To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Although most parents in the time setting of the novel To Kill a

Author uses Atticus teach these lessons through his wise words. Atticus teaches these lessons to not only the audience, but Jem and Scout too. Some of the main things he teaches his kids about are understanding people, using the mind instead of the body, the cruel reality of stereotypes, and true

Throughout Scout and Jem’s childhoods, their father Atticus was always there for them. Atticus always made sure he made time to talk to his children and teach them valuable life skills. Atticus taught both his children to read before they began schooling. Although he was ridiculed for it by Scout’s teacher, Miss Caroline Fisher, who told Scout “Your father does not know how to teach (page 28)”, by teaching Scout to read he gave her

A striking example of this is Atticus, who despite knowing that he will be insulted and hated on for taking Tom Robinson’s case, still goes ahead with it, stating that “before I can live with other folks, I’ve got to live with myself”. Scout sees how living by one’s beliefs and words is what constitutes courage, and that even though Atticus “hated guns and had never been to any wars”, he is one of the bravest men in Maycomb. When Miss Maudie’s house burns down, Scout is introduced to a different aspect of courage; the quality of resilience and selflessness. Despite the terrible tragedy of Miss Maudie’s house and garden, she continues to have an optimistic outlook on life and tells Scout “don’t you worry about me”. Miss Maudie stays strong and refuses to feel sorry for herself, instead continuing on about her ways and acting as if nothing is wrong. Additionally, Mrs Dubose’s death also teaches Scout how “the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand” is not right; but rather, bravery is when you know you are going to fail but you still push on and do not let the inevitable consequences hinder you. As Atticus puts it, “it’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and…see it through”. We can see Scout’s growth and her understanding of courage when she listens to Atticus’s advice and absorbs insults about him, “walk[ing] away from a fight” for “the first time”. Clearly Scout has learnt a very valuable lesson about how it is not a gun or a weapon that constitutes true courage, but rather personal values such as resilience, tolerance and

In the case of to Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee crafts a clear idea of family dynamic between the main characters, using the parent-child relationship between Atticus, Jem, and Scout as the main example. Atticus, who raised Scout and Jem as a single parent, passes his morals to his children in order to help them see the world in a more productive and open minded way. While talking to Scout about how to better get along with people, Atticus explains to 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’ “ (Lee 39). This advice from Atticus affects Scout and her outlook on how she has dealt with others, and this change is how her family, mainly Atticus, impacts her and makes her a better person. This family influence also applied to Jem. For Example, when Bob Ewell dies and Heck Tate is trying to explain to Atticus why Jem should not come forward as guilty, Atticus tells Heck Tate that he needs Jem to be treated fairly: “ ‘If this things hushed up, it would be a simple denial to Jem of the way I've raised him. Sometimes I think I’m a total failure of a parent, but I’m all they've got. Before Jem looks at anyone else he looks at me, and I’ve tried to live so that I can look squarely back at him…” (Lee 366). Atticus wants Jem to be treated like an adult because Atticus raised Jem to take responsibility for his actions, and although he questions how he raised Jem and Scout, he wants to stay committed to what he is trying to teach them. This family relationship shows how Atticus taught his children, but also

What would kids do if they had no role models to look up to and to teach them important life lessons? Atticus is an ideal father because he displays a balance of comfort and support as well as discipline. He maintains a strong bond with both Jem and Scout since he always finds time for them even though he is always very busy with work. Atticus, being an open-minded and honest man, is able to teach his children many important life lessons. He teaches his children to tolerate others, to act courageously, and to judge people on what’s beyond the exterior.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, one of Atticus Finch’s most significant qualities, courage, impacts the story. Throughout the book, Harper Lee portrays courage as doing something out of your comfort zone, for the greater good or a good cause. The first example shows how Atticus’s quality of courage impacts the story. Atticus is sitting in front of the jail cell where Tom Robinson, the African-American man he is defending, is being kept. When Mr. Cunningham and the rest of his followers confront Atticus, he stays strong, keeps his ground and doesn’t let anything happen to Tom. The interaction starts with Mr. Cunningham approaching Atticus, “He in there, Mr. Finch? He is, and he’s asleep. Don’t wake him up. In obedience to my father. There followed what I later realized was a sickeningly comic aspect of an unfunny situation: the men talked in near-whispers. You know what we want. Get Aside from the door, Mr. Finch. You can turn around and go home, Walter. Heck Tate’s around somewhere.”(171-172) Atticus stops Mr. Cunningham and his men from harming Tom before his trial. It took courage to stand up to men who are usually cordial with him resulting in Tom not being killed and allowing the trial to continue. In the second example, it shows how Atticus’s actions reflect what how Harper Lee believes courage looks like in everybody. Atticus is brought to a tough decision in whether or whether not to defend Tom Robinson. When Scout asks him about the case and why he decided

