preview

To Kill A Mockingbird Dilemma Essay

Good Essays

Development in Dilemmas Charles Lamb once wrote, “Lawyers, I suppose, were children once,” which also happens to be the epigraph of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. This quote demonstrates the connection between lawyers, who are usually seen as serious and understanding, and children, who are usually seen as carefree and innocent. The “lawyer” in this quote refers to anyone who is understanding, empathetic and informed, rather than just the profession, whilst the “children” refer to anyone who has yet to grasp a better understanding about the complexity of people and their lives. This quote depicts how children went through some tough times and faced difficult dilemmas which caused them to eventually, become lawyers and to who …show more content…

Furthermore, Scout leading Boo Radley to his house is a sharp contrast to the beginning of the novel, when Scout was being escorted, which is seen when Jem takes Scout to town so she could buy herself a toy wand. Moreover, also in the same chapter, after escorting Boo Radley back to his house, Scout stands on the Radley porch – a place that she feared going near, previously – and recalls all that has happened since the beginning of the novel. Scout then comes to the realization that, “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough,” which depicts how Scout now understands events from Boo Radley’s perspective (Lee 374). Standing on the Radley porch shows her how Boo Radley would have seen events and people from inside his house and what he would have thought of those events from his point of view. Scout standing outside the Radley house shows how she has learned empathy for others by seeing events and people from Boo Radley’s point of view – metaphorically and factually. This demonstrates how Scout understands Boo – the very person she previously feared – now

Get Access