To kill a mockingbird

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What is one of the most paramount life lessons? Perhaps, it is the ability to accept and truly understand other people. This universal theme is shown throughout To Kill A Mockingbird. Jem and Scout learn to accept and understand people mainly through Atticus. Atticus teaches the kids about tolerance with his own actions. As a result, Jem and Scout become more dynamic characters by the end of the novel. There are several times when Atticus shows tolerance in front of the kids: he lets the Cunninghams pay him back in goods, he praises Ms. Dubose, and leads Jem and Scout to the consummate understanding of Boo Radley. Tolerance is intertwined within To Kill A Mockingbird, and allows Jem and Scout to be more benevolent people.
Scout first notices Atticus’s tolerance when she realizes Mr. Cunningham was bringing them goods in order to pay for Atticus’s services. Scout questions Atticus about Mr. Cunningham’s doings. ‘“Why does he pay you like that?’ ‘Because that’s the only way he can pay me. He has no money”’ (Lee 27). Atticus understands the Cunninghams’ situation and allows them to pay him with what they can. The Finches are poor, but not as poor as the Cunninghams. Atticus knew that the crash hit farmers the hardest, and that the Cunninghams are hardworking people. This shows tolerance because Atticus is having a hard time also. He fathoms the others and makes exceptions to those who are worse off than him. Atticus is not the only person in Maycomb who acts in the same manner; for example, Dr. Reynolds also charges patients with what they can give. ‘“Did you know, that Dr. Reynolds works the same way? He charges some folks a bushel of potatoes for delivery of a baby”’ (Lee 28). Later in the novel, Atticus ap...

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...s theme when she stands on Boo’s porch. She put herself in Boo’s shoes and views Maycomb from his point of view. This is a fundamental point in Scout’s life as she is able to understand Atticus’s life lessons.
Tolerance is revealed throughout To Kill A Mockingbird and allows Jem and Scout to comprehend this important aspect of life. Atticus mainly shows this theme through several events: He allows the Cunninghams to pay him in goods rather than money, he tolerates Ms. Dubose and even admires her, and finally, he leads his kids to the point when they are able to entirely apprehend other people’s points of view. This makes Jem and Scout into much more charismatic characters by the end of the novel. Tolerance is one of the chief themes of today’s society; Harper Lee appreciated the significance of tolerance and convoluted this theme in To Kill A Mockingbird.

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