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,” said Atticus (Lee 30). Atticus tells Scout that if you want to understand someone, you must look at things from their perspective. The novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee tells a story about how all types of people are accepted for who they are: race, age, and value. Tom Robinson, a colored man accused of rape, is shown acceptance by Atticus Finch even though during this time he would not be. In Lee's novel, Scout is confused about why Atticus is representing a colored man in court, but then learns why. Atticus explains to Scout, For a number of reasons, the main one is, if I didn't I couldn …show more content…
Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. Atticus said to Jem (Lee 93). Atticus is telling Jem that it is a sin to kill mocking birds because they are innocent. This is kind of like Tom in the court case because even though he didn't commit the crime he is guilty of, everyone only wants to hear what they want to hear. This to me as a reader shows me how only Atticus, Scout, Jem, and Dill accepted Tom. In Harper Lee's classic novel "To Kill a Mockingbird," Walter Cunningham Jr. is a poor boy whose family struggles to make ends meet and is shown acceptance by Scout even though she thinks little of him. But he's gone and drowned his dinner in syrup, Scout protested (Lee 32). When Jem invites Walter over for dinner, Scout is a little taken aback by Walter's behavior at the table, particularly when he pours syrup all over his …show more content…
Scout complains to Atticus about Walter's behavior, but Calpurnia then steps in and takes her to the kitchen to teach her an important lesson about being respectful to guests in their home, regardless of their background or behavior. It's a powerful moment that teaches Scout and the reader a lot about empathy and understanding. Another character in the novel that is accepted is Boo Radley. Boo Radley is an introverted person who has stayed inside his house for years, watching everything that goes on in Maycomb County. Jem gave a reasonable description of 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; the teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time,” said Scout (Lee 12). Jem describes Boo as this ugly, disgusting creature who eats squirrels and cats in the night. But later in the novel, Scout meets Boo and he is nothing like Jem describes him. Will you take me
Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, Harper Lee's, To Kill a Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior, to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, and the struggle between blacks and whites. Atticus Finch, a lawyer and single parent in a small southern town in the 1930's, is appointed by the local judge to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accused of raping a white woman. Friends and neighbors object when Atticus puts up a strong and spirited defense on behalf of the accused black man. Atticus renounces violence but stands up for what he believes in. He decides to defend Tom Robinson because if he did not, he would not only lose the respect of his children and the townspeople, but himself
One of the first lessons taught in Mockingbird is the power of understanding other people’s perspectives. Initially, Scout has trouble empathizing with other people, especially her first Grade Teacher, Miss Caroline, whom Scout becomes frustrated at for not understanding Maycomb’s complex social structure. After hearing his daughter complain, Atticus tells Scout that she'll “get along a lot better with all kinds of folks [if she] considers things from [their] point of view” (39). After ‘standing in the shoes of another person’, it is much harder to be prejudiced towards that person. Indeed, this may be because a key tenet of prejudice is disregarding the views of whoever is being judged. Nevertheless, it proves difficult for Scout to grasp this relatively simple concept, who begins to hear rumors of Boo Radley, an enigma who has not been seen outside his home for over 30 years. Thus begins Jem and Scout’s quest to make Boo Radley come outs...
Yet he took the case with no hesitation. Atticus knows the difference between what is fair and what is true justice. He is well aware that whites and blacks have many differences with one another, but is also educated enough to know that there truly is no diversity in equity, and tries to teach everyone including his children this. ”You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around it.(30)” Atticus is encouraging Scout to respect everyone and consider their true potential without considering false accusations in this quote. He applies what he teaches to his children to the people attending the Tom Robinson trial. Atticus is just one man, but with an unprecedented amount of sense of pride, intelligence, and justice. He reflects the image of the town’s people by showing them what they’ve allowed themselves to become based on their beliefs. He genuinely expresses their deepest consternation. In this quote he tells the audience what they are afraid to hear, but need to hear, “She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man. Not an old uncle, but a strong young Negro man. No code mattered to her before she broke it, but it came crashing down on her afterwards.(272)” After stating his point and releasing the profound truth Atticus causes for Mayella and Bob Ewell to lose their composure. Nevertheless people of most of the white people of Maycomb continue to refuse to believe that a white woman kissed a black man. But they undoubtedly believe that a black man with a useless left hand beat and raped an “innocent” white woman. Atticus could have predicted the outcome from before he even took the case and refused to defend Tom Robinson. But he
This is like a metaphor to teach the children that if someone is good and pure-hearted they don’t deserve to be treated badly or unjustly. Additionally, Atticus says “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.” He says this to teach Jem and Scout to not think they know someone until they know what they are going through. Most of the town didn’t give people a chance, the white folk of the town wouldn’t give the coloured folk half a minute to get to know and understand them. It takes time for Scout to understand what Atticus was trying to say, but later on in the book you get to see Scout put this into practice and is sympathetic and understanding towards Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley.
Throughout Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, it seems as if Atticus Finch is a failure as both a parent and a lawyer. However, somebody with a good understanding of the novel will realise that Atticus is in fact a terrific lawyer and a superb father. However, like all people, Atticus has his flaws.
