Scout’s Quick Judging in To Kill a Mockingbird When Atticus, the protagonist's father, got his new case he chose not to assume Tom Robinson, the defendant, is guilty just because he is black. Most other lawyers would assume Tom is guilty because it was a Jim Crow era social norm that blacks were almost always guilty. Atticus tries to teach his daughter, Scout to also not assume and judge others on first impressions. However Scout is very slow to learn this skill which is seen when she judges others because of their traits and problems. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, a recurring theme is a quick judgment of others can cause false understandings and misconceptions which is shown when Scout judges Mayella Ewell, insults the Cunninghams, and disapproves of her Aunt Alexandra. Many times throughout the novel, Scout acts before she thinks. This is specifically shown when she says to her teacher, “ ‘Walter’s one of the Cunninghams, Miss Caroline.’...The Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back-no church baskets and no scrip stamps, ” (Lee 20). Scout assumes it’s her duty and Walter wants her to to explain his problems to the teacher when really it’s not her duty at all. If Scout was to take a step back and to find out how Walter sees things, she may not had to explain his issue to the teacher and instead let him speak for himself. Later when Scout and Jem invite Walter over for dinner Scout says, “But he’s gone and drowned his dinner in syrup,” (Lee
On her very first day of school, Scout had been condemned by her teacher for already knowing how to read. Miss Caroline, Scout's teacher, had told her: "Now tell your father not to teach you anymore" (17). Scout took Miss Caroline's words to heart and thought that if she continued to go to school, she would have to give up her nightly reading sessions with Atticus. Scout advised Atticus: "But if I keep on goin' to school, we can't ever read anymore..."(31). This shows Scout's naivety as she focused and was fixated on such a small detail that other people wouldn't give a second thought about. Scout was willing to obediently listen to anything Miss Caroline told her as if it was the law. Unexposed to the evils in the world, Scout was so innocent and naïve, and therefore, she did not realize or even think of going against what Miss Caroline had instructed. Being naïve on the fact that not everyone in the world is always truthful and follows all the rules, Scout was infatuated on a moot
One way the main character, Scout, learns that before they judge someone they need to walk in that person’s shoes and understand them is through her first grade teacher. In the beginning of the book, Scout was starting school, she was going into first grade and she had a new teacher named Miss Caroline. Miss Caroline wasn't from Maycomb, she was from Winston
As Scout begins to consider people?s opinions about prejudicial behavior she soon feels obligated to understand these racial judgments. Scout, being the curious and forthright girl she is, feels that only way to do so is by interrogating these estimations. ?As Atticus had once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem?s skin and walk around in it? (57). At this specific point in the novel, it is clear that Scout has learned a valuable lesson. The social lesson accomplished is never to judge anyone before determining their past experiences or hardships. Not only Scout?s social well-being, but her mental and emotional well-being progress extensively throughout the events of the novel. This is clearly defined by the following quote. ?Atticus had promised me he would wear me out if he ever heard of me fighting anymore, I was far too old and too big for such childish things, and the sooner I learned to hold it in, the better off everybody would be?(74). The quote stated by Scout proves that she is willing to mature at such a crucial time as the trial. She discovers that it is more important for Atticus to
As the story begins and we start to analyze the characters, Scout comes off as an being unable to grasp the realities of life due to her childlike innocence. We see this through her thoughts and actions. Walter Cunningham has a misfit with Scout in the beginning of the novel that can be an example of both her innocence and intolerance. It starts when Scout's teacher, Miss Caroline, tells Walter to take her money for lunch and suggests paying her back later. Walter refuses and Miss Caroline gets irritated. In attempt to explain why Walter doesn't take the money, Scout tells Miss Caroline the stigma of the Cunninghams. Scout says that Walter can't pay her back because he doesn't have the money; No Cunningham would ever take anything they couldn't pay back. When Scout gets in trouble for talking back, she blames it on Walter and reacted as follows, "Catching Walter Cunningham in the schoolyard gave me some pleasure, but when I was rubbing his nose in the dirt..." (Lee 30). This quote
At some point everyone has judged someone or has been judged , and this leads to stereotypes and prejudice. In to “Kill a Mockingbird” Harper Lee displays how judging a man by his color leads to unfortunate events. Through symbolism , stereotypes, colorism , Harper lee shows that everyone eventually judges even if they don’t see it as judging .
Harper Lee’s novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” is set in a small, southern town, Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The story is told through the eyes of a girl named Scout about her father, Atticus, an attorney who strives to prove the innocence of a black man named Tom Robinson, who was accused of rape and Boo Radley, an enigmatic neighbor who saves Scout and her brother Jem from being killed. Atticus does his job in proving there was no way that Tom Robinson was guilty during his trial, but despite Tom Robinson’s obvious innocence, he is convicted of rape as it is his word against a white woman’s. Believing a “black man’s word” seemed absurd as segregation was a very integrated part of life in the south. The social hierarchy must be maintained at all costs and if something in the system should testify the innocence of a black man against a white woman’s word and win then what might happen next? Along with the prejudice amongst blacks and whites, the story also showed how people could be misunderstood for who they truly are such as Boo Radley. Without ever seeing Boo, Jem and the townsfolk made wild assumptions on what Boo does or looks like. Even so, while “To Kill a Mockingbird” shows the ugliness that can come from judging others, its ultimate message is that great good can result when one defers judgement until considering things from another person’s view. Walter Cunningham, Mrs. Dubose, and Boo Radley are all examples of how looking at things
In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, characters are used to demonstrate the misjudgement by others in society. Arthur “Boo” Radley is thought of in a very dimensional and untrue way by the children. Dolphus Raymond makes unnoticed compromises in order to live in the community which he does not fit in. Tom Robinson is a kind and humble African American, who is misjudged by society due to the colour of his skin. Lee uses characterisation to show readers how society judges others.
