Morality In To Kill A Mockingbird
Teaching Morality in Children
A parent is someone who is a provider, protector, and a role model for their children. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird explores the society of the 1930’s in Maycomb, Alabama, where Atticus Finch is a lawyer and a single parent raising two children named Scout and Jem. Atticus leads by example through his work, and through his actions. He has a great impact on the character of his children, who grow up to be open-minded like him. In the article “Raising a Moral Child,” Adam Grant talks about the ways in which parents can teach their children to be good people. The methods that the author talk about are similar to the methods that Atticus uses to raise his children in To Kill a Mockingbird. Scientific studies have …show more content…
“‘She had her own views about things, a lot different from mine, maybe...Son, I told you that if you hadn't lost your head I'd have made you go read to her…. I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what’” (Lee 112). Atticus’ methods of nurturing his children are similar to the ones that Grant mentions in “Raising a Moral Child.” For instance, Atticus “[praises] good behavior” (Grant), when he shows that Jem did a good thing by going to read to Mrs. Dubose. He explains that it was the right thing to do, because it was a step in helping her overcome her morphine addiction, as well as the fact that it taught the children what “real courage is” (Lee). Atticus “responds to bad behavior” (Grant), when he points out that Jem had “lost his head” when he stomped on Mrs. Dubose’s flowers. Finally, Atticus communicates his values to his children when he explains that “[Mrs. Dubose] had her own views about things” (Lee). This conveys to his children that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and you can not be mean to a person simply because they disagree with you. Moreover, Atticus teaches his children an essential life lesson when he explains that courage is when someone does something because it is right, not because it will make you seem stronger or because it will result in a successful outcome. Through Atticus’ nurturing, Jem and Scout become good, ethical
A parent is someone who is a provider, protector, and a role model for their children. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird explores the society of the 1930’s in Maycomb, Alabama, where Atticus Finch is a lawyer and a single parent raising two children named Scout and Jem. Atticus leads by example through his work, and through his actions. He has a great impact on the character of his children, who grow up to be open-minded like him. In the article “Raising a Moral Child,” Adam Grant talks about the ways in which parents can teach their children to be good people. The methods that the author talk about are similar to the methods that Atticus uses to raise his children in To Kill a Mockingbird. Scientific studies have …show more content…
“‘She had her own views about things, a lot different from mine, maybe...Son, I told you that if you hadn't lost your head I'd have made you go read to her…. I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what’” (Lee 112). Atticus’ methods of nurturing his children are similar to the ones that Grant mentions in “Raising a Moral Child.” For instance, Atticus “[praises] good behavior” (Grant), when he shows that Jem did a good thing by going to read to Mrs. Dubose. He explains that it was the right thing to do, because it was a step in helping her overcome her morphine addiction, as well as the fact that it taught the children what “real courage is” (Lee). Atticus “responds to bad behavior” (Grant), when he points out that Jem had “lost his head” when he stomped on Mrs. Dubose’s flowers. Finally, Atticus communicates his values to his children when he explains that “[Mrs. Dubose] had her own views about things” (Lee). This conveys to his children that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and you can not be mean to a person simply because they disagree with you. Moreover, Atticus teaches his children an essential life lesson when he explains that courage is when someone does something because it is right, not because it will make you seem stronger or because it will result in a successful outcome. Through Atticus’ nurturing, Jem and Scout become good, ethical