Perception In To Kill A Mockingbird
An old writer, Aldous Huxley, once said, “There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.” This quote explains that everyone has different perspectives, but they can change when more knowledge is acquired. Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is set in the south during the 1930’s when many struggle to see other people's perspectives. The trial of Tom Robinson; an innocent, black man who is convicted of raping a white woman, causes the people of Maycomb to see racism in a perspective that they normally don’t think about. Jem’s limited perspective of Maycomb changes over the course of the novel due to the experience of the trial and the time spent with Mrs. Dubose.
At the beginning of the novel,
Jem has a limited understanding of people living in Maycomb and how they think. During the trial, Jem doesn’t realize that although Atticus is winning, Tom will end up guilty. Jem says confidently, “...we’re gonna win, Scout. I don’t know how we can’t” (Lee 270). This emphasizes Jem’s restricted view of Maycomb and that black people aren’t treated equally and end up guilty even if the evidence proves them to be innocent. Furthermore, Mrs. Dubose says something offensive to Jem about Atticus defending black people. This provokes Jem to ruin her camellias and Atticus points out, “Son, I have no doubt that you’ve been annoyed by your contemporaries…, but to do something like this to a sick old lady is inexcusable” (138). This incident highlights Jem’s small perspective and how he ruins Mrs. Dubose’s yard without knowing more about her. Given these points, Jem’s maturity leads to his limited perspective of Maycomb.
Over the course of the book, Jem begins to understand Maycomb and the people that live there. After Atticus loses the trial, he tells Jem that it’s just how it is in the world. Jem realizes, “There are four kinds of folks in the world. There’s the ordinary kind like us and our neighbors, there’s the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down and the dump, and the Negroes” (302). Jem recognizes that there are varying kinds of people in Maycomb who live and think differently from him. Also, after Jem destroys Mrs. Dubose’s camellias and as punishment, reads to her for 5 weeks, Mrs. Dubose dies. She left him a white camellia as a present. Atticus mentions, “I wanted you to see something about her - I wanted you to see what real courage is” (149). Jem understands that Mrs. Dubose was a caring, brave woman and this changes his perspective and causes him to be more open-minded. The witnessing of the trial and his experiences with Mrs. Dubose causes Jem to see people and Maycomb in general, in a differing way.
Aldous Huxley’s quote connects to Jem when he starts out the novel perceiving events differently than he does at the end. He gains information that makes him see situations from another perspective. On the whole, the observation of Tom Robinson’s trial and spending time with Mrs. Dubose leads Jem’s restricted perspective of Maycomb to change. Jem comes to the realization that there are different types of people in Maycomb who think in another way than him, like the people in the trial. Jem also perceives Mrs. Dubose as a grouchy, old woman, but learns that she is a caring, brave woman. Ultimately, Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird teaches people to be more open-minded and look at everything from another perspective.
At the beginning of the novel,
Jem has a limited understanding of people living in Maycomb and how they think. During the trial, Jem doesn’t realize that although Atticus is winning, Tom will end up guilty. Jem says confidently, “...we’re gonna win, Scout. I don’t know how we can’t” (Lee 270). This emphasizes Jem’s restricted view of Maycomb and that black people aren’t treated equally and end up guilty even if the evidence proves them to be innocent. Furthermore, Mrs. Dubose says something offensive to Jem about Atticus defending black people. This provokes Jem to ruin her camellias and Atticus points out, “Son, I have no doubt that you’ve been annoyed by your contemporaries…, but to do something like this to a sick old lady is inexcusable” (138). This incident highlights Jem’s small perspective and how he ruins Mrs. Dubose’s yard without knowing more about her. Given these points, Jem’s maturity leads to his limited perspective of Maycomb.
Over the course of the book, Jem begins to understand Maycomb and the people that live there. After Atticus loses the trial, he tells Jem that it’s just how it is in the world. Jem realizes, “There are four kinds of folks in the world. There’s the ordinary kind like us and our neighbors, there’s the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down and the dump, and the Negroes” (302). Jem recognizes that there are varying kinds of people in Maycomb who live and think differently from him. Also, after Jem destroys Mrs. Dubose’s camellias and as punishment, reads to her for 5 weeks, Mrs. Dubose dies. She left him a white camellia as a present. Atticus mentions, “I wanted you to see something about her - I wanted you to see what real courage is” (149). Jem understands that Mrs. Dubose was a caring, brave woman and this changes his perspective and causes him to be more open-minded. The witnessing of the trial and his experiences with Mrs. Dubose causes Jem to see people and Maycomb in general, in a differing way.
Aldous Huxley’s quote connects to Jem when he starts out the novel perceiving events differently than he does at the end. He gains information that makes him see situations from another perspective. On the whole, the observation of Tom Robinson’s trial and spending time with Mrs. Dubose leads Jem’s restricted perspective of Maycomb to change. Jem comes to the realization that there are different types of people in Maycomb who think in another way than him, like the people in the trial. Jem also perceives Mrs. Dubose as a grouchy, old woman, but learns that she is a caring, brave woman. Ultimately, Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird teaches people to be more open-minded and look at everything from another perspective.