Examples Of Tolerance In To Kill A Mockingbird

Throughout Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," Atticus Finch serves as a model of tolerance. He consistently demonstrates his conviction that others should be treated with empathy and understanding. One of the most prominent examples of Atticus' tolerance is his defense of Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Despite the community's intense racism and prejudice, Atticus maintains his belief in Tom's innocence and fights for his rights in court. This shows his tolerance and acceptance of people of different races and his refusal to be swayed by the prejudices of others. As Atticus says, "I'm no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and in the jury system - that is no ideal to me, it is a living,

A court is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up" (Chapter 17, page 273). This statement emphasizes Atticus' belief that the court system and the people within it are only as good as the individuals within them, as well as his belief in the ability of the people to be fair and just. Furthermore, Atticus teaches his children, Scout and Jem, to see the world through different eyes and to treat others with empathy and understanding. As Atticus says to Scout, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it" (Chapter 3, page 30). This quote emphasizes Atticus' belief in the value of understanding and tolerance for others. He also teaches Scout to avoid judging others, as he says, "Before you can live a part of somebody else's life, you gotta spend a lot of time in their skin" (Chapter 28, page 316). This demonstrates Atticus' belief that understanding and tolerance go hand in hand, and that it is important to understand others before passing judgment on

Scout's growing understanding and acceptance of the people in her community, flaws and all, is one of the most significant ways she demonstrates tolerance. Scout, for example, is terrified of Arthur "Boo" Radley at first and believes the rumors that he is a "monster”. However, as she learns more about him and his situation, she starts to see him as a human being and develops empathy for him. This is demonstrated when Scout says "I was too old and too big for such childish things, but I knew that Jem's ideas about Arthur Radley were, to him, as real as the things he could see" (Chapter 6). This shows that Scout is growing in her understanding of people and her ability to empathize with them. Another example of Scout's tolerance can be seen in her interactions with her father's client, Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Despite the intense racism and prejudice of the community, Scout is able to see Tom as a person, and not just as a black man. This is demonstrated when Scout says "Tom Robinson, a human being in white men's world" (Chapter 23). Through this statement, Scout is able to see the humanity in Tom and understand the injustice of his situation. In addition, Scout's relationship with her father Atticus Finch, who serves as a model of tolerance throughout the story, also helps her to