Point Of View In To Kill A Mockingbird

In her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses point of view to present each character’s own attitude on different matters. In the novel, kids such as Scout and Jem experience and learn many lessons from the events in Maycomb that the adults have already learned. They discovered that their father, Atticus, has done some issues such as protecting Tom Robinson and letting Bob Ewell treat him unfairly, but in Atticus’s point of view, he thinks that it would be a good deed; however, the people of Maycomb has thought opposite of Atticus’s. The different points of view show how kids such as Scout and Jem can view matters differently than adults, and Harper Lee wants to show the true meaning and purpose of point of view by showing how adulthood

For example, after Atticus talks to the mob, Scout thinks Atticus “was giving him hell for not going home, but I was wrong,” (206) but beyond the kids’ understanding Atticus is showing “his one gesture of affection.” (206). In other words, Scout thinks Atticus was angry at the kids, but really Atticus is proud of the kids preventing the mob from kill Tom Robinson, but they did not realized what they have done for Atticus. The kids think they are going to be punished by Atticus, but Atticus views the matter differently. For example, during the talk between Atticus and his kids, Jem and Scout do not understand what Atticus was saying because he mentions that “Mr. Cunningham’s basically a good man...he just has his blind spots along with the rest of us,” (210) and he told Jem and Scout, “you’ll understand folks a little better when you’re older.” (210). In other words, Jem and Scout do not understand his point of view on Mr. Cunningham especially when he was in the middle of the mob. Since Atticus says Jem and Scout would understand better when they are older, it demonstrates how the adult’s world is different from the kid’s world. As a result, adults have their own points of view toward which the kids in the story are all growing and maturing.

The adults’ point of view is different from the kids’ because there are many lessons that they have to learn, especially Atticus’s words of being in someone’s shoes. Point of view shows how a person or character may view at a situation, but the true meaning of point of view is being in someone’s shoes and understanding their situation which is what Atticus has been doing. Harper Lee wants to show how a character can be a better character by understanding other people’s point of