To Kill A Mockingbird Morals

What are three qualities every person should have? Empathy, tolerance, and courage. From a young age, Scout and Jem Finch were able to display these qualities better than most adults in their hometown due to their father’s lessons. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee displays the story about an innocent man named Tom Robinson, who was accused of Rape. Atticus Finch takes the case to defend him and goes out of his way to win. During the time of the case, his children Scout and Jem learn a lot of valuable lessons as they grow up. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus teaches his children to show empathy, tolerance and courage through the example he sets.

Lawrence Kohlberg was an American psychologist and educator known for his theory of moral development. He was a professor at Harvard University before he was a developmental psychologist. He later moved into the field of moral education. Jean Piaget (Swiss psychologist), John Dewey (American philosopher), and James Mark Baldwin (American philosopher and psychologist) all influenced Kohlberg’s theory of moral development, though Piaget 's work heavily influenced Kohlberg’s. Kohlberg ran tests to prove his theory.He tested 72 boys from middle and lower class families who were either 10, 13 or 16. Later in his research, he tested both boys and girls from different states and countries other than Chicago. Kohlberg found

Scout is one of many characters in the historical fiction book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee that develop as the story progresses. She grows throughout the novel by becoming more aware of her surroundings as the story progresses and reveals more to the reader. Also, Scout over the course of the book starts to realize what kind of man Boo Radley actually is and begins to trust him more towards the end of the book. She even walks with him and talks to him as if he were a friend of her, which he could very well be at the end of the book. Finally, Scouts morals develop by in the beginning of the book having started at level one of Kohlberg's moral development chart, but towards the end of the book reaching level two.

In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, the main characters Scout and Jem, embark upon a three year journey of moral development in which they gain wisdom and understanding, allowing them to mature. In the book, they are taught by their father, Atticus, to be good, moral people. Atticus does this because he does not want his children to be instilled with the racist beliefs of Maycomb. Scout and Jem deal with the townspeople’s backlash against their father, who defends an african-american, Tom Robinson, in court, and they confront Mr. Arthur ”Boo” Radley, who they believe to be a monster. Even though Scout and Jem experience many of the same pivotal moments, the ways they deal with, cope, and understand their maturation differs greatly.

Lawrence Kohlberg is known for his theory of moral development developed in 1958. His theory was dependent on the thinking of Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget and American philosopher John Dewey. It consists of three levels of moral reasoning: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional. These levels are based on the degree to which an individual accommodates to the conventional standards of society. Each level aquires two stages that serve as different standards of sophistication in moral reasoning. Overall, Kohlberg affirms that moral development is a process of maturing that emerges from thinking about about moral issues (“Kohlberg’s Moral Development”).

When Scout comes home from school not wanting to go back after being told to stop reading with Atticus, he listens to her issue with what is going on and suggests to Scout “If you’ll concede the necessity of going to school, We’ll go on reading every night just as we always have”(32). Atticus listened to everything Scout had to say and supported her by making a compromise that as long as she continues to attend school they can read as normal together. By listening to Scout he was able to make a compromise where Scout was okay with returning to school because she would be allowed to read with Atticus without making her feel like she was forced to attend for no reason other than that it was just something she had to do for no reason. In addition, “Kids of easygoing parents did the second-best after the kids of supportive parents when it came to academic achievement and emotional well-being”(Adams). When Atticus is supportive of Scout he is setting her up to do well in academic and to be emotionally healthy as she grows up.

After Scout’s first day of school, she tells Atticus that she wants to be homeschooled because she doesn’t like her teacher. Atticus, who wants her to receive a proper education, makes a compromise. If Scout goes to school, he will read to her every night without telling Miss Caroline. Scout slowly starts getting used to her teacher and the ways of school. Lee writes,”…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).

