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To Kill A Mockingbird Character Analysis Essay

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In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, she writes about what it’s like to live in a small town around the 1930s. Lee tells the story of life in the town of Maycomb through the eyes of an innocent girl named Scout. Scout and her brother, Jem, go through many events together over the three years that the book takes place such as meeting Dill, getting presents from Boo Radley, learning about the people in their neighborhood, and going to school, just to name a few. By using a child as the narrator, Lee is able to introduce the many characters with details that only an innocent kid could think of. Harper Lee uses characterization to show that people are both good and bad.
Scout, being a child, has been raised to believe whatever the
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Jem didn’t get why he had to have this punishment at the time but finds out soon after her death. Even though the children weren’t fond of her, Atticus said, “She had her own views about things, a lot different from mine... [but] she was the bravest person I ever knew” (Lee 149). Atticus claimed he would have made them read to her even if Jem hadn’t killed Mrs. Dubose’s flowers. Atticus Finch is the only exception from being good and bad because he’s “the same in his house as he is on the public streets” (Lee 52). He is willing to do the right thing no matter who’s around because he respects everyone. Judge Taylor put Atticus as Tom Robinson’s defense because of that reason. Atticus also tried to get a hearing for Jem because he thought that Jem was the one who stabbed Bob Ewell. Atticus explained that he didn’t feel his son should get any special treatment. Atticus is a great guy all around and he would never do anything wrong to hurt or impress another person. Scout sees the good and the bad in everyone. Since she’s a child Scout’s opinions on people are easily swayed, but this also means she isn’t influenced by the opinions of the town. Dolphus Raymond showed Scout that people have different morals and they will do what is right according to their own opinions. Mrs. Dubose was a fine example of people being both good and bad because she was a mean and racist old lady, but she was brave and determined to stop her addiction to morphine. The only exception to
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