Tom Robinson is put on trial and is unfairly sentenced and punished because of his race. This presents a subtheme that hatred and racism negatively affect many people. Though the children are distraught about this, Atticus uses the situation as a learning opportunity for his children. By saying {quote}, he teaches them that it is important to value the good qualities of people and try to understand the bad qualities by treating others with respect and putting oneself in their shoes. Atticus teaches these things so that the children will know that it is possible to live with hope despite the evil surrounding them. In all, Scout and Jem’s experiences throughout the novel change their perspective of good evil. They discover that not everyone is good, and that creates many problems such as the trial of Tom Robinson and everyone’s prejudice about Arthur Radley. Through a lighthearted yet extremely educational story, Harper Lee expresses the theme that it is attainable to live with good conscience without losing hope and being cynical. Scout’s newfound view on life, that focusing on the positive side of people is key, ensures that she will not lose hope as she grows
Tom Robinson is put on trial and is unfairly sentenced and punished because of his race. This presents a subtheme that hatred and racism negatively affect many people. Though the children are distraught about this, Atticus uses the situation as a learning opportunity for his children. By saying {quote}, he teaches them that it is important to value the good qualities of people and try to understand the bad qualities by treating others with respect and putting oneself in their shoes. Atticus teaches these things so that the children will know that it is possible to live with hope despite the evil surrounding them. In all, Scout and Jem’s experiences throughout the novel change their perspective of good evil. They discover that not everyone is good, and that creates many problems such as the trial of Tom Robinson and everyone’s prejudice about Arthur Radley. Through a lighthearted yet extremely educational story, Harper Lee expresses the theme that it is attainable to live with good conscience without losing hope and being cynical. Scout’s newfound view on life, that focusing on the positive side of people is key, ensures that she will not lose hope as she grows