Examples Of Agape Love In To Kill A Mockingbird

“Agape is understanding, creative, redemptive good will toward all men. Agape is an overflowing love which seeks nothing in return. Theologians would say that it is the love of God operating in the human heart. When you rise to love on this level, you love all men not because you like them, not because their ways appeal to you, but you love them because God loves them.” ~Martin Luther King. Agape love is where you love someone no matter what they are physically or mentally because God loves them. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, she expresses agape love through many of the characters. In the story, which takes place in Maycomb County Alabama in the 1930s, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch learns about the racism and discrimination at the time. Her father, Atticus Finch, hopelessly defends an African-American who is being unrightfully accused of rape. She also learns about the true Boo Radley, the man who she thought was a monster but ended up saving her and her brother from being killed by the accuser of the case. Harper Lee’s novel teaches its readers about how Boo and Atticus do what’s good, not for themselves, but for others. To Kill a Mockingbird is a “simple love story” because of the

These kind and selfless acts, are what make Boo and Atticus such noble and respectable characters. Even their small acts of kindness are considered love from the contrast shown throughout the book. Like Yin and Yang, there is no good without bad and no bad without good. The setting of the book is surrounded by such racism and prejudice that small things are considered cordial. Then the big things like Boo saving Scout and Jem and the black community sending food to the Finch household are considered beyond heroic. Even in the corrupted area that is the South in the 1930s, they still do their best to love everybody and do what’s good, not for themselves, but for