The Importance of Family

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The Importance of Family In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee it is demonstrated that the importance of family is needed to get through hardships by respect, relationships and support. By supporting each other, respecting each other and by having relationships with each other it helps get through hardships. Hardships are the little things in life where families learn new traits about each other and where their relationships grow stronger. Families are always there for each other through the hard times which can only make them closer. Respect, relationships and support are only three examples of how important family can be. Respect is important in any family to help them get through hardships. The first example of respect in To Kill a Mockingbird is the incident of Tim Johnson. Tim Johnson was a “liver-coloured” bird dog, the pet of Maycomb. When Jem and Scout spotted Tim Johnson they ran home to Calpurnia who called Atticus. Tim Johnson was a sick dog who needed to be shot for the safety of Maycomb. When Atticus and Heck Tate arrived at the house, Jem opened the door but Atticus said, “Stay inside son.”(pg. 125) Jem did as he was told and took Scout along with him. Jem knew that Atticus said this for his own protection because Atticus cared for his children. Jem respected Atticus’s order maybe if he didn’t exactly agree with it. This is showing respect for Atticus from his children. The second example of respect is after Scout gets into a brawl with Cecil Jacobs. Cecil Jacobs was accusing Atticus of defending Negroes which Scout did not understand. She was confused as to why Atticus was defending Tom when he should not be. Atticus simply said, “I am defending Tom for a number of reasons. The main one is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do
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