“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what” (Lee 149). The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is an optimum book for teens in 10th grade. It shows Atticus Finch teaching Jem and Scout the importance of tolerance, empathy, and courage. As they grow up they watch their dexterous father as he collaborates with an African American man whose name is Tom Robinson, as he is on trial for rape. They also have experience with a few gregarious people from their neighborhood. The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee uses the character of Atticus Finch to teach the importance of tolerance, empathy, courage.

Scout Finch, a character in the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, is like most students. When being made go to school, she says “I don’t have to go to school!” But this is something we’re all made to do because we do need some school education. But Scout does have a point that she has made. With her overall outlook with Atticus and Jem, she has seen she has been through a lot and has learned lessons through them that she couldn’t learn in school with the experience she had.

We live in a world where people are constantly discriminated against because of their gender, race, or ethnicity, in a world where people no longer worship God-but people in power, in a world where people are not just homeless, but stateless, and in a world where no one feels safe. The book “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee tells the story through the eyes of Scout Finch, who talks about her father, Atticus Finch, an attorney who hopelessly strives to prove the innocence of a black man unjustly accused of rape; and about Boo Radley, a mysterious neighbor who saves Scout and her brother Jem from being killed. The book emphasizes on the theme of ‘morality and ethics’ by portraying juxtaposing characters, prejudiced characters and conflicting

Although most parents in the time setting of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee were very strict and punishing, Jem and Scout’s father Atticus was an exception. Atticus taught Jem and Scout through moral lessons and which was more effective than the traditional teaching method of punishment. Three examples of moral lessons Atticus teaches Jem and Scout throughout the novel are the importance patience and kindness, the importance to respect people and privacy, and what true courage really is. Atticus’s parenting style is simple yet very effective, and I believe it’s a more modern way to parent.

In the book “To Kill A Mockingbird” Scout Finch, a 6 year girl who lives with her brother Jem Finch and her father, Atticus Finch, fantasizes going to school, and always thinks first for herself. As she gets older and starts school she learns to think of how other people see things and to show sympathy. Scout progresses through part 1 of the book by realizing life’s not fair, how her innocence is gone and she isn’t as much of a child anymore.

In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows that we must treat others without judgment and insolence by using the character development of Scout and Jem Finch. She expresses the maturation of the two in a racist and hostile society. The journey these two characters go on is short, and a new mentality is somewhat forced upon them in unpleasant circumstances, however these strong two pull through. They learn to understand society and how to live in it. They learn life lessons through their father Atticus, and how “Most people are nice when you finally see them” (p.284).

In Harper Lees’s masterpiece, To Kill a Mockingbird, moral education is a theme that only seems to bloom within the Finch household and is severely lacking in all of Maycomb County. The main character, Scout Finch, is growing in an environment where manners and education matter, this is a quality that can be attributed to the teachings of Atticus Finch and Calpurnia. In a world that is corrupted by prejudice, moral education is form of behavior that stands out, Harper Lee provides examples of this in Calpurnia’s discipline at home, Atticus’s ethical guidance and explanations for the reasoning behind his defense of Tom Robinson, and Scout’s bewilderment at Ms. Gate’s hypocrisy. Moral education is a theme that plays a core role in the development of the title characters as well as the deterioration of the town’s moral standards.

Trying to do right from wrong was a huge problem in To Kill a Mockingbird. Nobody wanted to stand out from the pack of people who wanted to do wrong except for Atticus Finch. Atticus wanted to show his children, Jem and Scout how to follow their heart and do good deeds. When everyone said to Atticus not to defend Tom Robinson, he did not listen and did what was appropriate to do. Atticus gave Tom a fair chance at court and fought every second for him. He did not care what anyone thought or said about him, he did what was need to do to show his children the correct way of doing things. When Mr.Ewell spat in Atticus’s face, Atticus did not start a fight or stir up drama. He wiped his face and walked away because he knew Jem was watching. Atticus wanted to make the better out of a situation and never the worse. This shows students how distinguish good from bad and right from wrong. You want everyone to see you as a good-hearted and generous person. When you are honest and sincere you make superior choices that are positive for you.