The way in which humans come to be understanding, compassionate individuals is a process demonstrated constantly throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, a famous novel written by Harper Lee, taking place in the 1930’s during the Great Depression in Maycomb County, Alabama. The story is told from the young Jean Louise “Scout” Finch’s perspective, and tracks the development of her and her older brother Jeremy Atticus “Jem” Finch, from innocent to understanding. The negative influences which Jem and Scout experience, including the racially charged case of Tom Robinson, lead the children to have a new, more experienced perspective on human nature. People like Atticus Finch, Jem and Scout’s father, help the children to make sense of this part of human essence, teaching them important life lessons, such as to make judgments carefully: “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,” (39). Atticus continuously counsels Jem and Scout to consider another’s perspective before making assumptions, because that is the only genuine way in which you come to know an individual. Ultimately, because Jem and Scout learn to understand the sinful nature of Bob Ewell, to appreciate the wisdom of Atticus, and come to recognize the selfless actions of Arthur “Boo” Radley, the children mature into more caring, sympathetic young people.
The book has shown many kinds of figurate language in the novel to express many different types of issues or people. The main kind would be symbolism as it is used to explore the issues and main problems going on in the book. Harper Lee uses symbolism to express the issues of racism in the novel.
you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it' "(Lee 30). In the story To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus was one of the few people in Maycomb County who understood this concept. Not only did he take this into consideration, but applied it to his life. Atticus risked his life to defend Tom Robinson, a colored man, in court for a rape case. Atticus felt that Tom was being segregated, but Atticus knew he was innocent. Unfortunately, Atticus's children, Jem and Scout, didn't inherit his trait of equality. Just like the rest of the town, Jem and Scout mistaken Boo Radley. Many believe he was
“Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 119). After Scout and Jem get a gun for Christmas, Atticus reminds them not to shoot at mockingbirds, as they are as innocent and can be, a lesson teaching them and a powerful statement that also signifies Tom Robinson’s innocence. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Harper displays Atticus as a man who defends Tom Robinson, a black man, in a court case through Scout’s perspective both as a child, as well as an adult. The defendant is accused of rape and was in need of a lawyer until Atticus accepts to secure him and his case, as no one was willing to protect a black man when against anyone white,
Throughout the book To Kill A Mockingbird Lee discusses the effects of ignorance and the toll it takes on people such as Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, Scout herself, and many more. Through her examples of sexism, prejudice, and racism, from the populist of poverty stricken Southerners, she shows the readers the injustice of many. The victims of ignorance are the ‘mockingbirds’ of the story. A good example of this injustice is the trial of Tom Robinson, who is falsely accused of raping a white girl and is found guilty. The book is from the point of view Scout, a child, who has an advantage over most kids due to her having a lawyer as a dad, to see the other side of the story. Her father tells her in the story, “you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.” (Lee 200).
The author explains the sinfulness of killing a mockingbird, because of its true innocence. Tom Robinson’s so-called “guilt” was determined, implied by the book, because he was black. Atticus had strong points for his defense and innocence, yet somehow, that factor of evil within human nature overcomes the all-white jury. This is important to acknowledge. This part, and many other situations that occur, captures the racism of the novel.
One character that puts himself in other people’s shoes is Atticus. He never tries to judge a person until he really knows them. An example from the book is when he took Tom’s case. During that time blacks were treated poorly because the color of their skin, but he still took the case anyway because he does not judge a man unless he really knows him. An example form the test is when Atticus responded to Jem, “You aren’t really nigger-lover, than are you? I certainty am. I do my best to love everybody…” (Lee 144). One can conclude that Atticus believes everyone is equal no matter the color of his or her skin. He tries not to be prejudice and judge a book by its cover. Atticus it not prejudice because he understands that we cannot control or change some of our physical features like our skin color. We also cannot change if we were born in a poor family, with little to no education. Atticus unlike most townspeople in Macomb does not judge a man by his color of skin, and the clothes on his back. Being non-prejudice to one man puts himself in their shoes to understand his life, and understand what he may be going through. Secondly, Atticus looks at other people’s point of view. He knows the important lesson of looking for a different point of view, by doing so you may see something that was not visible before. An illustration from the text is when Scout is talking about Miss Caroline and he responds by saying, “ –until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. Atticus said I had learned many things today, and Miss Caroline had learned several things herself” (Lee 39). From this, one can see when you look from a different perspective both people learn and see new ideas. In an argument typical we are straight minded and think our point is always right, although no know can be right all the time so we have to look from there perspective. Lastly, is when Atticus walked in Mr. Ewell’s shoes.
Lee writes about the importance of acceptance in a society corrupted by prejudice. This discrimination is purely based on appearance. The foundation of society was flawed, as it was dependent on the segregation of black and white citizens. However there are people who comprehend this problem that stand out from the crowd. Atticus was dedicated to delivering justice to Tom Robinson, regardless of the fact that he lost the trial. Finch, Tom and Boo Radley were all judged by the majority of Maycomb for their choices; however none of these people have done wrong. They believed discrimination was wrong. Lee used symbolism of the mockingbird to highlight this fact; as Finch said: “shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”. These characters stand against society’s flow because they understand the importance of accepting others differences. Skin does not reflect the content of character; it was unfair to judge others. “You never really understand someone until you consider things from his point of view… Until you
Americans who play the lottery waste way too much of their time and hard-earned money. The chances of winning are unlikely and unrealistic. Although many dream of becoming wealthy, it can be argued that money doesn’t buy happiness. All in all, those who play the lottery should stop because they end up losing more money than they actually gain; the main cause of this imbalance is the low return rates the lottery gives out.
“You never really understood a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around it.” Atticus Finch is a man of extreme integrity. He, as both a lawyer and a human being, stands up for his democratic beliefs and encourages his children to stand up for their own, though they may stand alone. Harper Lee showed how far respect went in To Kill a Mockingbird when Atticus defended Tom Robinson in his rape trial. He did not think twice about being ridiculed by th...