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Character traits of jem and scout
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About jem finch in to kill a mockingbird book essay
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Public Education in the 1930’s is Not Valuable to Young Students.
School does not teach students the right and important knowledge they need to survive and thrive in the real world. In fact, based on fairtest.org, over 80% of the adults tested in a middle school exam, with four questions, answered three or less questions correctly. On the contrary to most school knowledge, many young adults struggle with maintaining their lifestyles and fitting in with the real world. The novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird” , written by author Harper Lee, introduces and develops two young, main characters: Scout and Jem Finch. One can see how they grow up and mature as time passes in the novel. However, school is not the factor that is helping that is helping Scout
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Scout and Jem have been shown how people’s opinions can affect and alter their lives with new feelings and conditions through experiencing it in real life outside of school. The novel describes an instance where others are bullying the Finch family because Atticus is defending a black man in the trial: Tom Robinson. The verbal assault Scout and Jem receive is harsh for young kids that are not directly involved in it, but Atticus makes sure to support Scout and Jem through the opposition: ““Scout,” said Atticus, “when summer comes you will have to keep your head about far worse things… it’s not fair for you and Jem...Scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man” (Lee 105). This quote shows the advice that Atticus gives to Scout to help her. Atticus explains how she should not let other people’s words hurt her and how he needs to help Tom in order to not feel guilty about the whole situation. Scout now knows how to deal with situations where she is facing oppression in the future which is something school does not teach her how to accomplish. This
The way and rate that people mature at can be directly attributed to the values and beliefs of the society that surrounds an individual. It is undeniable that society’s perspective on many controversial issues will generally be adopted by the younger generations in a given society. Moreover, the exposure to significant events, coupled with the major influence of family members, can have an enormous impact on how an individual matures. Additionally, family members greatly help each other develop into moral adults by instilling in each other values that will ultimately determine an individual’s character. In Harper Lee’s timeless classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, the constant reiteration of Atticus Finch’s values, in conjunction with the exposure to significant events, assist in Jem and Scout’s maturation into virtuous adolescents.
Childhood is a continuous time of learning, and of seeing mistakes and using them to change your perspectives. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates how two children learn from people and their actions to respect everyone no matter what they might look like on the outside. To Kill A Mockingbird tells a story about two young kids named Scout and her older brother Jem Finch growing up in their small, racist town of Maycomb, Alabama. As the years go by they learn how their town and a lot of the people in it aren’t as perfect as they may have seemed before. When Jem and Scout’s father Atticus defends a black man in court, the town’s imperfections begin to show. A sour, little man named Bob Ewell even tries to kill Jem and Scout all because of the help Atticus gave to the black man named Tom Robinson. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee illustrates the central theme that it is wrong to judge someone by their appearance on the outside, or belittle someone because they are different.
To Kill A Mockingbird tells the story of a young girl, Scout, who comes of age and eventually comprehends that not all people are open-minded, or kind. Scouts interactions with other people help to shape her and allow her to accept that not everyone has the same thoughts and opinions as her. Scout and Jem’s interactions with Atticus help the reader clearly understand that he is a responsible, courageous, and non judgmental man.
One of the first lessons taught in Mockingbird is the power of understanding other people’s perspectives. Initially, Scout has trouble empathizing with other people, especially her first Grade Teacher, Miss Caroline, whom Scout becomes frustrated at for not understanding Maycomb’s complex social structure. After hearing his daughter complain, Atticus tells Scout that she'll “get along a lot better with all kinds of folks [if she] considers things from [their] point of view” (39). After ‘standing in the shoes of another person’, it is much harder to be prejudiced towards that person. Indeed, this may be because a key tenet of prejudice is disregarding the views of whoever is being judged. Nevertheless, it proves difficult for Scout to grasp this relatively simple concept, who begins to hear rumors of Boo Radley, an enigma who has not been seen outside his home for over 30 years. Thus begins Jem and Scout’s quest to make Boo Radley come outs...
Scout is exposed to an unfair situation when the kids at her school start talking about and making fun of Atticus about defending a black person in the Tom Robinson case. “He announced in the schoolyard the day before that Scout Finch’s daddy defended Negros. I denied it.” Scout said on chapter nine, page ninety nine. This shows how Scout was in an unfair situation and was confused as to why Atticus was being accused of defending negros.
In ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’ written by Harper Lee, there is a precise sense of maturity that is shown by Jem and Finch Scout as the novel progresses. Jem and Scout Finch start to mature considerably throughout the novel once they realize what horrid things adults are capable of, get their moral strengths tested and become familiar with distinguishing right from wrong. Shaping them into the young adults they are. Growing up can mean taking on many tasks and responsibilities, being able to distinguish right from wrong, just like Scout had done on her first day of grade one when she was asked to read in front of the class but came across as showing off. “I knew I had annoyed Miss Caroline, so I let well enough alone and stared out the window until recess when Jem cut me from the covey of first-graders in the schoolyard.
