Tkam Final

Casteel 1
Kierstin Casteel
Honors English 10
Ms. Akers
9/3/17
Mockingbirds dont do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They dont eat up
peoples gardens, dont nest in corncribs, they dont do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.
Thats why its a sin to kill a mockingbird (90). In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows
many fundamentals of living that have been disregarded in this small 1930s southern town.
Fundamentals of living are rules by which everybody should live their life to the fullest extent. In
her book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee showcases two prime fundamentals; parents shape
the way their children develop and one should never judge someone by what is on the outside.
Firstly, it is said how parents sculpt the minds of their children. The book To Kill a
Mockingbird showcases the creation beautiful pottery or conversely wet clumps of clay. Atticus
Finch has significantly shaped the minds of his children, Jem and Scout. Atticus has passed on
his wisdom to Jem through his every day raising techniques creating beautiful pottery of a child.
Jem has finally wised up and presents it to the readers through his theory on why Boo stays
inside his house, I think Im beginning to understand why Boo Radly has stayed shut up all
this time Its because he wants to stay inside. (227). He has figured out the evil ways of the
town through his own reasoning which was shaped by Atticus. On the opposite spectrum of
atticus, Aunt Alexandra has a low opinion of Calpurnia and takes any chance she gets to dig into
Cal. Her disapproval comes from her biased opinion of black people which comes out in her
disapproval of Atticus deciding to defend Tom Robinson. Her bias has been passed through her
children and into Francis, her grandson. While Scout, Atticus, and Jem were visiting family,
Casteel 2
Francis temps Scout into a fight by saying, I guess it aint your fault if Uncle Atticus is a
n****r lover besides, but Im here to tell you it certainly does mortify the rest of the family.
(83). His beliefs show just how far down the family tree a parents influence can reach. This fact
has also come into play during the trial when Mayella shows her previous experiences with
respect. In this excerpt, Mayelle is upset with Atticus during the trial when she states, Wont
answer a word you say long as you keep on mockin me, she said. Maam? asked Atticus,
startled., (181). Mayella automatically assumes that Atticus is making fun of her when in reality
Atticus is treating her with respect. She has never been treated with any reverence before which
is why she assumes incorrectly. Bob, Mayellas father, has never shown any consideration to his
to his daughters feelings which has caused her to turn out harsh and rude. The household and
teachings a child is brought up under, can vastly impact the mind and character of a child.
Secondly, the reasoning behind not judging something by what is clear to the eye, can be
used in most aspects of life. This book has one of the strongest portrayals of this fundamental
law. Tom Robinson is one of the most misunderstood people in this novel. Tom is an honest and
caring man yet the town could not see one centimeter deeper below his skin color to make that
revelation. The small minded southern town approaches Toms case with bias against him.
Almost nobody in the town knew him personally yet they still attacked him just because of his
race. They judged him before he was even deemed guilty. The townspeople judged him before
any of the evidence was brought to light. Even then, they chose to ignore the evidence and still
show him prejudice. In the same aspect, Boo Radly was seen as a scary and crazed figure Boo
drove the scissors into his parents leg. Pulled them out, whipped them on his pants, and resumed
his activities, (11). Scout, Jem, and Dill would terrorize Boo all throughout their childhood
summers. They never met Boo but only heard what was whispered in street corners and
Casteel 3
overheard from conversations. They would make it a game to see who could get closer to his
house. The kids never knew him; therefore, they had not right to judge him. During one of the
very last scenes of the book, Boo saves Jem and Scout from Bob and carries Jem back to their
house. Even after all of the torment he went through from the kids, he still found it in his heart to
save them. He shows himself to be kind and caring to those who did nothing to show any
concern for the man. A books cover can seem unsavory but it could be filled with the most
heartwarming story. One would never know the heartwarming story if they had just thrown that
book away based on the torn cover.
The fundamentals of life shown in this book are never judge a book by its cover and
parents shape how their child develops. Bob, Atticus, and Alexandria have all shaped their
childrens minds whether they intended to or not and for better or worse. There is not much
others can do to change it. The cover of most people may seem dilapidated and drab yet
everybody has a background story that defines who they are and one should not judge a person
before knowing their whole story.

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Casteel 1

book away based on the torn cover.

before knowing their whole story.

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