People’s First Impressions Are people's first impression often the right one? In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, author Harper Lee builds the main character Scout and her brother, Jem, as two young kids that mature after experiencing life changing events. This novel is based in 1930 and is about Scout and Jem, who live in the small town of Maycomb County with their father Atticus. Through the book Scout and Jem, along with their summertime friend, Dill, go on many adventures that often got them in trouble. Through their adventures, these friends begin to recognize the unjust reality of the world. This can be seen from the beginning of the book in which Scout and Jem’s father, an attorney, was asked to represent an African …show more content…
The conflict with Mrs. Dubose and her addiction to morphine reveals that it is immoral to make assumptions about people based on a minor misconception. In the beginning of chapter eleven, it is clear to see that the relationship between the children and Mrs. Dubose was very hateful. It seemed that no matter what they did she despised them . At one point Scout even stated, “we could do nothing to please her. If I said as sunnily as I could, ‘Hey, Mrs. Dubose,’ I would receive for an answer, ‘Don’t you say hey to me, you ugly girl!” (133). Given the fact that Jem and Scout had to pass her house to get to town, it can be said their meetings with her were very frequent. When they passed her house one day, Mrs. Dubose made the mistake of ridiculing their father for defending Tom Robinson, which led to Jem destroyed her flowers. When Atticus later found out, he told him to go and apologize. Jem came back later with the news that she was making him read to her for two hours everyday after school. After the first day with her, they discovered she had uncontrollable fits which caused them to leave their reading periods early. A few months after their reading sessions ended, Atticus gets called down to her house. When he later comes back he tells Jem, “She’s dead, son”(147). Atticus asks Jem about her saying, “‘son didn’t you know what her fits were?’” He explains to Jem how “‘Mrs. Dubose was a morphine …show more content…
In the last chapter Atticus reads the story of The Gray Ghost to Scout. Somewhere during this time Scout falls asleep, when Atticus tries to get her to bed, she told him, “Heard every word you said,’ I muttered. ‘...wasn’t sleep at all, ‘s about a ship an’ Three Fingered Fred ‘n’ Stoner´s Boy…’…’Yeah, an’ they all thought it was Stoner's Boy messin’ up there clubhouse an’ throwin’ ink all over it an’...An’ they chased him ‘n’ never could catch him ‘cause they didn't know what he looked like an’ Atticus, when they finally saw him, why he hadn't done any of those things...Atticus, he was real nice…’”(376). Since it can be inferred that ¨Stoner's Boy¨ represents Boo Radley it is clear that the author included this part to uncover the certainty that Scout’s mindset toward Boo had changed. This section is essential because situational irony is being used to show the importance of the theme “there is more to a person than you initially”. During the start of this story the only information the children had about Boo was based off of gossip and stories (mostly spread by Stephanie Crawford). Which often lead them attempting to uncover his identity, but as the story developed, the children grew up and eventually left him alone. Despite this, a surprising event resulted in the meeting between Boo and Scout, where she discovered he was nothing like she had originally perceived. This is an example of how the literary device
Often in life people prejudge others, but their view changes as they get to know the person. In to kill a mockingbird by Harper lee Jem and Scout prejudge Boo Radley and their father Atticus. Jem and Scout believe their father has absolutely no skill. Throughout the book the kids get to see more of his skills. Boo Radley is considered a monster in Maycomb and Scout and Jem use the town’s judgment as their own. After learning more about Boo and getting to know him they realize he is opposite of what they thought. Because Jem and Scout are influenced by other people’s opinions they are able to learn from their mistakes and develop a new perspective on people.
When Atticus discovered what Jem had done, he was furious and punished him by making him go read to Mrs. Dubose everyday. He knew, though, in his heart that she had it coming. Atticus had told Scout that "when summer comes you'll have to keep your head about far worse things it's not fair for you and Jem, but
In chapter 11, Mrs. Dubose says some hateful words about Atticus, which leads Jem to smash her flowers. As a punishment, Jem had to read to her every day after school for two hours. A conversation between Atticus and Jem shows how he felt about her in the beginning, “Did she frighten you?” Said Atticus.
Jem has become victim of this through Mrs. Dubose, the Finch’s neighbor, through a period of time. After destroying her flowers and her rocking chair from his anger over what she said about his father, Jem is sent to read to her as an apology made by Atticus. While doing this, she passes away, and Jem is confused. He asks why Atticus can still call her a lady, in which Atticus retorts with “...Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her view, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew.”(Lee 93). What he means is that not everyone is all good or all bad, which Jem had yet to
As the book comes to a close, readers can see just how mature and empathetic Scout has become. After Scout and Jem, Scout’s brother, are saved by Arthur “Boo” Radley, the town shut-in, Scout walks Boo home and after he walks back into her house, she turns around and just stares out at the street from Boo’s point of view instead of from her own. Her father taught her that you should
Scout recognized who Boo really was, and she recognized the affection and reinforcement he had given Jem and her over the years. She saw that he observed their experiences, their hardships, the summer heartbreaks, and watched them mature through the years of their lives. Jem rolls Scout down the s...
Atticus continuously tells her that this is wrong and that she needs to learn to control her anger, “You might hear 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 anybody says to you, don’t you let ‘em get your goat? Try fighting with your head for a change” (Lee 101). The day after this discussion with Atticus, Scout is approached by a fellow student who had previously made a mean comment about her father. “I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped my fists and walked away.it was the first time I ever walked away from a fight” (Lee 102).
