Scout is intelligent and sees things with a mind that has not been corrupted by others. A theme of this story is not to judge a person by his or her skin color. Scout Finch shows bravery throughout the book. Her father, Atticus, tells her to take the high road and not to engage in any fighting if someone says something hurtful. So when a classmate of hers insults her father it takes every ounce of her will power to walk away, “I drew
Motifs- Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy, but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. Setting- Maycomb, Alabama Universal Statements- Sometimes we have to make the best of things, and the way we conduct ourselves when the chips are do. In the book the characters of Atticus, Jem, and Scout have you captivated.
He made it sound like were runnin’ a still” (75). Scout was curious why it was a problem if Atticus was defending an African American. She wants to find out the truth behind the things happening around her, which shows maturity. In the first half of the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout shows the immaturity of a six-year-old, but she also shows a lot of maturity because of her desire to learn. Like a typical six-year-old, she believes everything she hears, she is scared easily, and lastly she is ignorant about a lot of things.
Most of all Atticus taught Jem and Scout by example; he was a model of courtesy and kindness. The theme of courage throughout To Kill a Mockingbird is a gradual process displayed by more than one character. Courage is not about winning or losing, it is about thinking what is right instead of relying on personal prejudice and then doing what is right whether you win or lose. In short, Scout and Jem gradually discover that moral courage is both more complicated and more difficult than physical
This allows the message to sink into the reader. The title of the novel is an obvious indicator to the author’s purpose which is to criticise prejudiced societies and people in the world. The mockingbird symbol is referred to by a variety of characters; from Atticus to Miss Maudie to Mr Underwood who “likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds”. Atticus’s message against harming those who have done no wrong is passed on to his son Jem who advises Scout to let a roly poly bug live “because they don’t bother you.” By doing this, Atticus exhibits that all it takes is the power of one to make a change to overcoming prejudice in people. His courage in defending ‘coloured’ Tom Robinson in a court case and enduring insults such as “nigger-lover,” helped to bring about the beginning of change in Maycomb.
Harper Lee’s theme can also be comprehended through the symbol of the mockingbird. When Atticus gifts his children with air soft guns he advises them that if they went shooting for birds he tells them, "shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" (96). Miss Maudie furthers Atticus’s explanation by saying, "mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" (96).
Her maturity is proven by the end of the novel when the children lose interest in Boo Radley. Scout learns that “Most people are [real nice], when you finally see them.” and that she shouldn’t “try to understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (281, 33). These quotes are important because, over the course of the novel, these are the main lessons she learns up until the trial and afterward. However, Scout is still incredibly confused and is still trying to understand everything. The verdict of the trial is the beginning of her transformation but she does not fully become mature until closer to the end when she fully understands the reasoning behind the outcome of Tom’s
Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee, 90). Miss Maudie explains to the children why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird: “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s garden, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (Lee,
To Atticus, withholding violence is one of the highest forms of bravery. The children believe themselves to be brave when approaching the Radley house early in the book, but learn later on that this was false bravery, and in fact, silly. Atticus holds up Mrs. Dubose as the ultimate definition of bravery, as she finds against her morphine addiction in order to be free from it before she dies, even when she knows she will die in the process. Atticus, who also fights against a power greater than himself, tells his children they should have great respect for Mrs. Dubose. Finally, Bob Ewell represents the greatest cowardice, as he both lies in the courtroom to protect himself and resorts to attacking children in the darkness in order to make himself feel more of a man.
While interacting with Miss Maudie, Scout learns that you should always find the positive in bad situations. Scout notices that Miss Maudie was not affected by burning of her house, and gets even more confused when Miss Maudie was glad to “have more room for [her] azaleas” (97). Scout did not understand why Miss Maudie is more concerned about having “the finest yard in Alabama” (97) with a smaller house at first. However, Scout learns that no matter how bad things may get look on the brighter side and see how something positive could come out of it later on. Although Scout and Jem both think Atticus is old and boring, Scout learns and important life lesson, of being courageous and taking on challenges that others wouldn’t from him.