Review Of Assumptions In Harper Lee's 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Atticus tells his daughter, Jean Louise (Scout), “You never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around it.” (Pg. 39) In the book, there are three instances where assumptions are made and later proven false. One involves the rumors about Boo Radley; another is Atticus’s lack of skills due to his age, and the last involves Tom Robinson committing a crime. Harper Lee advises the readers to consider other people’s lives before making assumptions or judging them.

The first instance of assumption is when most of the county’s children assume that Boo Radley is crazy and his father has him hidden away from the world. When Jem says “I hope you’ve got it through your head that he’ll kill each and every one of us, Dill Harris.” (Pg. 129) he’s assuming that Boo is a crazy man who stabbed his father, yet he is not. Later on in the book, it is proven that Boo is just a man who cannot go outside due to his albinism. He is not crazy like most of the county’s children thought

When Scout and Jem are outside, they find a rabid dog and go to tell Calpurnia. Calpurnia calls the sheriff to come and deal with the dog before it hurts somebody. When the sheriff arrives, he brings Atticus with him. Atticus shoots and kills the dog, Tim Johnson, in one single shot to the head. Miss Maudie said, "Forgot to tell you the other day that besides playing the Jew's harp, Atticus Finch was the deadest shot in the Maycomb County in his time." (Pg.