More handpicked essays just for you.
To kill a mockingbird scene analysis
To kill a mockingbird analysis essay
Literary analysis to kill a mockingbird
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
“Atticus, he was real nice. Most people are Scout when you finally see them.” - To Kill A Mockingbird. In this essay, the key concept that will be discussed is the significance a wise character can have on someone. This will be shown by using the subjects of a well-known novel to display how one becomes characterized as being wise, and how that person affects the people around them. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, author Harper Lee portrays the idea that to be wise you must recognize people beyond their masks. This is shown through the character Atticus Finch, and how he interacts with his children and the rest of Maycomb. Atticus Finch is an older single father to Scout and Jem Finch and is a well-known and respected person in the town of Maycomb. He is respected for the reason that he is wise. Atticus is portrayed as a wise character as a result of how he observes people. As he voiced in the novel, you don't know someone until you hop into their skin and walk around in it, and that is exactly what he succeeds in. An example of this is with Mrs. Dubose. She is a mean elderly women who is cruel to Scout and Jem, but nonetheless Atticus is always compassionate to her. For reason that he knows she is a morphine addict and as a result of her being an addict she is also going to die soon. …show more content…
Throughout the book, we witness character growth in both the children, but mainly Jem. As the book progresses, Jem becomes increasingly like his father in every chapter. An example of this is the impact that the Tom Robinson trials had on Jem. All throughout the trials Atticus was teaching his children the way of not judging people by being Tom’s lawyer. After the trials, Jem became open to different experiences and people relating to the coloured folks of Maycomb. He also defended the innocent. An example of his defending the innocent is when he stopped Scout from killing a bug that did not harm
Atticus Finch is a very essential character in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. He is not only the father on Jem and Scout, but he is also defending Tom Robinson. Along with all of the obstacles and challenges that Atticus faces he is still an exceptional role model for the children. He also overcomes the diversity of Negroes and whites that is displayed during his time by standing up and fighting for Tom Robinson and his triumph in court against Bob Ewell. Lee presents Atticus Finch as understanding of Tom Robinson, caring with the children, and calm throughout the Tom Robinson trial.
...s will pass on these ideas to children and family. Even so, compassion emitted from Atticus towards his children are able to shield them from the disease and make them much like Atticus, someone who would see it like it is rather than be blindfolded by the pre-conceived ideas. Wisdom and life experience also are shown as very desirable traits to have as they can motivate you through the toughest tasks and drive you to do what should be done instead of abandon your duties. In conclusion, Harper Lee’s book To Kill a Mockingbird highlights the horrible prejudice and ignorance towards black people in the southern town of Maycomb, but also shows wisdom and compassion as not only desirable but necessary traits to have to withstand the bombardment of pre-conceived ideas from the people surrounding you, and also portrays these qualities as a shield to people around you.
Jem shows that he is growing up in many different ways. For example, he shows this when he goes back to the Radley house to retrieve his pants. “Atticus ain’t ever whipped me since I can remember. I wanta keep it that way.” (Jem 75) The fact that Jem went back to get his pants was a brave decision. This quote shows that he is maturing because he didn’t want Atticus to whip him, but not because he was afraid, because he didn’t want Atticus to go through the pain of having to whip his child. A quote that describes Jem at the moment is "We have not passed that subtle line between childhood and adulthood until we move from the passive voice to the active voice--that is, until we have stopped saying 'It got lost,' and say, 'I lost it.'"(Sydney J. Harris). In addition to Jem’s developing characteristics, he acquired a load of wisdom. Jem shows a loss of innocence, after his perfect view of the world is shattered right in front of his eyes. For example, “I always thought Maycomb folks were the best folks in the world, at least that’s what they seemed like.”(Jem 288) This is important because Jem realizes that Maycomb folks aren’t that great. This also shows that he saw the prejudice in the people, and how racist they were to African Americans. As Jem matures and starts developing a new eye for the world, he slowly starts to lose his childhood innocence and is exposed to the wrong doings of the
Throughout the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch demonstrates himself as an honest lawyer, a loving father, and a symbol of righteousness through his beliefs that he instills in his children. Atticus Finch values empathy, respect, and bravery, and he proves himself as a moral compass by teaching both Jem and Scout these values in the form of life lessons.
Atticus Finch is a lawyer and father of two children whose names are Jem and Scout. In the novel, Atticus chooses to defend a black man named Tom Robinson who is accused of raping a white woman, even though most of Maycomb is against Tom Robinson due to its racist time setting. He understood that racism was inhumane and innocent people must be defended no matter what race they are. Atticus holds his ground and tries his best to defend Tom Robinson in court, despite the community being against him. Atticus even reminds his children to steadfast during this time of challenge regardless of what other people tell them.
Atticus Finch is a lawyer in the town of Maycomb In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, he is a father of two children, Jem and Scout Finch. He is a man of wise character and considerate soul. He knows his morals and tries to help his children grow up to be successful and happy. Throughout the novel, Atticus acts justly, loves tenderly, and walks humbly by the way he perceives the people in his life, how he succeeds in his job and treats his family.
