Examples Of Formal Education In To Kill A Mockingbird

After seeing the snowman that the children built, Atticus praises Jem in an unusual way by saying that he’s”…perpetrated a near libel…”  What does Atticus mean?

He implies if one does not follow their conscience will, they will live overwhelmed by guilt. Here, the moral of human beings is threatened by the recurring subject of racism, as well as discrimination issues. Jem is an epitome of a corrupted person as he justifies that Atticus is wrong because everyone else thinks so. Nevertheless, he finds himself after the testimony is given. When it comes time for the trial, Jem follows it closely. Having grown up in the home of a lawyer, Jem understands the workings of the courtroom, besides its racial bias. Once the judge goes over the evidence, Jem becomes increasingly confident that Atticus won but his belief that Tom is innocent contrasts with what actually occurs: Tom is found guilty. While looking at Jem, Scout sees how his “shoulders jerked as if each ‘guilty’ was a separate stab between them.” By comparing Jem’s reaction to a “stab,” Lee not only shows Jem receiving blows of devastation over the case and feeling physically attacked but also points to the broader attack on things that Jem thought were once true. This is something that causes him great emotional pain as he has a hard time coming to terms with general unfairness. Jem has counted on the strength of bigotry but in

Adora Svitak once claimed, “Any good teacher knows how important it is to connect with students and understand our culture.” In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird Jem and Scout are not given a good education by the known teachers Ms. Gates and Ms. Caroline. Great teachers will connect with their students. However, neither of these teachers care about their students in such a way most teachers should. Both teachers have biased views on events around the world and do not try to connect with their students. Teachers in Maycomb are not fit to teach elementary or middle school students.

It is important to put yourself in one’s shoes. By doing so, you can understand that person’s situation better. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Aunt Alexandra is prejudiced towards social classes, and Bob Ewell is prejudiced towards people whose skin color is different than his.

Scout comes home, frustrated about her first day at school. Scout’s positive expectations of school were crushed when Miss Caroline tells her to stop reading because she has been taught incorrectly. After school Scout explains her day at school to Atticus, and her teacher’s cluelessness and unreasonability. Scouts most valuable lesson from her first day of school comes from her father, where she learns to try to see situations from the others point of view. Ironically, Atticus teaches more to Scout and Jem, than their teacher, Miss Caroline,

Atticus decides to take on a highly controversial case in Maycomb, where Mayella Ewell, a 19 year old white female, accuses Tom Robinson, a black man in his thirties, of rapeing her. During the trial, Mayella, Bob, and the sheriff state that Robinson hit her on the right side of her face; however, Atticus contradicts the Ewell’s story by showing the jury that Tom Robinson only has one useful hand. Jem then whispers, ‘We’ve got him’” (Lee 202). Although, Maycomb’s society would never allow for Tom Robinson to win the trail, Jem’s innocent perspective enables him to believe that race does not come before the facts. Shortly after the trial, Jem says, “‘Doesn’t make it right. You can’t just convict a man on evidence like that-—you can’t’” (Lee 252). Jem displays an understanding of the racism and divisions in society within Maycomb in this quote. He knows that the conviction of Tom Robinson is bias and that the treatment of all blacks is unfair. Jem shows moral growth in this quote and has a more mature mindset about equality than most of the folks in Maycomb.

Another person in this same social class is Miss Maudie Atkinson. She grew up with the Finch’s and is an old friend of theirs. She is now Atticus’s neighbor and is loved by his

Already knowing how to read, Scout is punished when her teacher says her father should not “teach you any more. It’s best to begin reading with a fresh mind. You tell him I’ll take over from here and try to undo the damage- [...] Your father does not know how to teach” (Lee 23). School said that Scout’s knowledge was damage, and wanted to cast her behind instead of throwing her ahead. The teacher made Scout ashamed of knowing how to read, instead of celebrating it. Later during that day, Scout learns a real lesson from her cook, Calpurnia. After Scout was being rude to a boy asked over for lunch, Cal declared “That boy’s yo’ comp’ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear? [...] Yo’ folks might be better’n the Cunninghams but it don’t count for nothin’ the way you’re disgracin’ ‘em” (Lee 32-33). Cal teaches Scout a vital lesson about treating others, one that school would ignore. Kids must learn when they are young that everyone deserves respect, and that it does not matter who they are, or else they could cause problems to others later. School is a place that parents send their students to learn. But when Atticus sent Scout to school, she is embarrassed by her teacher and told that her knowledge is damage. At home, she learns a real lesson after wasting her time in school. Knowing how to treat others will get one much farther than knowing what the capital of Michigan is. Real life

Aunt Alexandra doesn’t believe that Scout is feminine enough and disapproves of her tomboyish looks. She hates the way Scout dresses, can't believe that Atticus allows her to curse, and disapproves of her friends.

With Atticus as his role model, Jem starts to follow his father’s footsteps throughout the book. One day, when Atticus bravely shot a mad dog that ran rampant through the streets of Maycomb, Jem started to understand what it really meant to have courage. Unfortunately, Jem’s bravery shows his foolhardiness when he nearly becomes a shooting victim in an attempt to get Boo Radley out of the house. However, Jem’s fearlessness also displays maturity when a drunken mob with violent intentions surrounds Atticus. With his father in trouble, Jem shows a character quality that greatly resembles his dad. “Mutual defiance made them alike.” (15) In the end, Jem’s actions saved Atticus from injury.

The first reason why Scout is interesting is because she’s very smart for someone her age. Right from the beginning when she first got to school, Scout’s teacher named Miss Caroline Fisher made her read the board and when she figured out that Scout can do it with ease, she made Scout read quotes from The Mobile Register. Scout is only in the first grade so, it’s quite surprising that she can read that. So, Miss Fisher claimed that Scout’s father was teaching her and she quotes, “If he didn’t teach you, who did? Miss Caroline asked good-naturedly. Somebody did. You weren’t born reading The Mobile Register” (page 22). Scout keeps saying that her father doesn’t teach her but Miss Fisher doesn’t believe her. I personally think

Scout admires Ms. Maudie because of Ms. Maudies patience, respect, and kindness towards Scout and her family.

Alexandra is scouts Aunt and she comes to stay with the Finches to envoke a more feminine attitude in scout. While Alexandra is there she is particularly mean to Walter Cunningham and forbids Scout to play with him because he is of a lower social class. This is very similar to the way that some people treat the homeless.

By suggesting that Scout try to see things from another perspective, Atticus tries to instill in her a

In the book ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ we have seen only sides of Aunt Alexandra that are cruel and hateful. The first time we went Aunt Alexandra in the book we heard about her scrutiny towards Scout when she left her all alone at the kid table, but let all the other kids sit at the adult table. This was only the beginning of what happened that Thanksgiving Day. Jem, Scout’s older brother was to old to play, so Scout had to amuse Francis. This is when things got messy. When Scout was outside with Francis he started talking trash about Atticus. He told Scout Atticus was ruining the family name, that he was a nigger lover. At the start of