Scout’s school did not stress the importance of equality, and it showed in the town’s ignorance. But, Scout did not let school taint her perception of others, and she believed “everybody’s gotta learn, nobody’s born knowin’. That Walter’s as smart as he can be he just gets held back [...]. Nothing’s wrong with him. Naw, Jem, I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks” (Lee 304). Scout’s friend was going to get held back in school because he was poor and unable to attend as often. She stood up for him, because she thought everyone deserves an equal chance. However, a place that did not give everyone an equal chance was the courtroom where Atticus defended a black man accused of a crime he did not commit. After losing the case, Atticus consoles his children and tells Scout and Jem that “as you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it- whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, or how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash” (Lee 295). While others may see a situation such as this and say that the black man was at fault, Atticus sees through the color of a man’s skin. He wants to make sure his children do this, too. Growing up in the south, racism was expected to be seen. But, just because something is common does not make it right. Atticus made it a priority to teach his
Lee uses Scout’s situation to suggest that people’s prejudice mindsets about some individuals are forced upon by society. After Atticus reveals that the Cunninghams were in the jury, Scout asks Atticus a question."Why didn't Tom's jury made up of folks like the Cunninghams, acquit Tom to spite the Ewells" (Lee 226). Here Scout sees that the Cunninghams and the Ewells dislike one another, but does not understand that both of these families
Throughout the book To Kill A Mockingbird Lee discusses the effects of ignorance and the toll it takes on people such as Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, Scout herself, and many more. Through her examples of sexism, prejudice, and racism, from the populist of poverty stricken Southerners, she shows the readers the injustice of many. The victims of ignorance are the ‘mockingbirds’ of the story. A good example of this injustice is the trial of Tom Robinson, who is falsely accused of raping a white girl and is found guilty. The book is from the point of view Scout, a child, who has an advantage over most kids due to her having a lawyer as a dad, to see the other side of the story. Her father tells her in the story, “you never really know a man until
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird demonstrates how it is a sin to kill or hurt an innocent being. Yet, throughout the novel, many innocent individuals are being injured either physically or mentally. They key symbols in the story reinforce its main theme: prejudice and ignorance tend to harm innocent beings. These lessons are taught by Atticus to his children and are frequently mentioned throughout the novel. He teaches the children about stereotyping, prejudice and racism. Other residents of Maycomb might think that Atticus is not a good father, for instance, he lets his children go to court the day of Tom Robinson’s trial. However, a brief character analysis of Atticus reveals that through Scout’s internal dialogue, Atticus is, in fact, a good role model and father.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird was an influential study of race relations in America in the mid 20th century. The development of the main character, Scout, is closely tied to what she learns from Atticus, her father, and what she learns from watching the unjust treatment of Tom Robinson, who is a black gentleman accused of rape that Atticus decides to defend in a court case. As Scout grows up, she is forced to deal with prejudice that every person living in Maycomb, Alabama seems to demonstrate in their everyday life. When Atticus agreed to represent Tom Robinson, he likely knew that many town people would resent any attempt to prove Tom Robinson was innocent. In this novel, Scout learns that there are right and wrong times when one should
Atticus, he was really nice…” His hands were under my chin, pulling up the cover, tucking it around me. Most people are, Scout when you finally see them”(376) because once you see a person from their standpoint, you can understand them better. The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place in the 1960’s through the eyes of Scout Finch. Her father Atticus had been given a case which involved a black man (Tom Robinson) and a white woman (Mayella Ewell). He had been accused of raping Mayella. Scout and her brother Jem, learn from their father's actions. Atticus does his best even though he already knows that there is little chance he will win because of the segregation at the time. Atticus takes the case because he sympathizes with Tom Robinson. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, shows that without empathy society can’t understand anything beyond their own personal beliefs and experiences. Throughout the novel, Atticus, Scout, and Calpurnia all demonstrate their understanding of the importance of empathy.
Therefore, the mockingbird and Robinson's voice commonly are not paid attention to throughout the whole novel. "It couldn't be worse Jack. The only thing we've got is a black man's word against the Ewells. The jury couldn't possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson's word against the Ewells." (88) This quote from Atticus is noteworthy for it implies that regardless of what Tom Robinson claims in the court, the jury is expected to stand on the white man's side. Although the jury at court is supposed to make objective decisions, along the other villagers, he displays a definite bias against the black man. If there is any responsibility that falls upon Tom, it would be the responsibility for chopping wood and providing help for Mayella who is reflected as the loneliest person on earth in the eyes of Scout. However, the mockingbird figure is wrongly accused of things that he has never done or even imagined. Although there is a sufficient amount of proof that Robinson is innocent, it is ignored after all, and he is imprisoned. Emphasizing this, Atticus tells his son Jem: "In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins." (220) This
Scouts inability to understand different occurrences helps us as the reader realize the injustices that are taking place. The main example of this is the overall storyline of the rape trial. She doesn’t understand the charges of rape, let alone the prejudices associated with a black man raping a white woman. Scout is also unable to understand the injustice of Tom Robinson’s conviction. In her eyes he was obviously innocent, and yet he was convicted anyway. She is completely free of prejudices, and in her mind if you didn’t do it, you’re innocent. However in the eyes of the jury, as well as society, Tom was born guilty, simply for being black. Another example of Scout’s incomprehension