Lessons In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

A variety of lessons are taught to Scout and the reader in this award winning novel. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is about a young girl named Jean-Louise Finch, or more commonly known as Scout, growing up in 1930s Alabama USA with her father, Atticus, and brother, Jem. As she faces challenges, she is given guidance by many people around her. Her and the reader are taught how to communicate properly with people, how respect is given and gotten, and finally, equality among everything. The majority of these lessons (ignoring the wrong ones) are valuable and should be remembered by everyone, age aside.

Firstly, Scout and the reader are taught how to properly communicate and understand others. One of the characters who teach Scout about
Respect is very important to Atticus and he makes sure he teaches his children about it too, but he isn’t the only one teaching them how to be kind to others no matter who they were. One day, Scout invites Walter Cunningham over for dinner and he puts a lot of syrup on his dinner because he wants to take advantage of having it. Scout is not happy about Walter doing this and makes this very clear. Calpurnia, their help, pulls Scout to the side and tells her to stop. When Scout protests further, Calpurnia says, “‘Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house yo’ comp’ny.’” (Lee 33) She teaches Scout and the reader that you must respect your company and how they behave and live, no matter who they happen to be. Then, Miss Maudie, Scout’s neighbour, is talking with Scout about her father, Atticus. Miss Maudie tells her, “‘...we’re paying the highest tribute we can pay a man, we trust him to do right. It’s that simple.’”(Lee 316) She is telling scout that trust is one of the highest forms of respect. Finally, an encounter with another neighbour, Mrs. Dubose, leaves Scout and the reader with a slightly different life lesson. Scout tags along with Jem to Mrs. Dubose’s house to read to her and when she says something, Jem says something under his breath. Then, Mrs. Dubose says to him, “‘Don’t you mutter at me, boy! You hold up your head and say yes ma’am.’” (Lee 146) Scout and the reader learn
Near the beginning of the book, Scout asks why the Cunninghams pay Atticus in food instead of money. Atticus replies, “‘Because that’s the only way he can pay me. He has no money.’” (Lee 27) Atticus lets the cunninghams pay him with what they have, teaching Scout and the reader that a rich person in this situation wouldn’t go into debt so a poor person should be able to avoid debt too. They both have the right to pay with what they have, be it money or food. Next, Scout brings Walter Cunningham home for dinner, and when she gets pulled from the table, Calpurnia also said, “‘There’s some folks who don’t eat like us...but you ain’t called on to contradict.’” (Lee 32) She teaches that some people don’t have the same privileges as others but that doesn’t mean they should be treated any differently. Also, Atticus has another good point for scout when she comes home and starts complaining about school. He says, “‘-you never really understand a person until you climb into their skin and walk around in it.’” (Lee 39) He teaches that you shouldn’t judge someone before you get to know them because they could be going through something you don’t know about and it doesn’t make them lower than you. They are still equal to you, they are still a person. With these lessons, Scout and the reader learn that everyone is equal to you because everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes. Also,