To Kill a Mockingbird free essay sample

A mockingbird is a bird that does no harm to humans, its only purpose is singing. It is a sin to kill a mockingbird because it has no negative impact on humans; therefore there is no reason in killing it. This was an important lesson taught by Atticus to his children, Jem and Scout, that allowed their morality to grow from children with wild imaginations to people with different views and respects on society. In the book, Atticus and Miss Maudie act as mockingbirds to Jem and Scout. Although, Jem and Scout show immaturity at the beginning of the novel by not respecting elders and not following their fathers lessons, the adult guidance of Atticus and Miss Maudie leads them to realize the importance of showing courage and respecting others. Courage is an important part of human kindness, especially when defending and supporting people in your own community. In Maycomb, Atticus is a well-known lawyer, and shows courage when he defends an innocent African American man, Tom Robinson. Even though Scout stuck up for Walter and explained to Miss. Caroline that he is too poor to afford a lunch and shoes. Miss Caroline said, â€Å"You’re starting off on the wrong foot in every way, my dear. Hold out your hand† (Lee28). Miss. Caroline got Scout in trouble for speaking up and hit her with a ruler for punishment. Scout blamed Walter for her getting in trouble so decided to beat him up during recess. When Atticus Finch got her in trouble for what she did, she soon realized that wasn’t the right thing to do. Another way maturity is shown in this novel is when Robert Ewell was angry about the way Atticus made him look on the stands, so on his way to the post office Bob Ewell spat in Atticus’ face. Bob told Atticus he would get him if it took him the rest of his life. When a man says he’s gonna get you, looks like he means it† (292). Bob was mad about the trial and that Atticus destroyed his last shred of credibility. The final way maturity is shown in To Kill a Mockingbird is when Jem Finch cut the tops off of Mrs. Dubose’s camellia bushes. Mrs. Dubose was the first adult to say that Atticus was no better than a black man because he is Tom Robinsons Lawyer. Mrs. Dubose says, â€Å"Jeremy Finch, I told you you’d live to regret tearing up my camellias. You regret it now, don’t you? † (146). Atticus punished Jem by making him go apologize to Mrs. Dubose. When he did she told him he had to read to her two hours a day for a month. Maturity was a huge part in moving on in life during these tough times. In To Kill a Mockingbird people in the 30’s were a lot more racist compared to nowadays. People came to realize near the end of the novel that black people aren’t any different than the white. The first way racism appears is when Aunt Alexandra wanted Calpurnia to leave because she was black and she didn’t think she was needed anymore now that she was there. Atticus stands up for Calpurnia and says, â€Å"Alexandra, Calpurnia’s not leaving this house until she wants to. You may think otherwise, but I couldn’t have got along without her all these years†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (182). Calpurnia had to teach her kids how to read and write because education is segregated and there is no school for black people in Maycomb. Another way racism appears is when Tom Robinson was accused of raping Mayella Ewell, but really he was an innocent man. People assumed that just because Tom was a black man that he was guilty. Mayella Ewell says, â€Å"I don’t know how he done it, but he done it- I said it all happened so fast I -† (Harper249). Cecil Jacobs declared that Scout Finch’s daddy defends niggers. Francis, Alexandra’s grandson tells Scout that Atticus is a nigger-lover. During the trial the African Americans had to sit separately from the whites, and it was an all-white jury. The have a large amount of evidence in favour of Tom Robinson proving that he is innocent, but they do not go through the evidence with an open mind due to the fact that he is black. The last way racism appears is how Dolphus Raymond is not accepted to either the blacks or whites communities because he has half-black, half-white children. He drinks from a bottle covered by a paper bag to give the impression to fellow white southerners that he is a drunk, a morally weak man who is too afraid to stand up for his beliefs. However, as Dill discovers when he takes a sip, Dolphus actually drinks Coca-Cola from the bag. Jem says, â€Å"How c’n you stand to get drunk ‘fore eight in the morning? † (211). His purpose for appearing to be a drunk is to excuse himself in the eyes of his white peers for being married to a black woman and fathering racially mixed children. Racism was a large part in the lives of the families in Maycomb. Loyalty was an important theme during and after the trial in this novel. The first way loyalty is displayed is how Atticus sticks by Tom Robinson’s side through the trial. A lot of people in Maycomb have grown to be much better people and show maturity, racism, and loyalty in To Kill a Mockingbird.