To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee: Character Analysis

Ever wonder what life would sound like if all the people look and think alike? If all the people are interested in the same stuff, and if all of them eat, buy, and live similarly? Well, life would be a total disaster. That’s why each and every person has different interests and different dreams. In fact, the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” which is told through the eyes of Scout Finch, that describes Maycomb County, its cultures and belief systems, and talks about Atticus Finch who hopelessly strives to prove the innocence of a black man accused of rape. Also, talks about Boo Radley, a mysterious neighbor who saves Scout and her brother Jem from being killed, clearly depicts the variant character traits and independent beliefs of the characters.

To start with, it is a must that individuals think wisely and independently about their own dreams, goals and interests to be able to succeed in life despite the society’s expectations. According to Abigail Brenner (2015), in order to live a fruitful life, teens and young adults should be encouraged to expand their choices and decisions. She says that having individually some ideas of what to do will help make the big decisions easier to become true. Moreover, one of the important keys in life is for everyone to feel at ease with himself/herself. According to Charlene Proctor (2011), self-power grows through self-appreciation and self-nurturing. Being at ease is accepting who each and every one is. He adds by saying that people, who know who they are, express self-love calmly and confidently. For example, in the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird”, Mr. Radley, the neighbor who everyone thought was mysterious and scary, turned out to be following his own will. Despite the society’s rumors and accusements, he wasn’t affected by anything. Instead, he did what he wanted, listened to himself, and stayed at home (Lee, 1960, p.65). In addition to his independent choice, Jem, scout’s brother, also stood up for his opinion. “No tutorial system devised by man could have stopped him from getting at books.” (p.

Moreover, Rousseau (1750), who was the father of Social Contract, believed that man in his purest state was free of the dregs of society. By focusing on and being true to the self in the face of societal pressures, individuals can come closer to the idyllic state of nature. Through self-integrity and self-reliance, individuals strive to attain freedom, and self-expression empowers them. Referring to the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird”, Atticus Finch defended the negro man even though the society said not to take the risk. Yet, he defended him because he thought that it’s the right thing to do. Therefore, Atticus expresses freedom in his act despite all the society that was against what he was doing (Lee, 1960,