What Is The Compromise In To Kill A Mockingbird

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird exemplifies that Atticus is an excellent parent, setting fair limits and offering good advice. Scout is a second grader growing up in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. Living with an older brother named Jem is tough for her; therefore Atticus, their father, must be fair and just to help them grow up to be good citizens. After Scout’s first day of school she is very disappointed and never wants to go back to school because Miss Caroline tells her she cannot read at home. This leads Atticus to make a compromise with Scout “‘If you’ll concede the necessity of going to school, we’ll go on reading every night just as we always have’” (Lee, 41). Scout is okay with this compromise because it allows her to do her

favorite thing, read. Atticus is showing Scout how to make a deal and educating her on the ways of the world. This is such a valuable lesson for her to get, especially early on in her educational career. In years to come, Scout will look back on the teachings of her father for guidance. In yet another instance of Atticus’s wisdom, Scout is complaining about her first day of school to her father and he offers her a bit of wise advice “‘...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 their point of view…” (Lee, 39). Scout never considers the point of view of her teacher, Miss Caroline, because she is too caught up in her own anger. Atticus helps Scout a lot with this advice because she really starts to understand that other people have feelings and that the people in her life are just like her in that they care about things and take offense just like she does. This metaphor helps Scout to really understand that she needs to be aware of the people around her. All in all, Atticus’s teachings will help Scout in the future to differentiate right from wrong.