The children learn right from wrong through many events in the novel, but Atticus teaches them specifically about how to be mature and to respect everybody even if they are different. If the kids are taught well when they are young, they might become good role models and they might be a good help in the future. It was good that Atticus allowed the kids to stay and watch the trial because it showed them how badly Black people were treated and Atticus wanted them to grow up and be able to respect everybody. “I agreed: they did not want us here. I sensed, rather than saw, that we were being advanced upon. They seemed to be drawing closer to us, but when I looked up at Calpurnia there was amusement in her eyes. When I looked down the pathway again, Lula was gone. In her place was a solid mass of colored people (119).” This quote supports my claim because it shows that African Americans respect whites and that Atticus taught the kids well because they are respecting all different kind of people. The quote also represents that Jem and Scout are maturing and growing up. “Cry about the simple hell people give other people without even thinking. Cry about the hell white people give colored folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people, too” (201). This quote shows that White people mistreat colored people and it shows that it is time for a change in the way people act on others.
Jem’s interaction with Mrs. Dubose teaches him what real courage is. Courage is standing up for yourself or for someone else. Jem new that Mrs. Dubose had a lot of courage because she wanted to break her morphine addiction. “She’d have spent the rest of her life on it and died without so much agony, but she was too contrary (111).” This quote shows that Mrs. Dubose had courage because she had the guts to try and defeat her morphine addiction. It showed Jem that he can step up and have courage just like Mrs. Dubose. If Jem and Scout paid attention to Mrs. Dubose, they would probably learn a lot of different things from her. Both Jem and Scout thought that their father was courageous when he shot a dog in just one shot, but that was not really courage because that was something that he knew what the outcome would be. To be courageous, you can’t know what will happen next because that is not as brave.
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