To Kill a Mocking Bird - Connections

To Kill a Mocking Bird - Connections

The first relation to the real world is that people used the ‘N’ word

frequently. They used this word to refer to Afro-Americans during the

period when the book was written. People today still use it to refer

to Afro-Americans. I think it is unfair that they are being called

N@#$%&@ because it is a term that they really dislike. They would get

very angry if they were referred to as such. Many characters in the

story, such as Francis and Mrs. Dubbose, have used this term quite

regularly. They considered Afro-Americans as inferior human beings. In

today’s society, the description of black people as N@#$%&@ still

exists, but it has been toned down considerably, compared to when the

book was written.

Next, many parents in Maycomb did not teach their kids moral values.

This is evident because there were so many kids calling black people

the ‘N’ word. Atticus strongly believed in teaching his kids moral

values. Every time Scout or Jem had a problem, he sat them down and

advised them what was the right thing to do. When he told Jem to help

Mrs. Dubbose out and read to her, he refused. He did not know why

Atticus was so serious about it. When he found out that she was

addicted to morphine and his reading helped her to deal with it, he

understood and respected Atticus. He dealt with Scout the same way.

When she had a problem, he would sit her down and carefully explain to

her what was the right thing to do. Today, many parents do not teach

their kids moral values. This is evident because so much teen

rebellion is occurring. Parents should try to teach wisdom to their

kids as Atticus did. In my opinion, children think that their parents

do not understand them enough. There needs to be more discussion

between children and their parents.

The concept of walking away from fights is addressed in the book, and

can be related to real life today. Atticus was always advising Scout

and Jem to control themselves and walk away from fights. He said it

was better to fight with your head. Parents today always advise their

children to walk away from fights. They always say, “Use words, not

hands.” Jem and Scout listened to Atticus and tried their best to

avoid getting into fights at school. However, Scout still got into

some fights. Kids today also listen to their parents and try their

best to avoid fights. Yet, they still end up fighting just as Scout

did.

Sometimes in life you are faced with an unexpected situation.