family and states “‘That’s okay, ma’am, you’ll get to know all the country folks after a while” (Lee 20). Walter Cunningham, is also discussed between Scout and her Aunt Alexandra, later in the novel, after the encounter with him and Miss Caroline (Lee 223,224).Scout had hoped to defend Walter and is pleased with herself for the action she took (Lee 223). She thinks she should invite him to spend the night with them sometime, but quickly realizes that Aunt Alexandra has other views of the Cunninghams (Lee 223). Aunt Alexandra states, “‘But they’re not our kind of folks….you can scrub Walter Cunningham till he shines, you can put him in shoes and a new suit, but he’ll never be like
Miss. Caroline also upsets Scout on her first day of grade one about having the ability to read and write at the grade one level. Miss. Caroline tells Scout that her “father does not know how to teach” (17)
Atticus told Scout that you can never really know what someone is going through until you step into their shoes. Scout didn’t fully understand this lesson in the beginning, however, she finally understands
The Cunninghams are mistreated by part of the society in Maycomb. Aunt Alexandra, who mistreats them the most, is prejudiced toward the Cunninghams, she does not like them. She thinks that her reputation, and social status are going to be stained if Scout plays with Walter Jr.. Scout wants to invite Walter over, but Aunt Alexandra does not like Walter, she says that they are folks from different class. She thinks it is best if they do not see each other. She once talks to Scout about how different they are, "Because - he - is - trash, that's why you can't play with him.
As seen in To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout Finch experienced several struggles over the course of the novel. On Scout's first day of school, Miss Caroline is displeased that Scout knows how to read thoroughly, and she advises that Scout can no longer be taught how to read from her father. After Scout heard this news, she was emotionally crushed because she loved learning to read from her father. Scout implored her father on never returning to school. Atticus mentored Scout through the trial that she was facing, and once she faced the situation head-on she was able to defeat it.