To Kill A Mockingbird Analysis

people and see things from their point of view. Scout learns and understands this lesson firsthand

One major theme in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is that empathy can change how one reacts to his surroundings. In chapter three, protagonist Scout has a bad day at school. She asks Atticus, her father, to homeschool her after she has disagreements with both Burris Ewells and Walter Cunningham. However, Atticus tells her that “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (39). Atticus says this to Scout so she can reevaluate the situation and have a more realistic view, however, what he said can be applied to everyday life. To understand the feelings of another is to see the world through their eyes. Only through this can true connection be developed. Empathy creates bonds and friendships between individuals, and when Atticus says

Growing up is a difficult task, especially when the town around you doesn’t offer to help you understand what’s going on around you. Using many examples of the loss of childhood innocence, Harper Lee shows us that a corrupted society leads to growing up faster and one’s childhood is stripped away. Through Jem, the eldest of the Finch children, and Scout, the youngest, the readers see how a trial in 1930 Alabama takes a toll of young minds. In Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, she implies that growing up leads to loss of innocence, especially in troubling times.

“It's right hard to say," she said. "Suppose you and Scout talked colored-folks' talk at home it'd be out of place, wouldn't it? Now what if I talked white-folks' talk at church, and with my neighbors? They'd think I was puttin' on airs to beat Moses, "But Cal, you know better," I said. “It's not necessary to tell all you know. It's not ladylike—in the second place, folks don't like to have somebody around knowing more than they do. It aggravates 'em. You're not gonna change

When real life problems are seen from the perspective of a child, they often change the child in dramatic ways. Such is the case in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, a story narrated by a young girl living in Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. The young girl, Scout, lives with her brother and father, a lawyer who is defending a black man accused of raping a woman from town. In the beginning of the story Scout spends her time playing silly games around the house and yard with her brother Jem and neighbor Dill. As she becomes more aware of the social bias and racial tensions that are building in the small town, Scout and her world begin to change. Although Scout may not fully understand the ins and outs of the real world, she

In the story Atticus and Calpurnia try to teach Scout the skill of empathy because Scout has a reputation of fighting with people who she does not agree with or she finds annoying. One example of this is when Atticus says “You never really understand a person until you crawl in their skin and walked around”. This was an important quote because you need to visualize what the other person feels or what they are going though before you just jump to conclusions. In the story Scout is having a hard time with her teacher which she feels is treating her far worse than the other kids. When she tells this to Atticus he tells her she have a reason for this and you can not just jump to conclusions and assume that she is out to get you. Which is true because most times peoples have reasons for doing certain things and you can’t just assume that they are a bad person. Another quote about empathy was when Calpurnia said “That boy is your company and if he wants to eat up on the table cloth let him”. In this part of the story Atticus that's in Walter’s son in to eat. However when he does not put his table cloth in his lap Scout gets angry and tells him to put the tablecloth on his lap. However Walter’s family is poor and they are probably not used to eating this way. That is why Calpurnia said this is because sometime you just got to tolerate people's differences no matter how mad it makes you. This message could

Throughout ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ the reader learns that as characters gain a newfound understanding of an individual’s situation, they discover the values of empathy, leading to self growth and maturity. Atticus explains

“It was Jem’s turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. ‘It ain’t right,’ he muttered”...

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout matures and learns many valuable life lessons from the people and situations that occur in the story. One of the first lessons Scout learns is from her father about the importance of respect. Mrs. Dubose teaches her about the meaning of real courage and perseverance. Scout learns from Boo Radley that it might take a while for someone’s true colors to show, and that she should not judge them before she meets them.

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (Chapter 3 TKAM). This essential piece of advice from Atticus guides Scout through the her journey of growing up and helps her develop an enriched sense of self, she understands that not everyone around her is the same. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee portrays children all being raised in the same small town while having completely different backgrounds and morals. Harper Lee’s book illustrates how the varying aspects of a child's life affects their behavior and outlook on life. Surroundings, Family, and financial status all play a big role in how the children were prepared to be active, responsible,

Have you ever wondered what makes someone grow up? It seems to be the little things in life that really make children ponder about life’s choices. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout has many moments that help the young child realize the answers to life’s questions and what she is expected to become as she grows older. Harper Lee’s many literary devices used throughout the novel help build up to moments of coming of age for young Scout. From pages thirty to thirty-two, Scout learns a lot of new lessons that help her on her way to growing up. When reprimanded by her teacher, Miss Caroline, she chooses to take her anger out on what she thought was the source, Walter Cunningham. This innocent boy is the son of a father that hardly provides

The beauty of empathy and compassion for others can often aid in the restoration of ones faith in humanity. Throughout Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, sympathy is shown through many actions of characters such as Scout, Jem, Atticus, Miss Maudie, and Boo Radley as you follow each of their respective plights through the small town of Maycomb. The viewpoint of their home changes shape as Jem and Scout are put through the horrible ideals and racism of southern society during the 1930s. Their journey to adulthood is riddled with evil, but even so, their ability to put themselves into others' shoes and find the good in them only grows stronger. Through the teachings of Atticus/Miss Maudie, growing compassion for Boo Radley, and the trial

The first moral Scout learns is when she scaled Miss Caroline for not knowing that the Cunninghams didn’t take anything from others. This event progressed to Atticus teaching her a valuable lesson of not judging others from your point of view. When Atticus said, “...You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-” on page 30 it truly left the reader thinking. This quote from Atticus also stuck out and allowed Scout to learn from it.

Mayella Ewell is an abused young woman in Maycomb, Alabama who accused an African American man Tom Robinson of rape during the Great Depression in the early 1930’s. Mayella took advantage of the Jim Crow laws so she could end the mental and physical abuse her father caused. Since Mayella is white and female, she has power. Although she lives behind a dumpster this still provides a significant amount of power for her. In the book “To Kill A Mockingbird” Harper Lee shows Mayella’s power for class during the trial.

The story, in the eyes of two innocent children Scout and her brother Jem, of the discrimination and hypocrisy throughout the town. Maycomb County, Alabama, faces an African American’s injustice while the children learn valuable lessons from their father, Atticus and their housemaid Calpurnia, during the Great Depression. All the while, we are learning from it. To Kill a Mockingbird teaches us the lessons of morale, justice and equality.