“Jem and Scout learn many lessons about life during the course of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. What do you believe to be the most important? Consider what Atticus and Calpurnia attempt to teach the children during the story.”
During the course of the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee, the siblings Scout and Jem learn many important life lessons. They are taught a number of important lessons by adult figures in their life, like Atticus, Calpurnia and many others. The lessons help the children grow and begin to have more of an understanding of why some people do things or act a certain way. Their lives are filled with lessons about racial equality, what prejudice is and how it affects different people and empathy.
Both characters Atticus and Calpurnia do many things to help the children understand how racist people can be when they don’t understand that everyone should be equal despite the colour of their skin. Most of the white population of Maycomb have stereotyped all of the black population to be liars and untrustworthy. They can’t seem to be trusted just because they look different and therefore are ranked the lowest in the community hierarchy. Most of the white population wouldn’t believe them even if their lives depended on it, “The only thing we’ve got is a black man’s word against the Ewells’. The evidence boils down to you did – I – didn’t” demonstrates that Atticus understands the biased opinion that the jury will have toward the different races partaking in the trial. Scout overhears this and later understands that Atticus meant for her to hear this conversation between her father and uncle. Atticus wanted her to understand that what everyone thought wasn’t necessarily right and that judging someone by their colour is wrong and unjust. Calpurnia also had a big role in the children understanding that equality is important. When Calpurnia take the children to the church they experience reverse racism “You ain’t got no