TKM Life Lessons Essay
Life lessons are something you carry with you your whole life. They make you who you are. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee follows Jean Louise Finch, AKA Scout, as she learns many life lessons. These lessons are brought about because Scout’s father Atticus, a lawyer takes a case defending a black man, Tom Robinson, accused of rape. This case divides the city and teaches Scout many life lessons. Three life lessons Scout learns is to always hold her head high, be courageous, and protect the innocent.
One of the life lessons Scout learns is to hold her head high. First, Scout learns this life lesson from Atticus who has modeled this kind of mentality every day of his life. Scout realizes this when speaking with Atticus about why he took Tom’s case. He said to Scout, “‘...if I didn’t I
…show more content…
Specifically, Atticus teaches Scout this lesson when he tells her not to shoot mockingbirds because they didn’t do anything except bring music to the world. Atticus first says, “‘Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’”(Lee 93). Next Mrs. Maudie says, ‘“Your father’s right,’ she said. ‘Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy...but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’”(Lee 94). This expression not only teaches Scout to not shoot Mockingbirds because they don’t deserve it but also to not disrupt anything that doesn’t deserve it. Tom Robinson is considered a “Mockingbird” because he is innocent and Atticus is protecting him. When Scout sees the pill bug by her bed and wants to smash it Jem stops her because it didn’t do anything to her. Scout listens to Jem and can see that Jem is right. This is when she makes the connection that the pill bug is just like Tom Robinson. An innocent creature that doesn’t need to be bothered. Scout has learned to protect the innocent in To Kill A