Examples Of Avoid Ethnocentrism In To Kill A Mockingbird

DeAlbert Shephard

Mr.McAteer

Reading/T.K.A.M. Essay

May.20,2015

Avoid Ethnocentrism

Learning to understand others is a necessity for living in this world. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”-Atticus Finch. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, some characters take the time to understand others and some don’t, these characters consist of Atticus Finch, Bob Ewell, and Jem Finch. Jem and Atticus learn to understand which benefits them in the long run. It rewards them by bringing a good name upon them by other quality people. Because Bob Ewell fails to understand he is struck with bad luck all throughout the book, from losing a false case,

What makes him a good father is the fact that he teaches his two children, Jem and Scout, these qualities. Atticus teaches them not to be racist. “[Nigger-lover] is just one of those terms that don't mean anything- like snot-nose. It's hard to explain- ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody's favoring Negroes over and above themselves. It's slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody." (Lee ch 11 pg.144). “You aren’t really a nigger-lover, then, are you? "I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody . . . I'm hard put, sometimes- baby, it's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It shows you how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you."(Lee Ch.11 pg.144).Judge Taylor (purposely) assignees Atticus an African American, named Tom Robinson, knowing Atticus will willingly and,to the best of his ability defend Tom. "It is a sin to kill a mockingbird," and "Just because we were licked a hundred years ago, it doesn't mean we don't have to stop trying." Atticus, in these statements, shows that even though he knows he will lose this case he will still try to win. Atticus is an outstanding role model for his children. “Don’t educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be happy, so they know the value of things, not the price." Atticus is the best example of the meaning of this

Bob doesn't even support or understand his own children. "... Another thing, Mr. Bob Ewell, Burris’s father, was permitted to hunt and trap out of season. Atticus, that’s bad ... In Maycomb County, hunting out of season was a misdemeanor at law, a capital felony in the eyes of the populace. It’s against the law, all right ... and it’s certainly bad, but when a man [Bob Ewell] spends his relief checks on green whiskey his children have a way of crying from hunger pains. I don’t know of any landowner around here who begrudges those children any game their father can hit. Of course he shouldn’t, but he’ll never change his ways. Are you going to take out your disapproval on his children?" ( Lee ch.3 pg.40-41) Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” If Bob would have put his selfish actions aside and realised that the actions he took went beyond himself, and he may have been able to save his own