To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

To Kill a Mockingbird

        Even though Atticus Finch doesn’t have a degree in teaching, he is able to do a fabulous job teaching his children life lessons that will take them far.  To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee showcases children by the names of Jem and Scout.  Throughout the novel, not only do they grow up, they mature and grow mental as individuals.

One of the first lessons taught by Atticus in this novel was to respect others privacy.  This lesson begins in chapter 5 when Scout, Jem, and Dill are trying to get Boo Radley out of his house.  The children put a note on a fishing pole asking Mr. Radley if he would like to go out for some ice cream.  But before they could get the note to stick to the window, Atticus caught them.  He proceeded to tell the children to stop torturing the poor man. He also told them to not judge someone before walking in their shoes, which is an important lesson because everyone in society is different.  They have different backgrounds and cultures and it’s important not to persecute a person before understanding where they come from.

Another lesson taught by Atticus is not to kill a Mockingbird.  Mockingbird is a metaphorical term for an innocent or defenseless person.  He teaches the children this when Bob Ewell took Tom Robinson to court, knowing that he would win the case because no one would give a black their vote.  Boo Radley not being able to face the outside world because he was being restrained by his brother would be another example of this lesson.  In the real world, the Mockingbirds would be all of the poor and needy.  Luckily, now there are organizations that are helping the Mockingbirds.

Lastly, Atticus teaches his children that the world is a very unfair place.  Scout didn’t necessarily comprehend this one, but Jem understood it quite well.  He grasped this lesson when he realized that people have been doing injustices to each other for years, including places like court where you are supposed to be truthful. Even nowadays, people treat others like scum and don’t show too much respect which is a source of many problems not just in our culture but in many others. If people would just be kind and considerate, it would solve a world of issues.