How Is Atticus Finch Learned In To Kill A Mockingbird

The book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is told from the perspective of a little girl named “Scout” Finch. Throughout the story, you learn what the depression-era prejudice against colored people was like through the eyes of a child. Harper Lee uses many important characters to teach lessons in the book, including Atticus, Miss Maudie, Aunt Alexandra, Calpurnia, Tom Robinson, and Arthur “Boo” Radley. Jean Louise “Scout” Finch is the daughter of Atticus Finch. Atticus is a well known and honored lawyer of Maycomb County, Alabama. According to the book,“He was Maycomb County born and bred; he knew his people, they knew him” (5). Scout has one brother named Jeremy Finch, “Jem” for short. He is ten years old when the book starts, and Scout …show more content…
They find him peacefully fighting off a group of men wanting to terrorize the black man he is defending in court. Scout hurls herself in and starts to make small talk with a familiar face, Mr. Cunningham. They talk about his son, Walter Jr. Soon after, Mr. Cunningham orders the men to leave. Later that night, when scout is talking to Atticus about the events that happened, Atticus says “So it took an eight year old child to bring ‘em to their senses, didn’t it” (157). Without even knowing, Scout made Mr.Cunningham stand in her father’s shoes. She is so innocent in this part because she was unaware of what was actually happening! Scout was able to turn away a whole crowd of men by talking about her friend Walter Jr. Another part in the book that came in a close second was in chapter twenty eight when Jem and Scout are walking home from the pageant and get attacked by Bob Ewell. A man carries Jem to their house and Scout follows. When she gets there she is so concerned that Jem is dead so she keeps repeating the question “Is Jem dead?” (264). She gets reassured many times by Dr.Reynolds that Jem is indeed very alive. Heck Tate asks Scout to retell the events that happened, and after she gets done revealing how someone had come to help, he asks “Who was it” (270). In response, Scout says “Why there he is, Mr. Tate, he can tell you his name” …show more content…
Not only is she the narrator, but without her quirky, innocent perspective of the events that happen in the early 1930s, the story would not be near as meaningful or influencing. Through the eyes of a six-year old child, we see the prejudice of African Americans and discrimination of impoverished people. When Scout invites Walter Cunningham Jr. over from school, they have lunch together. Scout thinks the way Walter eats is very strange so she asked him “What the sam hill he was doing” (24). When Calpurnia heard her say that, she took her to the kitchen and told her “There’s some folks who don't eat like us… But you ain’t called on to contradict ‘em when they don’t. That boy’s yo’ comp’ny, you hear?” (24). Scout protested by saying that he wasn’t company, just a Cunningham. That really set Calpurnia on fire! She replied “Hush your mouth! Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo’ comp’ny…” (24). Through this little quarrel, Scout learns that you should treat everyone equally, no matter their wage. Scout is also a very crucial character because she provides a lot of insight into the world of a child during this time. They didn’t wear shoes (259), many didn’t go to school like the Ewells and Walter Cunningham Jr. (27), and even as children, some were already discriminatory toward colored people. On page 74, it says Cecil Jacobs “hod announced in the schoolyard the day before that Scout Finch’s daddy defended