The historical fiction novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is about a father raising his children growing up in the 1930’s in the South. Atticus Finch is an older father who lives in Maycomb, Alabama, he reads during his free time, rather than playing games and sports with his children. He is a lawyer who is raising his two children, Scout and Jem, on his own, with the help from Calpurnia, his African American cook. Throughout the novel Atticus has many opportunities to teach his children a variety of different life lessons.
Thesis Question: What is the opportunity? What is the lesson? One lesson that Atticus feels strongly about and teaches his children is not to kill innocent living beings for no reason. For Christmas, Uncle Jack, …show more content…
When Atticus is assigned to defend a black man named Tom Robinson, Scout asks her father if he defends the blacks, and Atticus says that he does. Then Scout asks if he will win, and Atticus responds “No, honey” (101). Scout is then shocked as to why Atticus keeps trying to defend Tom. Scout then infers that Atticus does this because he believes, that there is no reason for Tom to be on trial and that he is really innocent. Atticus says to Scout and Jem, “It's when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do” (149). Atticus teaches that even if you know that you will loose you should still keep going because maybe, the outcome will be that you will win. Due to the way that society works in Maycomb county, the blacks always loose, and the whites always win no matter the extreme. Atticus adds that “This case is as simple as black and white” (271). Atticus is supporting his opinion that the case is simple as black and white, the outcome is simple, Tom is innocent. Except according to society, its really if one trusts the blacks or if they trust the …show more content…
The Radleys, a family in Maycomb, have a son Arthur, who is known to all as Boo. Boo is not allowed to leave his home, thus no one in Maycomb knows him. As a result, throughout Maycomb, there are many rumors as to the way Boo acts. Miss Stephanie Crawford, the town gossip, says that “Arthur was killing them all, but when the sheriff arrived he found Boo still sitting in the living room, cutting up the Tribune” (13). Clearly the town hears all these awful rumors about Boo and want to see how he really is, and of course the children wil want him to come out. When Atticus' children, Scout and Jem hear this, they want to see how Boo really is and meet him for themselves. They keep trying to get him to come out of his house with numerous different trials and ideas. Atticus sees this and explains to his children that it is Boo’s choice that he is staying inside his house. From this, Scout infers that “”If he wanted to stay inside his own house he had the right to stay inside” (65). Scout learns that people have choices, and it is Boo’s choice to come out and save the children; he could have stayed inside. it is Boo’s choice, and that it must be
Thesis Question: What is the opportunity? What is the lesson? One lesson that Atticus feels strongly about and teaches his children is not to kill innocent living beings for no reason. For Christmas, Uncle Jack, …show more content…
When Atticus is assigned to defend a black man named Tom Robinson, Scout asks her father if he defends the blacks, and Atticus says that he does. Then Scout asks if he will win, and Atticus responds “No, honey” (101). Scout is then shocked as to why Atticus keeps trying to defend Tom. Scout then infers that Atticus does this because he believes, that there is no reason for Tom to be on trial and that he is really innocent. Atticus says to Scout and Jem, “It's when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do” (149). Atticus teaches that even if you know that you will loose you should still keep going because maybe, the outcome will be that you will win. Due to the way that society works in Maycomb county, the blacks always loose, and the whites always win no matter the extreme. Atticus adds that “This case is as simple as black and white” (271). Atticus is supporting his opinion that the case is simple as black and white, the outcome is simple, Tom is innocent. Except according to society, its really if one trusts the blacks or if they trust the …show more content…
The Radleys, a family in Maycomb, have a son Arthur, who is known to all as Boo. Boo is not allowed to leave his home, thus no one in Maycomb knows him. As a result, throughout Maycomb, there are many rumors as to the way Boo acts. Miss Stephanie Crawford, the town gossip, says that “Arthur was killing them all, but when the sheriff arrived he found Boo still sitting in the living room, cutting up the Tribune” (13). Clearly the town hears all these awful rumors about Boo and want to see how he really is, and of course the children wil want him to come out. When Atticus' children, Scout and Jem hear this, they want to see how Boo really is and meet him for themselves. They keep trying to get him to come out of his house with numerous different trials and ideas. Atticus sees this and explains to his children that it is Boo’s choice that he is staying inside his house. From this, Scout infers that “”If he wanted to stay inside his own house he had the right to stay inside” (65). Scout learns that people have choices, and it is Boo’s choice to come out and save the children; he could have stayed inside. it is Boo’s choice, and that it must be