To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee: Character Analysis

Jem and Scout, throughout “To Kill A Mockingbird,” learn to consider things from other people’s perspectives. Atticus, Jem and Scout’s father, says “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” (Lee 39). They learn this through experiences with their neighbor Boo Radley as they mature beyond their years. At the beginning of the novel, Jem and Scout make fun of Boo and assume that all of the rumors going around about him are true. However, later on in the story the children grow an admiration for Boo and learn to understand him. As they matured, Jem and Scout naturally learned many life lessons of appreciation, respect, and courage

1. (56-59) Scout admires Ms. Maudie because she’s honest and kind to them, even though they are just children. On page 59, Harper Lee writes, “She had never told on us, had never played cat-and-mouse with us, she was not at all interested in out private lives. She was our friend.”

Atticus, a man of virtue, educates his children that the color of someone’s skin shouldn’t determine how you treat them. His teachings are reflected in the way Scout

In the book “To Kill A Mockingbird” there are numerous coming-of-age events with Jem and Scout, who are brother and sister. Scout is a different type of girl, she wears clothes that make her look like a tomboy, has her hair cut short to her shoulders and is innocent and naive. Although, as the novel goes on Scout doesn’t fully mature or understand all of it but does learn valuable lessons about life. Jem on the other hand is changing physically and mentally, he's growing up. Scout and Jem grow up in a time of racial discrimination and segregation in Maycomb, Alabama. Yet, have a father who shows them a disparate perspective of thinking.

“I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want if you can hit em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”(Pg When Atticus says this, he means that it is a sin to kill something so innocent that doesn’t do anything bad to us. Atticus gives the example of a mockingbird because all they do for us is sing, and thats it. That’s why Atticus doesn’t want his kids using a gun. But we can take this quote even deeper. When Atticus says “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”, he is also referring to the case of Tom Robinson. In Maycomb no one accept Atticus likes african-american people. So when they heard Mayella was raped and beat up, and the town found out Tom Robinson was supposedly there at the crime scene, the entire town automatically accuses of Tom Robinson raping Mayella, just because he is black and different from other people. Atticus defenders Tom because just like a mockingbird, Atticus knows Tom Robinson didn’t do anything wrong to Mayella because he is a good man. By this, Atticus is teaching his kids that everyone deserves

Jem’s entire perspective of the world is thrown into chaos so he retreats into a state of disillusionment. However, Scout, maintains her faith in humanity. Atticus elaborates by saying as you grow older; you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life. Lee uses this scene to show the reader that racism is learnt. Scout gradually emerging from her innocence to the realization that people have different outlooks on the world and that these often include prejudice and hate which have been obtained by harsh experiences. Lee intends to show the reader that innocence is precious and once experience marrs, you cannot return to innocence. When Scout meets Dolphus Raymond, she learns not to trust the stereotypes that society casts on people because you never really know a person until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Scout’s narration showcases her struggle with the realization that not everyone values integrity and morals.

However, the kids are not quick to accepting people most of the time. Without Atticus being there to guide them along the path of righteousness, Jem and Scout would be just like any other kid in Maycomb. When the kids are confused as to why Atticus was trying to do the ethical thing and defend Tom, Miss Maudie has to explain to them that he was making "baby steps in the right direction" (183). When Jem is still absent minded about the ordeal, Miss Maudie says, "I simply want to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father's one of them.' 'Oh,' said Jem. 'Well.' 'Don't you oh well me, sir,' Miss Maudie replied, recognizing Jem's fatalistic noises, 'you are not old enough to appreciate what I said'" (183). The kids are impetuous to judge people, like Boo Radley, and Atticus has to stand up for him against the children. Even if Scout and Jem do a good deed of exemplifying equality, they are following by Atticus' admirable example since he is their father and they live under his influence.

A small city nestled in the state of Alabama, Maycomb has got its faults, just like any other place in the world, but one of its main faults or (pg.88) “Maycomb's usual disease,” as Atticus calls it in the book is prejudice.

