Perception vs. Reality

In Harper Lee’s phenomenal novel To Kill a Mockingbird and Olive Anne Burn’s Cold Sassy Tree, a character’s perception must change to better suit the reality in which they live. In each novel, the character begins the book by accepting society’s biased views of life and how it should be lived. As the works progress, the characters experience something that requires a change in view point and this experience often comes at the novel’s climatic moment. As the reader continues to digest the literature, they find that towards the end, the characters have developed a less prejudiced view of life. Their perception has changed to match their reality. We see this in Scout Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird and in Will Tweedy, the young man from Cold Sassy Tree.

Both characters are dynamic; changing throughout the novel, and begin their character arch in a place of complacency. Scout absentmindedly accepts the racial prejudices of her town as something that is right and normal. Will accepts his society’s social and class restrictions without a backward glance. With these characters serving as examples, the reader quickly realizes that society’s views are impacted in our minds from childhood, wedging themselves against morals and decisions like wisdom teeth grown in wrongly. Like wisdom teeth, these biased views must be removed, and the characters begin to notice that their well-accepted preconceptions are not necessarily accurate…

Suspicions are cemented in the climactic moment in each novel. To Kill a Mockingbird’s Scout Finch witnesses the Tom Robinson trial, watches as Robinson is wrongly convicted, and is a victim of a cruel reaction from the accuser; Bob Ewell. Ewell savagely attacks Scout and her brother Jem on their way home from a...

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...ognizing wrong perceptions; experiencing something that changes opinions permanently; and last, but not least, developing new convictions, opinions, and perceptions. These are phases that we go through as Christ Followers as well. We are called to be dynamic so that people can see Christ alive in us. In order to do that, we must allow God and Christ to change our perception to match the reality to which He has called us. He accomplishes this through His Own ways, and we must remain malleable like clay in His hands. He is the potter, and we are called to trust Him. He always makes beautiful pots that abundantly hold the Spirit! The Author has created the grandest plot in the most mind-blowing tale of all time. The study question thus arises; are we willing to accept change and be the character He has designed for us to be? The answer is written clearly in our lives.