Atticus Finch is a single parent, and faces most of the troubles and challenges a single parent today must deal with. Unlike other parents though, Atticus is more allowing and open to letting his kids, Jem and Scout, do as they please. His personality may contribute a lot to this. Atticus is kind, easygoing, and shows respect for all human beings. He treats everyone with equal respect, as well as his kids. Atticus allows his daughter Scout to be herself. Scout is the youngest out of the siblings, and fits more into the ‘tomboy’ personality. Aunt Alexandra, Atticus’s sister, believes
Harper Lee, like Houssaini is able to make a character, in this case Jem, go on a quest in order to figure out an underlying connection between himself and the father figure that is either absent or hard to appreciate in Jem’s case.. In the beginning of the book, Jem does not understand why his father is defending Tom Robinson or why his father will not defend himself against his detractors. But throughout his journey that summer through his own activities and through watching his father in the courtroom, Jem comes to appreciate his father’s values and comes to see himself as more like his father. As he says, “Atticus is a gentleman, just like me!” (Lee, p.
...heme of maturation in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, is conveyed through the characters of Scout and Jem, in conjunction with the assistance of their virtuous father Atticus Finch. Early in the novel, Atticus ascertains himself as a major facilitator in the maturation process of Scout and Jem by incessantly providing mature solutions to his children’s predicaments. Moreover, Scout, a major benefactor of the Boo Radley incident and Atticus’ wisdom, has helped her develop into a very tolerant and mature individual. Undeniably, Jem’s remarkable development into a broadminded and compassionate character can be directly attributed to Atticus’ kindness and Jem’s exposure to the Tom Robinson trial. In synopsis, it is evident that the individuals and social circumstances that surround an individual play a major role in defining the type of individual one will become.
Atticus is the father of Jem and Scout. He is an amazing father because he treats Jem and Scout the same way he does adults. His wife passed away when the children were little, but his sister, Aunt Alexandra, comes to live with them for a while as feminine influence. He is “Maycomb County born and bred; he knew his people, they knew him, and because of Simon Finch’s
One of the most well-known novels of the 1900s-2000s was a novel written by Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird was written over the course of 3 years and when it was finally published on July 11th 1960, it was an instant success. With its diverse characters and figurative language, it easily caught the public eye and became a sensation. There are many characters in Harper Lee’s award winning book, To Kill a Mockingbird, but this essay will be centered around Atticus Finch. Atticus Finch’s experience with life has taught him how to be a wise, impartial and courteous man.
A wise person knows that there is something to be learned from everyone. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the narrator, Scout, gets alot of wise advice from her father, Atticus Finch. Scout is a very shrewd, independent girl who has to figure out most on her own. Luckily, when it’s needed, she can always depend on her father, who teaches her and her brother, Jem, more in the novel than anyone else. Scout has a great deal of respect for him and takes to consideration everything that he has to say. Three main pieces of advice Atticus gives to Scout are about empathy, the law, and compromise.
“I wonder what life would be like if we all knew the pain that lies beneath each other’s sleeves.” This quote by David Cook demonstrates a key concept that Harper Lee illustrates throughout the novel. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch says, “You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them” (Lee 237). Through the use of imagery and symbolism, Harper Lee expresses that judgement is an easy concept for everyone, but people never really understand what others are going through unless they see things from their perspective.
Wisdom is the quality of having knowledge and good judgement. It allows an individual to make ethical decisions and understand the circumstances of others. Wisdom can be used informatively to teach or parent values and ethics. Atticus’ wisdom allows him to guide his children, Jem and Scout, to success. After Scout’s terrible first day at school and not getting along with her classmates or teacher, Atticus uses his wisdom to give her advice. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (30). The simple wisdom of Atticus’ words in this quote reflect the manner in which he guides himself and his children by this principle. This excerpt demonstrates Atticus’ ability to understand others and their circumstances. He teaches Scout his values through this understanding and wisdom. By using his wisdom to make good judgements, Atticus is able to successfully pass on his values to his children. The trait that contributed to Atticus’ success was his wisdom and ability to acknowledge other people's circumstances and pass these values onto his
He changes socially, mentally, emotionally, and becomes more of an adult figure. One of the main events that shatters Jem’s innocence involves the court trial of Tom Robinson, a black man accused of rape. Jem holds the belief that in court, justice always prevails. He believes completely that Tom Robinson will be found innocent because Atticus has been able to provide reasonable doubt; Tom could not have beaten Mayella because he has no use of his left arm. However, Tom faces an injustice due to bigotry and racism, and Jem is crushed. “...his shoulders jerked as if each ‘guilty’ was a separate stab between them…” (240). Not only does Jem lose his innocence after the trial, but he also grows up, Tom's death even made Jem more aware of the value of all living things, evidenced when he scolds Scout after finding her trying to mash a roly poly. “It was probably a part of the stage he was going through...” (273). Scout doesn’t quite fathom the destruction of his innocence, and describes him as “the one who was getting more like a girl everyday”