First of all, Scout allows the reader to focus more on the exterior of situations. Children tend to experience things differently from others. Events that take place in society may be of great importance to adults and mean nothing to children. Things of importance differ between children and adults. But sometimes, a child’s perspective may be the best way to look at things. In To Kill A Mockingbird, the whole town was talking about Tom Robinson’s trial, especially since he was African American and Atticus, a white man, was to be his lawyer. According to reviewer Edwin Bruell in Racism in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, “[To Kill A] Mockingbird, he tells us, is about the townspeople, not about Robinson” (Mancini 101)....
Mrs. Dubose, a morphine addict, was cruel to Jem and Scout. She often criticized the way Atticus raised them, telling them how much better their mother would have done. She would yell at them, saying cruel things about their family. Jem openly destroys her flowerbeds ; forgetting everything Atticus taught him about maturity and not letting what people ...
Boo Radley is the next door neighbor of the Finch’s. He is an outsider of the community, because he does not leave the house. He got in some trouble as a teenager, so his father locked him up inside the house. After his father died, his brother moved in with him. While Boo was locked up inside is house, the people of Maycomb County made up stories about him. The legend of Boo Radley was well-known to the people of Maycomb. Jem describes Boo, “Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hands were bloodstained—if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time.” (Lee ). Boo is an innocent character because all he does stay inside his own house, and does not bother anybody. Yet the entire town believes that he could be a murderer. Harper Lee is showing that if you do not fit into southern society, they will make you into an outsider and a bad legend. Another example of Boo Radley being an innocent character is when he gives a blanket to Scout. Miss Maudie Atkinson, one of the Finch’s neighbors, had a house fire. Atticus (Scout and Jem’s father) woke up the kids and made them go outside, in case the fire spread to their house. While Scout was not looking someone gave her a blanket, “‘Someday, maybe, Scout can thank him for covering her up.’ ‘Thank who?’ I asked. ‘Boo Radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn’t know it when he put the blanket around you.’”(Lee ). Boo Radley is an innocent character because he helped warm up Scout in the cold, yet Scout was still scared that Boo had been near here. Harper Lee is showing us that Boo could do a nice thing, and yet Scout would still be scared because of his reputation. Finally, another
Atticus Finch is portrayed as an exemplary father that teaches Jem and Scout quality virtues through respect, equality, and empathy. When Jem sabotages Mrs. Dubose’s camellia bushes, he is punished to read to her everyday after-school for a month. Shortly after Mrs. Dubose dies, Atticus reveals the real meaning why they are reading to her everyday. The reason is so that she can quit her addiction of morphine and “die-free”. Through this situation, Atticus teaches his children without knowing who or what they are dealing with, they still need to deal with them with respect. Another incident where Atticus steps in as a role model, is when Scout is worried because Miss Caroline said that she is not allowed to read anymore at home. Instead of disagreeing with Miss Caroline or telling Scout that she has to go to school, Atticus allows Scout to complain and explain first. Later, he makes Scout see things from Miss Caroline’s side, “You never really understand a person...
They saw Mrs.Dubose more as Tom Robinson’s case outbreaks into court. Tom Robinson is the black man Atticus is defending, so every work day Atticus walks past Mrs.Dubose house. Which is “two doors up the street… with steep front steps and a dog trot-hall.” It was not until Jem needed to read to her, when him and Scout got to go inside of her house. “An oppressive odor met us when we crossed the threshold… In the corner of the room was a brass bed and in the brass bed was Mrs.Dubose… There was a marble-topped washstand by her bed.” In her house, Jem begins to leave his safety at home and face society's disapproval, which is symbolically represented as Mrs.Dubose. She represents the racism of the Old South, and Jem had to face his problems as he begins to come of age as a mature man.
As Scout grows, she starts to see Boo as a person, as apposed to some sort of an evil creature. By stopping her games, and the tormenting of Boo, she shows respect for him and shows dignity in herself.
Even Scout and Jem’s aunt, Aunt Alexandra, displays racist tendencies. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, it is shown that a town consists of both good and bad. Mrs. Dubose is overtly racist, representing the ‘bad’ part of the town. In chapter 11 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Mrs. Dubose repeatedly insults Jem and Scout because their father, Atticus Finch, is defending a black man, Tom Robinson, accused of rape.
Scout Finch, the youngest child of Atticus Finch, narrates the story. It is summer and her cousin Dill and brother Jem are her companions and playmates. They play all summer long until Dill has to go back home to Maridian and Scout and her brother start school. The Atticus’ maid, a black woman by the name of Calpurnia, is like a mother to the children. While playing, Scout and Jem discover small trinkets in a knothole in an old oak tree on the Radley property. Summer rolls around again and Dill comes back to visit. A sence of discrimination develops towards the Radley’s because of their race. Scout forms a friendship with her neighbor Miss Maudie, whose house is later burnt down. She tells Scout to respect Boo Radley and treat him like a person. Treasures keep appearing in the knothole until it is filled with cement to prevent decay. As winter comes it snows for the first time in a century. Boo gives scout a blanket and she finally understands her father’s and Miss Maudie’s point of view and treats him respectfully. Scout and Jem receive air guns for Christmas, and promise Atticus never to shoot a mockingbird, for they are peaceful and don’t deserve to die in that manner. Atticus then takes a case defending a black man accused of rape. He knows that such a case will bring trouble for his family but he takes it anyways. This is the sense of courage he tries to instill in his son Jem.