To Kill a Mockingbird - the Ne

Do you not believe we need more compassion and tolerance in the world? Why can we not be like Atticus, Jem or Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee? These characters show great compassion and tolerance throughout the novel despite the society they live in. They have the courage to stand up for what they believe in. Atticus shows great compassion and tolerance when he stands up for the Negroes. He stands up and represents Tom Robinson because he believes that everyone should be treated equally in the court of law. He knows that because Tom was a Negro there would be a slim chance of winning. That fact never discouraged him though because he says that the main reason he is representing Tom is because, “ if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature” (75). He recited a speech, which clearly states that Tom Robinson is not guilty. In that speech he says, “our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal” (205). He believed that prejudice and stereotyping is wrong and he tries to teach these morals to Scout and Jem. Jem displays values like compassion and tolerance by believing that all men are created equal no matter which race, religion, or attitude they have. He shows this when he hears the verdict of Tom Robinson’s trial. “It was Jem’s turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. ‘It ain’t right,’ he muttered, all the way to the corner of the square where we found Atticus” (212). This is the first time he realizes that there was injustice in the world. He slowly matures and begins to understand that there are such thing as prejudice and racism. Scout first learns to show compassion and tolerance by refusing to go to school because she hates Miss Caroline.

Bibliography: Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1960.