In the first part of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee the story is seen through the eyes of Scout, a young girl in Maycomb, Alabama learning from her surroundings; such as the gossip-full neighborhood she lives in, the peculiar family across the street, the Radleys, and Scout’s elders, Miss Maudie, a neighbor, and her father, Atticus. Scout learns differently from all of these people. Her neighbors share the rumors of Maycomb, whereas Miss Maudie and Atticus are trying to teach her valuable life lessons, such as respect and humility. What the reader is learning throughout the text is that although one’s ignorance to the truth about others and reception of rumors may influence one’s morals, the wisdom of elders has a greater impact. When in a situation that can be interpreted in many ways, Scout has difficulty deciding how she feels about it. She must decide if she is looking at it as a child, or as an adult. …show more content…
When Atticus is talking to Scout about Cecil Jacobs calling him n***** lover is the prime example. Atticus tells Scout, “...do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down...Try fighting with your head for a change…,”(Lee 87) because he wants to to have strong, sophisticated morals. Atticus is trying to contradict the impacts that the rumors had on her. He wants to to be mentally fit by, “fighting with [her] head for a change” instead of with her hands. Atticus is Scout's father and has the greatest influence on her and how she is as a person. As a result of Atticus’ teaching, Scout “dropped [her] fists and walked away” (Lee 88) and she felt noble for her actions. She felt like a good person and wanted to stay that way, proving that Atticus changed the way she thought, whereas her neighbors changed the way she acted. Atticus had a greater moral impact, not just a physical one. When Scout is not learning from Atticus, Miss Maudie takes