Before the trials, the Finch family was undergoing various social conflicts as a result of Atticus’ defense on Tom Robinson, answering, “Do you defend niggers… Of course I do.” (Lee 99) Scout did nothing wrong, especially during the trials, yet she was inflicted with physical pain because of Atticus. Such as when Scout and Francis fought each other over the same matter of Francis calling Atticus an “n-word” lover. She obeyed Atticus, however, when she needed him the most before the trial, she was only inflicted with pain. Continuing, when Bob Ewell intended to kill Jem and Scout it made them both victims. As they walked along home and encountered Bob Ewell, Scout heard something, “He was running towards us with no child’s steps. Run Scout!...” (Lee 351). Bob Ewell intended to kill Jem and Scout, and as they struggled to run away, Jem and Scout were physically hurt. Jem and Scout were just walking home and had no association on inflicting harm to Bob Ewell in anyway. This scene made them victims, for they were used to get his revenge, when they had no faults. Adding on, Scout was a victim of social injustice and gender expectations. In an attempt to change Scout, Atticus says “...Jean Louise that you are not from run-of-the-mill people, that you are a product of several generations’ gentle breading-” (Lee 177) Scout had a hard time thinking Atticus was right about how different the world is in her perspective.
Atticus is a great leader of his family, teaching his children morals and life lessons. He makes them better people by showing them how to deal with the trial and people making fun of them. Atticus teaches Scout how to respect other people. First, Scout learns to respect Atticus, then to respect "Boo" Radley, and finally to respect a whole race of people, negroes. He makes it a common practice to live his life as he would like his children to live theirs, and thus displays the attributes of an honest, respectable, and kind man. Throughout the trial process, Atticus shows Jem and Scout that true courage is standing up for what you believe in and that all human beings, despite their race, deserve respect. "You never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." This quote shows that Atticus wants his children to get along with people, and so other people will respect them for whom they are.
In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, education played a huge role, especially in Jeremy Finch’s life. Known as Jem, he learned many valuable life lessons that not many people today even know. Throughout the novel, he learns bravery, in many different case scenarios. He also learns about cultural divisions and prejudice, which happens to be based on education.
Atticus, the father of Jem and Scout, was right when he said, ¨you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.¨ Scout realizes that Boo Radley is not who everyone rumors him out to be. Scout learns that you need to spend time with a person to find out who he truly is. She learns this after walking Boo Radley home after the disturbing experience the Finch kids had been in. Scout finally understood what life looked like from Boo Radley's perspective when she is standing with him on his front porch. Also, when Scout talks to Atticus at the end of the book he shows her how she has turned into a wonderful young lady. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee develops the theme that believing rumors will lead you to false assumptions unless you have walked in that person's shoes through imagery, characterization, and point of view.
Harper Lee uses a profusion amount of literacy features in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. From the extract on pages 38 and 39 from chapter 3, Jean Louise, also known as Scout, is home in Maycomb after a rough day at school, with Atticus, her father and Calpurnia, her cook and mother-like guardian, trying to comfort her. In this extract, Harper Lee portrays tenderness and devotion through the use of sensuous imagery and personification.
Growing up in Maycomb, Southern Alabama in the 1930s was not an easy thing. Amid a town of prejudice and racism, stood a lone house where equality and respect for all gleamed like a shining star amid an empty space. The house of Atticus Finch was that shining star. Jean Louise Finch, also known as “Scout”, is given the opportunity of being raised in this house by her father, Atticus. I stole this essay from the net. As she grows, Atticus passes down his values of equality and righteousness to Scout and her brother Jeremy Atticus Finch, also known as “Jem”. In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, by Harper Lee, we see Scout learns many lessons about dealing with prejudice by observing the behavior of other characters in the story.
Due to reformers in the Great Depression Era, education has changed and evolved much in the last hundred years. Education quality in the 1920s and 30s was severely lacking, due to money shortage. Scout and Jem Finch from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird have education quality surpassing most other schools of the time. Throughout the story, Scout is in first through third grade, while Jem is in fifth grade through high school. Most schools were in desperate need of help, and the school system in general needed help. Simply put, there was no money to fund schools, causing them to close and have old materials. In the 1930s, many people were not literate, which led to school reform and new state laws.
The morals for Scout and Jem to live by come from their father, Atticus Finch. He has experienced evils in his life, like the death of his wife, but he never lost faith in the good of people. He taught Scout and Jem right from wrong when they were young, because their mother was no longer around to teach them. Atticus understands that people have good and bad inside of them, but he feels that the good side can always overcome the bad side. This is true when he backed Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping Mr. Ewell’s daughter. Even though no one else helped Atticus out, he never gave up on Tom Robinson no matter how hard things got.
To Kill a Mockingbird “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 30). Atticus Finch teaches his children to look at life and people in a different way, and he also practices what he preaches to his children. By focusing on the coexistence of good and evil, the importance of moral education, and the existence of social inequality, one could argue to prove these points and how they form the themes of Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird. Throughout the novel, readers see the good and the evil come out of most people.