As the predominant idol to Jem and Scout over the course of the novel, Atticus demonstrates that the ambitions people achieve deserve commemoration, even if their activities and stances are contentious. After vandalizing the entirety of Mrs. Dubose’s camellia bush garden, Jem attempts to justify his stunt to Atticus. Citing Mrs. Dubose’s appalling insults directed towards his father, Jem firmly believes that this vindicates him from any form of punishment. Consequently, Atticus makes it mandatory for Jem to read for Mrs. Dubose for over a month. After Jem finished his exercise, Atticus informs his children of Mrs. Dubose’s death roughly one month later. Revealing that Mrs. Dubose had an addiction to morphine, Atticus highlights that she retained …show more content…
He wants to educate them so they can learn to accept other people. After Scout came back from school, she told Atticus that she had no desire to participate in school anymore. She explains that her teacher, Miss Caroline, does not want Atticus to read to her anymore or teach her. Atticus tells Scout that she could have better relations with people if she knew to look at another person’s perspective. He says “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (39). In this scene, Atticus tells Scout this so that she can eventually learn to look at other points of view and see the importance this has on getting along with other people. Atticus wants Scout to know that understanding an individual is key to understanding why they do the things they do, instead of classifying it as right or wrong based solely on her own …show more content…
Colored folks won’t have ‘em because they’re half white; white folks won’t have ‘em ‘cause they’re colored, so they’re just in-betweens, don’t belong anywhere. (215)’
Both Walter and Boo were met with harsh responses because they were different from the people from society. The mixed children are cast away by both white and black people and are viewed as their own distinct group. Jem recognizes that people who are perceived differently by society were considered inferior and treated harshly as he witnessed it and was once part of it. At the end of chapter 23, Jem shows signs that he really is starting to mature, to see other people’s points of view when approaching future situations.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, expresses her message that empathy is a necessary component for people to understand and bond, and how the utter disregard for looking at another person’s point of view can be disastrous for society. The timeless appeal of this novel has made it a national treasure, a product of Lee’s childhood and her experiences. Some may argue that this novel is more relevant today than 50 years ago when this novel was written, because To Kill a Mockingbird criticises division itself and it promotes unity, reminding people to look at the world through the eyes of another, not just their