The Lessons of To Kill a Mockingbird
What lessons should every child learn? Because what people learn as children is a huge factor in how they act when they grow up, those lessons are important. The three lessons that Scout learns throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird are to, always look at situations from others perspective, not to hurt innocence, and that because everyone has good and bad qualities you should look for them instead of just seeing one side.
Starting with the most obvious, Scout’s father, Atticus, teaches Scout to always look at situations from other people’s perspective. Our first example of this is when Atticus first explains to Scout that Miss Caroline doesn't know everything that Scout does and that she should look …show more content…
Scout first learns this lesson from Atticus and Miss Maudie “‘Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.' That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. 'Your father’s right,' she said. 'Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird'"(Lee 90.) Scout learns in this that, since the mockingbirds are innocent and never do any harm, they do not deserve to be shot. Scout sees this metaphor in her life later in the book when Tom Robinson is put to trial and killed, even though he, like the mockingbird, is innocent. Atticus explains that Tom is innocent in the trial scene, but Tom is still killed. This parallels the sin of killing mockingbirds because even though he did nothing wrong, he’s still killed. Though not every example has actual, physical death, but the final example of killing a mockingbird, when Scout realises why Heck Tate was ignoring the fact that Boo killed Bob Ewell, involves a mental destruction. “Atticus sat looking at the floor for a long time. Finally he raised his head. “Scout,” he said, “Mr. Ewell fell on his knife. Can you possibly understand?” Atticus looked like …show more content…
Starting with the main antagonist of the story, Bob Ewell. In practically every situation he is shown as evil, but there is one quote, by Atticus, about why Bob is being rude. “‘Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with'"(Lee 218.) Atticus is in no way saying that what Bob did was okay, but he is telling Jem to not only look at things from his perspective. An example of the opposite, Walter Cunningham Sr. He is seen as a good character, honest and just fell on hard times, but in the mob scene he seems to be the leader. He first approaches Atticus and later tells the mob to leave after Scout talks to him. Probably the best example of this is Mrs. Dubose. She is a polar opposite to Atticus yet Atticus still admires her bravery and struggle. “'Easy does it, son,’ Atticus would say. ‘She’s an old lady and she’s ill. You just hold your head high and be a gentleman. Whatever she says to you, it’s your job not to let her make you mad.’ Jem would say she must not be very sick, she hollered so. When the three of us came to her house, Atticus would sweep off his hat, wave gallantly to her and say, 'Good evening, Mrs. Dubose! You look like a picture this evening.’”(Lee 100.) Even though she was racist and downright disrespectful, Atticus still sees the good in her, fighting her addiction,
What lessons should every child learn? Because what people learn as children is a huge factor in how they act when they grow up, those lessons are important. The three lessons that Scout learns throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird are to, always look at situations from others perspective, not to hurt innocence, and that because everyone has good and bad qualities you should look for them instead of just seeing one side.
Starting with the most obvious, Scout’s father, Atticus, teaches Scout to always look at situations from other people’s perspective. Our first example of this is when Atticus first explains to Scout that Miss Caroline doesn't know everything that Scout does and that she should look …show more content…
Scout first learns this lesson from Atticus and Miss Maudie “‘Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.' That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. 'Your father’s right,' she said. 'Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird'"(Lee 90.) Scout learns in this that, since the mockingbirds are innocent and never do any harm, they do not deserve to be shot. Scout sees this metaphor in her life later in the book when Tom Robinson is put to trial and killed, even though he, like the mockingbird, is innocent. Atticus explains that Tom is innocent in the trial scene, but Tom is still killed. This parallels the sin of killing mockingbirds because even though he did nothing wrong, he’s still killed. Though not every example has actual, physical death, but the final example of killing a mockingbird, when Scout realises why Heck Tate was ignoring the fact that Boo killed Bob Ewell, involves a mental destruction. “Atticus sat looking at the floor for a long time. Finally he raised his head. “Scout,” he said, “Mr. Ewell fell on his knife. Can you possibly understand?” Atticus looked like …show more content…
Starting with the main antagonist of the story, Bob Ewell. In practically every situation he is shown as evil, but there is one quote, by Atticus, about why Bob is being rude. “‘Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with'"(Lee 218.) Atticus is in no way saying that what Bob did was okay, but he is telling Jem to not only look at things from his perspective. An example of the opposite, Walter Cunningham Sr. He is seen as a good character, honest and just fell on hard times, but in the mob scene he seems to be the leader. He first approaches Atticus and later tells the mob to leave after Scout talks to him. Probably the best example of this is Mrs. Dubose. She is a polar opposite to Atticus yet Atticus still admires her bravery and struggle. “'Easy does it, son,’ Atticus would say. ‘She’s an old lady and she’s ill. You just hold your head high and be a gentleman. Whatever she says to you, it’s your job not to let her make you mad.’ Jem would say she must not be very sick, she hollered so. When the three of us came to her house, Atticus would sweep off his hat, wave gallantly to her and say, 'Good evening, Mrs. Dubose! You look like a picture this evening.’”(Lee 100.) Even though she was racist and downright disrespectful, Atticus still sees the good in her, fighting her addiction,