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Virtues In 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

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Recommended: The nature of virtue aristotle

James Park
Professor High
Films of Moral Struggle
9/16
Critical Response 1
In the Nicomachean Ethics Book 1-3. Aristotle clarifies that there are two types of virtue, thought (intellectual) and moral, and the relationship between nature and habit. Virtue of thought is the knowledge gained from teachings and has the prerequisites of experience and time while, the virtue of character is the result of habituation. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that the virtues of character are not innate in us and is developed by habituation. Anything that occurs in nature in a specific behavioral pattern acts in such a manner that it is impossible to be altered to behave in another fashion. In other words, it is safe to say that the virtues of character that …show more content…

In To Kill a Mockingbird, this statement has a special meaning because much of the previous generation in the book possesses the hatred and racism that stems back to the Civil War and beyond. The children in this film can be represented as bridges from the previous generation to a new generation. Atticus purposely raises his children strictly that he hopes will allow them to be a bridge in which hatred and racism are exterminated. As stated before, there are virtues that we acquire by having previously habituated them. Another example of this is the habituation of the citizens of a specific city to conform along with the city’s laws. This the goal of every legislator and makes the difference between a good and bad political system. This example supports the representation of the adult characters due to the fact that they were habituated, with regards to the time period, into considering each other as “different” due to the color of their skins. The state of character arises from the repetition of similar activities, such as conforming to laws. Aristotle firmly states that it is important that to acquire one sort of habit or another, right from our youth. This supports Atticus’s intentions of burning the bridges of the past in order to raise his children, the new youth, to eradicate the grief of the previous

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At the end of all three of these characters’ trails and tribulations, Atticus Finch and Thomas more, the characters whom followed moral principles and made their choices based on what is right, are the ones who are satisfied with themselves. Even though Atticus lost the trail and Thomas lost his life, they are happy and they know that they have done all they can to help other people and still abide to their own conscience. Alex, on the other hand, wants to change at the end of the novella. He isn’t happy with the way his life is, and he wants to make his life better for himself and also for the people around him. He is on the verge of adapting a moral lifestyle.

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This quote relates very well because Atticus tells them that to not be like the other kids and to be equal it shows how the parent has powerful influences over the child and not friends. Clearly, this is agreeable going both ways as in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird and in real life friends that can have powerful influences than a parent. The situation with Arthur in the novel goes well with how he has more powerful influences with friends than with parents. In today’s world, it can be very different depending on the situations, but, the older they get, the more they agree with their friends idea and parents don’t have a powerful influence

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Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. Jem is a character in Harper Lee's’ novel “To Kill a Mockingbird," Jem who is a twelve year old, he is the son of Atticus Finch, who is a lawyer in Maycomb. Jem begins to show his coming of age when Lee writes “Jem was twelve. He was difficult to live with, inconsistent, moody. His appetite was appalling, and he told me so many times to stop pestering him.”(Lee 115).

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What comes to mind when you think of heroic acts? Most people imagine major events where someone did something courageous. Harper Lee would argue otherwise. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee supports the idea of everyday heroes, people who don’t do anything major but still try their hardest to improve the lives of others.

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Moral courage, spiritual courage, social courage, emotional courage, and physical courage is shown in To Kill A Mockingbird which is a good thing. Just like in the beginning of the book when Scout describes how Jem wouldn’t give up even though his left arm wasn’t normal he shows moral courage, spiritual courage, emotional courage, and physical courage. All Jem dreams of doing is joining the football team, but his arm wasn’t good enough, and he is giving his best and showing the four most important types of courage which are moral courage, spiritual courage, emotional courage, and physical courage. He went ahead and pursued his dreams even though he did not imagine to be like the way he is when his left arm is damaged, but he still followed his dream of playing football, and he did not make his damaged elbow wreck his Dreams.

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Values in To Kill a Mockingbird To Kill a Mockingbird shows that you should not judge a book by its cover, that actions speak louder than words, and that seemingly good people can be filled with exuberant flaws. There are several examples of characters in To Kill a Mockingbird that are portrayed as bad people in the beginning of the book that turn out to be heroes. Other characters such as Mrs. Merriweather and Aunt Alexandra criticise others and are generally hypocritical, even though they come across as pinnacles of politeness and wholesome values. Because characters such as Boo Radley and Mrs. Dubose are originally shown as bad people and then are shown as heroic and other supposedly good people like Mrs. Merriweather are shown to be hypocritical and callous, this book shows that it is of the utmost importance to thoroughly examine a person before you judge them, and that hypocrisy or other faults of character can be present in people with pious reputations.

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In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, some people do not recognize that someone wants to help them. The people mentioned had been given or received kindness from someone but they do not know that they are trying to help. The types of kindness that will be shown is kindness within the Finch family, kindness shown through neighbours, and kindness of acquaintances. It is shown that kindness is taken for granted.

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