Preview

The Influence Of Parents In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
794 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Influence Of Parents In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee
One reason why kids are so greatly impacted by what their parents think is because they look up to them. When children are in their younger years their biggest role model is most commonly one, or both of their parents. It is emphasized that children see their parents as an example, and that they are influenced what they say in the book To Kill A Mockingbird when Jem smugly states, “Atticus was showing the jury that Tom had nothing to hide” (Lee 255). By saying this, Jem illustrates that he agrees with his father in the fact that Tom has nothing to hide. Which, also implies that his opinion was influenced by his father's. This is because Atticus among all people in Maycomb is one of the only ones who believes that Tom is innocent. Jem is just a child in this story, and he sees nothing wrong with all of the people who believe that Tom is guilty based on the color of …show more content…
When parents act rude or disrespectful, their children also learn to act that way because they think that it is acceptable. Intro to quote “Attitudes most frequently considered involve the degree of warmth and acceptance or coldness and rejection that exists in the parent-child relationship” (Grusec and Tanya n.pag.). This quote reveals that children's attitudes are hugely impacted by their parents attitudes towards them and others. Which is because, as stated, when parents are closer and kinder to their children, they have better attitudes, and when parents are distant and more aggressive with their children they have more negative attitudes. However, parents attitudes are also affected by certain factors. One of which is money. Therefore, children's attitudes are also affected by their economic situation. Intro to quote “Their parents socioeconomic background determines young people's outlook on success in life” (citation). Explain and conclusion

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is a perfect example of how the plot progression of the story was closely related to the character development. Lee used Jean Louise, also known as “Scout” as a main model of character development, as she grows through her understandings of racism, how to handle social situations and her intelligence . The plot progression throughout the novel was very close in relationship of bildungsroman in the characters personal stories. This book being fiction is not true but it depicts how life was during the time period of the 1930’s. The characters also are very close to portraying common people of the time in Macon County of Alabama.…

    • 203 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Atticus realizes that losing his temper with Jem and Scout over small incidents is not part of the qualities of good parenting because, throughout TKaM, he does not lose his patience with his children. While on the other hand, there is suspicion that Bob Ewell does the opposite by beating Mayella Ewell, his daughter. From the beginning itself, Harper Lee makes it clear, through a conversation between Miss Maudie Atkinson and Scout, that Atticus does not treat his children like Bob Ewell does. Miss Maudie explains to Scout that most people have split personalities; one for at home and one for in public. Scout cuts her off by saying, “Atticus don’t ever do anything to Jem and me in the house that he don’t do in the yard” (46). Scout defends Atticus because she gets into trouble quite a lot, but, even then, Atticus would never lift a finger against her or Jem. Not only does Atticus rarely ever have a fit over Jem and Scout, but he also can maintain his composure and patience with them. Scout, like most young children, always wants her opinions heard until she either receives an explanation or has her way. An example of this would be Scout’s first day of school where she finds herself frustrated from her teacher constantly reprimanding her. When she gets home, Scout recaps the day for Atticus and tells him that her teacher…

    • 1002 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Courage is characterized as mental or moral strength to surpass notions of fear. As demonstrated by Atticus Finch and Mrs Dubose in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the development of courage gives the character’s strength and courage to hold their heads high, while fearing none. Harper Lee depicts the theme of courage incalculable amount of times, detailing courage as “ when you know you’re licked before you being, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.” (Chapter 11, Page 124) All of the characters have an alternate kind of perspective of what courage is exactly, which will be examined in depth.…

    • 126 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    After reading Kendra Cherry’s article, Parenting Styles: The Four Styles of Parenting, one can draw the conclusion that Atticus Finch from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird should be categorized as an authoritative parent. In the article, one can see that the author defines an authoritative parent as someone who “establishes rules and guidelines that the child is expected to follow” but, when a rule is broken the parent is “nurturing and forgiving, rather than punishing”(¶5). This is tantamount to the behavior of Atticus in the novel by Harper Lee. His authoritative behavior is clearly presented in the novel when Atticus is told that Jem, Scout and Dill were playing poker with matches. Scout reveals that Atticus had already established a rule…

    • 163 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the Tom Robinson trial, Atticus could not have portrayed his evidence in a more professional and convincing manner. Unfortunately, Tom Robinson was found guilty by the jury and was sentenced to death. Atticus’s son, Jem, expresses his rejection to the unfair treatment of blacks by stating, “‘How could they do it, how could they?’” Atticus responds, “‘I don’t know, but they did it. They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it—it seems that only children weep.’” Both Jem’s development of maturity and disapproval of the verdict of the Tom Robinson case play an important role in the point that Lee is trying to prove through this story. Scout is far too young for her opinion to be considered valid. However, Jem, no longer a little boy at this stage of the story, can be listened to if he states an opinion for the simple fact that he is not a “little kid”. He also preserves his innocence due to his small age. Therefore, when he states that the verdict of the case was not only wrong, but irrelevant and unfair, it makes you inquire whether the case was a fair one or…