Scout and Jem realize it’s your own choice to choose if you want to do what everyone else does or if you choose to treat others kindly and with

“I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the Bluejays you want, if you can hit em’ but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee, page 103). In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, there are numerous acts of racism and prejudice. The classic novel focuses around Jean Louise Finch, who is commonly known as Scout. Both her and her brother, Jeremy Atticus “Jem” Finch, and her father, Atticus, live in Maycomb Alabama. Atticus is one of the most prestigious lawyers in all of Maycomb, which is currently suffering from a recession. Along with the Finches, Calpurnia works as a cook in their household, but is held as a motherly figure in the children’s eyes. In the beginning of

He is a very responsible parent that is willing to teach his kids about the society, life lessons, certain values and morals. Many parents are very busy with work and would not spend time to communicate with their kids, but Atticus will always make time for Jem and Scout. “You just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anyone says to you, don’t let ‘em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change…it’s a good one, even if it does resist learning.”--Atticus (Lee, Pg.76). The words Atticus said to Jem and Scout shows a lot of care. Atticus is trying to teach his kids that no matter what happens try to calm down and don't use physical actions. He wants them to understand that everything can be solved even without fighting and hitting that will cause injuries. Atticus will always have conversation that will teach his kids a lesson. Atticus said this to Scout to explain that you don't truly know someone unless you see things in their perspective. " If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along with all kinds of folks. You never understand a person until you see things from his point of view" (Lee, Pg.30) Atticus wants Scout to understand that things are seen more deeply and you can't judge someone based on what you personally think. Atticus is like a hero or angel that will always be beside Jem and Scout to guide them through difficult

From this quote, it shows that Atticus has different perspective view than other. During 1930’s, defending an African American people and told not to be racist to African American was very hard and risky choice. However Atticus taught Jem and Scout that it’s not right to discriminate others. This shows that from To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus’s perspective view taught Jem and Scout a valuable lesson that they needed for their

Atticus’s statement confirms Jem’s role as a child witnessing these events, questioning adults’ roles as truthful human beings. Opening his eyes to the injustices of the adult world and the court system, Jem has now been exposed to the very thing that compels him to mature as a boy entering manhood. Jem is a character who largely develops over the course of this short story, To Kill A Mockingbird; his character begins as a young and innocent boy who ends up being exposed to a dark part of the world--the corruption of the court system. Through this pivotal point, his life shifts along with his age, slowly turning from a boy into a man. With this transition he is wrestling through, he realizes that the world is not perfect and justice does not always win out. His experiences, however, cause him to press forward in trying to understand justice and help him appreciate the work his father does, especially as a man of integrity. Interestingly enough, the very man he was afraid of in the beginning of the story, Boo Radley, ends up being the one who saves his life when he is attacked at the end of the story, giving him a glimpse of hope left in those most

In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” written by Harper Lee, the writer uses the experiences of Scout and Jem to show their coming of age, and how they learn to understand people for who they are, and not what rumors say they are. It portrays a strong message that you never really understand someone until you have put yourself in their shoes, or in their skin, as Atticus would say, “and walked around in them”. At the beginning of the story, Scout and Jem are childish, naive siblings, who wish to learn more about, as well as provoke the character Boo Radley, they believe the rumors that he is the town’s lunatic. As they grow up, they begin to learn that people are categorized and judged on the way they look and by the colour of their skin. Through their father, Atticus they learn to view people and society from a different perspective, learning from his wisdom.

Lessons that children are taught at a young age, are crucial to how they will be and treat others later in their adulthood. Harper Lee’s award winning novel takes place in the early 1930s over the course of two summers in Maycomb, Alabama. Two children named Scout and Jem learn multiple lessons. As they mature, they discover what the world is like and see the propaganda and prejudice occuring in their own town. With the racism, the sexism, and the judgements, these children are taught lessons and morals from adults and mentors. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, demonstrates how by learning respect, courage, and empathy Jem and Scout are forced to grow up through meaningful lessons and conflicts that they experience and learn in their childhood that last a lifetime.