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How Is Atticus Learned In To Kill A Mockingbird

Decent Essays

Throughout the story, Atticus teaches Jem and Scout multiple life lessons that they can’t learn from books, making him a loved character. On the first day of school, Scout has a rough day and dislikes her teacher, Miss Caroline. She mentions to Atticus that she doesn’t want to go back to school, but he explains, “You can never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view” (Lee39). This statement illustrates that he is a man who respects everyone, and he does an exceptional job at explaining to his daughter to not judge a person. This is a reason why many people are drawn to his character because although it is a theme that needs to be taught, many Maycomb parents don’t mention it. Later in the novel, Atticus stresses …show more content…

On one particular day, an ill, old woman named Mrs. Dubose made a rude remark towards Jem and Scout mentioning that their father is, “… no better than the niggers and trash he works for…” (Lee 135), referring to a case that their father has just taken. Jem loses his temper and destroys the old lady’s camellia flowers. When Atticus finds out about his sons actions, he allows Mrs. Dubose to make Jem read to her every day for one month. One night when the month is over, Atticus goes to see her and finds out that she has passed. He explains to his son how she had been addicted to a drug called morphine that helped her with the pain she experienced from a terminal illness, and that she was determined to break the habit before she died. Although Jem didn’t understand at first, Atticus is able to turn his punishment into a message by showing him that what Mrs. Dubose did took real courage. She knew there was only a few months until her death and she would experience horrendous withdraw symptoms when going off morphine, but she still choses to do it. Atticus expresses a particular way of educating his kids on a crucial life lesson; this is one of the reasons why Atticus is such a revered character in American

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