According to French novelist George Sand, “There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.” What Sand means by this is that loving others and being loved is what causes happiness in life. Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird explores this idea by weaving examples of love through a young girl named Scout’s life. The novel takes place in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. Scout and her older brother Jem grow up in the midst of a racist community, where blacks are discriminated. Their father, Atticus Finch, is judged by numerous people because he is a lawyer and he tries his best to defend a black man named Tom Robinson in court. Scout and Jem are living in a world of hate, prejudice, and discrimination, but Atticus continuously
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An important message about love in the novel is that it is good to love everybody, including outcasts and strangers. When Scout asks if Atticus is a “nigger-lover” Atticus says, “I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody… I’m hard put sometimes -- baby, it’s never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name” (144). Atticus is saying that he tries hard to love everyone. The word “nigger” is a derogatory term and indicates that black people are discriminated and are outcasts. The word “certainly” connotes assuredness and shows that Atticus is confident in his standing - loving black people. Together, these two phrases show that even though black people are considered outcasts, Atticus still loves them. The word “everybody” connotes equality, and this shows that Atticus thinks everyone has equal value and loves them all, regardless of their race. Together, these ideas all show that Atticus loves outcasts and people in general, because he thinks they all have the same value. Furthermore, when Jem admits to being worried about Atticus’s safety, Atticus explains that men like Bob Ewell need a
An important message about love in the novel is that it is good to love everybody, including outcasts and strangers. When Scout asks if Atticus is a “nigger-lover” Atticus says, “I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody… I’m hard put sometimes -- baby, it’s never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name” (144). Atticus is saying that he tries hard to love everyone. The word “nigger” is a derogatory term and indicates that black people are discriminated and are outcasts. The word “certainly” connotes assuredness and shows that Atticus is confident in his standing - loving black people. Together, these two phrases show that even though black people are considered outcasts, Atticus still loves them. The word “everybody” connotes equality, and this shows that Atticus thinks everyone has equal value and loves them all, regardless of their race. Together, these ideas all show that Atticus loves outcasts and people in general, because he thinks they all have the same value. Furthermore, when Jem admits to being worried about Atticus’s safety, Atticus explains that men like Bob Ewell need a