To Kill A Mocking Bird
Amanda O’Donnell
Miss Greene
Adv. English 9
November 24, 2008
Teaching Lesson
Tom Boddett once said “In school, you’re taught a less and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson.” This quote describes the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Atticus teaches his kids many lessons. As he teaches them the lesson, they never go back, and break that lesson. They always keep it with them. The lessons don’t just come to them on purpose, but natural. In this novel, Atticus teaches it to them, and as the novel goes on the impact on the lessons starts to show on Scout and Jem.
From the beginning, Atticus taught his kids lessons. For instance, like when Atticus taught Scout how to get along with other people. When Scout was having trouble getting along with other kids and people, Atticus had a talk with her. While he was talking to Scout, Atticus taught her a life lesson. He was trying to tell Scout not to judge people, and consider their situation. He did this by saying “First of all, you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along better with all kinds of folks, you’ll never really understand a person, until you consider things from their point of view. Until you climb into their skin and walk around in it.” Scout took this into consideration, and it worked for her. This is just one of the valuable life lessons that Atticus taught his kids.
Another example is when Atticus taught Jem about courage. The evening that Atticus was shooting the dog, Atticus went home and told Jem what courage really is. Atticus tells Jem that courage is not just a man with a gun. It is much more. Atticus tell Jem “ I wanted to show you what courage really is, instead of you getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re liked before you begin, but you begin anyways, and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.” For a while Jem thought about this, and he...
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