Have you ever misjudged someone or something based on what other people said? To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee teaches us about the innocence of growing up by showing us the fascinating change in all of the characters throughout the book. Harper Lee includes Scout, Jem, and Atticus to show that no matter how old or young, we all have things to learn from each other. In chapter nine, Atticus agrees to defend Tom Robinson in the upcoming case against him. When Atticus first takes the case, he was judged harshly and insulted with such cruelty, Scout heard what people said and she herself, failing to understand, began to judge her father as well. Atticus, realizing that she was just a child and didn’t know what she was talking about, taught her one of the most important lessons in life. Not to judge someone without “walking in their shoes.” (Lee page number). Despite Atticus’ effort, Tom is still unfortunately falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell. It’s important to …show more content…
Dubose continuously insults Jem and Scout. One day, as Jem and Scout were walking by, she insulted Atticus for taking Tom’s case. Jem made an attempt at defending his father by destroying her camellias (type of plant). Atticus thought his way of handling Mrs. Dubose was unwise, and to try and prevent him from acting like this again, he sent Jem to Mrs. Dubose’s house to read to her. Shortly after Jem ended his reading sessions with her, she unfortunately passed away. It was then revealed she was a Morphine addict, and Jem was there to help her get rid of her addiction (him reading to her, kept her mind off of Morphine). Atticus just wanted Jem to see what “real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.” (page number). Atticus didn’t want Jem to think that courage and power came from a gun or a weapon, and wanted him to see how courageous Mrs. Dubose was for trying to stop her addiction despite the fact that she was going to die
Mockingbirds: Emblems of innocence in To Kill A Mockingbird There are many mockingbirds in the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The image of mockingbirds represent many people in the story and how many people take advantage of them for their own benefits. Scout, a young girl who lives in Maycomb is the story’s protagonist. She lives with her brother and father and occasionally meets Calpurnia their cook. For instance, Tom Robinson and Calpurnia are treated differently because of their skin color, however they are very close to the Finch family.
“Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them” (Lee 374). Scout, the main character of the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, realizes that her father, Atticus, was right and that Boo Radley, a neighbor she had only heard rumors about, is different in real life than she thought he was. Many times, people see things differently than they actually are. For example, sometimes people misjudge others abilities because of their appearance.
Furious, Jem decided to rip the tops of her white camellias off. Scout narrated, “He did not begin to calm down until he had cut the tops off every camellia bush Mrs.Dubose owned” (Lee 118). Going through puberty, his innocent perspective of the world was getting chopped away, just as the white camellias got chopped down. Atticus found out and made Jem go read to Mrs.Dubose for 2 hours every day after school and on Saturdays for a month. A few weeks after the reading month was over, Mrs.Dubose had died.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have your innocence taken way from you? In the novel To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee Scout displays characteristics of young,smart and strong. Scout was betrays the characteristic of being strong when Bob Ewell went after her and Jem after the pageant. Scout also shows how strong a young girl like her can be when Tom Robinson got shot.
Lopez 1 Ashley Lopez Pre AP English 2 Mrs. Wilbanks 22 January 2018 "I thought Jem and I would get grown but there wasn't much else for us to learn"(Lee 162). Jem, Dill, and Scout went through events and experienced things that changed who they were and in doing so, they lost a piece of themselves. When people are exposed to real world problems, they may become more aware of the true nature of the world and at the same time lose a part of them, their innocence. By the end of the book, Jem Finch knows that the world isn't what he thought it was when he was younger.
“Another reason, the simplest, the ugliest, was that this hitherto peaceful congregation of neighbors and old friends had suddenly to endure the unique experience of distrusting each other; understandably, they believed that the murder was among themselves…” (pg. 88) Holcomb have been described as a town out in the countryside in which everyone knew each other. Before the murders of the Clutter family, there was a sense of security and comfort among the people of Holcomb. The significance of this quote shows the people’s loss of innocence and the sheltered lifestyle they once had. After the tragedy, they are forced to realize the true nature of humans.
As punishment, Jem is forced by Atticus to go to her house every day and read to her for an entire month. Under the conditions of Jem reading to Mrs. Dubose, he gains a glimpse of her real life for the first time. After a month of Jem reading to her, Scout and Jem discover that Mrs. Dubose has died. Jem does not seem to care at first until Atticus reveals Mrs. Dubose's unfortunate truth, ‘“Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict, [. . . ] she took it as pain-killer for years.
Everybody could say the same thing, but each person could mean something totally different by it. It is the same way with a song or work of writing can mean many different things. Sometimes, the different meanings are intentional, but others, it is something discovered by an outsider. For example, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird uses the mockingbird to symbolize innocence.
The mockingbird is a symbol of innocence because they don’t harm or bother anyone. So why is the title of Harper Lee’s book To Kill a Mockingbird? It means to kill innocence. But what in this novel is innocent? Some of the characters are like Dill, Scout, and Boo Radley.
At the trial, Mayella was blaming Tom, “will you identify the man who raped you… I will that’s him right yonder… is this the man who raped you…it most certainly is”(Lee 248-249) Mayella was frustrated with the questions Atticus was asking, so when she was asked who hurt her she immediately breaks down in frustration and tells everyone that it was Tom who hurt her. Mayella was becoming emotional and she didn’t see that Atticus was trying to show a little compassion so she got mad and quit answering questions. She blamed Tom immediately and he was suddenly guilty, therefore losing his innocence forever. Additionally, as Judge Gantry was polling the jury the responses were, “guilty…guilty…guilty…guilty” (Lee 282)
“In the corner of the room was a brass bed, and in the bed was Mrs. Dubose. I wondered if Jems activities had put her there and for a moment I felt sorry for her.” The reason why Jem and Scout were at Mrs. Dubose’s house, was because Jem and Scout were walking by her house when Dubose started yelling at the kids saying that Atticus is not any better than the “niggers and trash he works for.” Jem lost his temper and takes Scouts baton he bought for her and snaps it in half. Jem destroys all of
Additionally, from other people’s perspective, Atticus has lost, his innocence because of him defending a Negro. However, it is not true because Atticus is a lawyer and he is doing his job without criticizing him. This incident made Scout ask Atticus that if it is right to defend a Negro. By this, Scout is able to gain the ability to look from new perspectives on how the world works in very early age compared to her brother, Jem and other children. Secondly, Jem is not completely disillusion until a guilty verdict is returned to Tom Robinson at the end of his trial.
“Once you start asking questions, innocence is gone,” said Mary Astor, once one begins to wonder about the world around them, they begin to lose innocence. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is an example of a coming of age novel. Scout develops socially throughout the novel from naive to a more understanding Scout. In the beginning of To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout is naive child in the town of Maycomb.
Harper Lee is a very famous Author who wrote the book to kill a Mockingbird. The title of the book mean to kill innocence because a Mockingbird is a symbol of innocence. The book takes place during the Great Depression in Maycomb Alabama. In her novel to kill a Mockingbird lee uses Tom, Atticus, Boo Radley as the human embodiment of the Mockingbird.
Whenever they would walk past her house, she would shout hateful and insulting comments at them. Atticus told them to not let her comments affect them. One day, Mrs. Dubose made a comment about Atticus defending Tom Robinson. The comment was hateful and racist toward Atticus and Tom. Jem was angered by her comment and fueled by rage, cut down all of Mrs. Dubose 's camellia bushes.