Examples Of Mistakes In To Kill A Mockingbird

As a child progresses in their life, they learn proper behavior; most of which is learned through mistakes. For example, if a child participates in an immoral act, such as swearing, a parent could yell at that child and punish them for cursing. By punishing a child for doing something wrong, the child realizes they made a mistake, and will be less likely to make the same mistake in the future. However, if the parent had not yelled at the child, the child would not know any better and most likely continue cursing. The method of a child learning by mistakes is very effective in any situation, and instead of fearing mistakes, children can learn to embrace errors and move forward with maturity, success and wisdom. In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Jem and Scout Finch
Firstly, Scout and Jem Finch learn the following lesson: don’t judge people by your own standards, especially when you are more privileged than they are. In Maycomb County, many people were poorer than the Finch’s were. For example, a specific family, the Cunningham’s, were known all around Maycomb for being one of the lowliest families. When Walter, one of the Cunningham children, went over to the Finch’s house for dinner one afternoon, he began pouring molasses all over his food. Pouring the hot syrupy mixture on food must have been a custom in the Cunningham family, but Scout, however, thought it was disgusting. In front of everyone at the dinner table, including her father and Calpurnia, their maid, Scout began to protest the fact that he had drowned his dinner in syrup, and that it was highly repulsive. Upon hearing Scout’s blatant distaste, Calpurnia pulled Scout into the kitchen to yell at her. Calpurnia told Scout that when they have company, she must be respectful of their ways, since not everyone eats like they do. When Scout