If you were a parent would you want the best for your kids? Would you want to teach them to search out for the true meaning of dignity and respect? This was the goal of one father, Atticus Finch. Being a nearly fifty-year-old man with extremely young children he wanted to share his wisdom and firsthand experiences with his children to shape them into a respectable young man and woman. Throughout his life, Atticus is taught many experiences himself about not judging someone, and to stand up for the helpless and defenseless. Some important morals that he carried through to teach his children in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird is to never judge someone by their social class or race, and to fight for the justice of all the people of Maycomb.

Courage can be shown in many different ways. Some people have a hard time of showing it while others do not. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird courage is shown through the characters of Jem and Atticus. These two characters show their courage in many different ways.

"Courage isn't an absence of fear. It's doing what you are afraid to do. It's having the power to let go of the familiar and forge ahead into new territory." ~John Maxwell. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout (Jean Louise Finch), Jem (Jeremy Atticus Finch), and Atticus Finch display acts of valor that contribute, and in some cases encourage their rectitude. Harper Lee demonstrates that acting courageously can lead to an improved, sustained, or newly developed personal integrity.

Throughout the course of your life, there are people who you look up to that teach you right from wrong, guide your beliefs, and open up your mind to what is important in life. In the novel “To kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, there are three individuals that contribute to the development of Jem and Scout’s morality and life values. Atticus, Boo Radley, and Aunt Alexandra, are three influential people in the novel that shape who Jem and Scout will become as adults. Atticus teaches Jem and Scout accepted behaviour in society. He taught Scout how to read and continued to do so, even though Miss Caroline claimed that if Atticus kept teaching Scout, it would interfere with her reading at school. Since Atticus continued to teach her, Miss Caroline got angry and told Scout that her father does not know how to teach

First of all, Atticus is one of the most influential people in Scout and Jem’s life, during the story. Throughout the story, Atticus shows them that being courageous is not always what they think. During the novel, it looks like Atticus always tries to be courageous and set an example for Scout and Jem. An example of when Atticus tries to teach them about real courage is when he says, “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin

Courage’s Distinct Traits as Presented in To Kill a Mockingbird Courage is a common theme expressed throughout countless novels spanning years, but in To Kill a Mockingbird, courage drives the plot of the novel and helps the main characters gain a better grasp of the world around them. Throughout the span of the novel, each of the characters are forced to take new perspectives on the events unfolding in front of them to overcome the deeply rooted prejudice of an old Southern town. Scout, Jem, Atticus, and other characters central to the plot of the novel discover that it takes different forms of bravery to overcome obstacles, and that each form is strong in their own right. Courage, as elucidated by Harper Lee in To Kill A Mockingbird, is

Also, Atticus wants to prove to Scout that she can be just as capable showing courage is without being some tough man. “ 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”(pg.149). Scout doesn’t have to be some big burly man that can shoot anything with a gun, she has to be able to realise her mistake and to be able to understand what real

The quote “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 anyways and see it through no matter what.” (Lee 128) is further proof that Atticus doesn’t believe in giving up, or taking the easy way. An example of this is when he was presented with the opportunity of shooting the rabid dog. He had refused to touch a gun around his children up until this point, when it was absolutely necessary, and refuses still even after the trial, when Bob Ewell threatened him. Another example of his courage on this front is how he raised his children- by letting them figure out who they were and who they wanted to be mostly by themselves, but all the while encouraging them in the right direction. Merely letting his daughter Jean Lousie (Scout), be herself and wear overalls was a act of courage in itself, because of how badly he knew that everyone would react to a girl not in dresses, but in

Lastly, Atticus emphasizes how vital inner peace and making the moral decision in a given situation is to maturation. For instance, in a conversation with his children, Atticus comments, “Before I can live with other folks I got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by a majority rule is a man’s conscience.” (Lee 105) By emphasizing the importance of having personal integrity and doing the ethical thing in any circumstance, Atticus provides his children with wisdom that will carry them through life. Therefore, through unremittingly reiterating the importance of moral decisions, proving the need for pacifism and establishing the importance of multiple perspectives, Atticus verifies himself as a major contributor in Jem and Scout’s development into adolescence.