    • 713 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    At the beginning, Jem wants to be a lawyer like his father. He admires what his father does because he believes that the justice system always works the way it's supposed to, with the guilty always being convicted and the innocent always being proved so. So when Tom Robinson is convicted for a crime he obviously did not commit, Jem loses his faith in the innate goodness of the world he previously saw and his faith in the justice system, all at once. He refuses to even talk about the court case, going as far as to yell at Scout when she mentions it, which shows how truly shaken up the whole situation had left him. Overall, Jem's perspective is forced to become a more mature one due to the extreme circumstances he encountered so early on in his life. His beliefs in goodness are shattered by the reality that people's prejudice can stop them from doing the right thing, changing his attitude towards the world utterly and causing his entire character in To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, to change along with…

    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    To kill a mockingbird is an insightful novel that effectively educates its reader about the discrimination and prejudice against African Americans that was occurring at the time. Through the pity and intensity of Tom Robinson’s trial the reader learns how the rights of African Americans were very different than the white Americans at the time. To kill a mockingbird highlights the pure injustice that Tom Robinson faces, when accused of a crime that he didn’t commit. Due to these accusations Tom’s fate is put on the line and his dignity is robbed from him as the whole of Maycomb assumes that Mayella Ewell is right. Immediately the town people build a sense of hate and anger towards Tom Robinson and attempt to act on their thoughts and opinions. Throughout this text one will learn how not only Negro’s were affected by this prejudice and discrimination but how innocent white Americans, such as the finch family were too.…

    • 571 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    We all need to grow up someday to continue life. To Kill a Mockingbird shows coming of age experiences as an enormous part of this novel. It shows how things cause situations and feelings, how young adults face the reality of first-hand conflicts, and how these situations affect them. Scout and Jem undergo conditions to help them mature in the book. The encounters help them bloom throughout the novel with noticing the components and point of views involved in the situation.…

    • 977 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As most people have read the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, many have wondered, what contributes most to the story’s themes? Well, throughout the novel, there are three main literary elements that come into play. In the passage “‘It ain’t right, Atticus…”’(pg.284) to “I looked up, and his face was vehement”(pg.296), Harper Lee uses the literary element character, setting, and tone to develop the theme that recognizing perspectives contributes to coming of age. As many other themes in the novel, the theme will show a change in how Jem starts to view the world, and the major roles included in it, such as racism. But his perspective comes mostly from the kind of character he is.…

    • 1008 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Atticus Perspectives

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In certain ways Jem did not understand his father's reasoning and in some circumstances, neither did Scout. The perspective of Atticus from Harper Lee was a very strong willed reflection of what his idea of right and wrong was. Lee was able to show his knowledge throughout the whole novel while trying to teach his kids his ways and strong morals. He did not just show his kids his perspective on things, he was able to reflect his beliefs on the things he was doing in his community in order to show the small town of Maycomb his way of looking at things. Everyone has a different perspective and most times there's not a right or wrong way of looking at things, just…

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Can you remember a time when you realized growing up had a lot of of ups and downs? In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a young boy named Jem discovers this through his own unique experiences. At the beginning of the novel, Jem is innocent and naive while he is obsessing over his scary and mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley. As time goes on, Jem grows up enough to realize that Boo isn’t so scary and mysterious, and that other assumptions that he made similar to that one, such as those about Tom Robinson’s trial and growing up alongside his little sister, Scout, were also untrue. Throughout the story, he is growing up and experiencing many bumps along the way. We learn through Jem that growing up had both advantages and disadvantages.…

    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Environment and community can be a huge influence on a child's life. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout Finch has been greatly influenced by her home in Maycomb County. Scouts perspectives and personality changes throughout the book from beginning to end and is left with new opinions and views of her home and the people living there.…

    • 298 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Everything in life can teach you a lesson, you just have to be willing to observe and learn” -Ritu Ghatourey. Everyone learns crucial life lessons in their lives through various aspects of life around them, whether they realize it or not. Learning these lessons is a crucial part of losing one’s simple, childlike way of life. Throughout the novel To Kill A Mockingbird Jem and Scout lose their innocence through numerous life lessons they learn. One way in which they learn these lessons is through their personal experiences. Another way is through their personal discoveries caused by their maturity. Finally, they learn life lessons that cause them to lose their innocence through events they observe.…

    • 825 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The novel , To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee is a story told through a little girl's point of view named Scout. She is narrating about what is going on in her life at the time in a town called Maycomb. A lot of the time is spent with her brother Jem, and Dill, who is only there during summers. What is also a big part to the story is a trial that is going on for a man named Tom Robinson, and Scouts dad, Atticus, is included and defending in the trial for Tom. This novel shows the theme levels of society when the people who are higher up on the scale of society look at people like the Ewell’s and think that they are the poor people in the town, and they they will never amount to anything in life. It also shows when they are talking at the trial, you can tell who has a good education and who doesn't and who is higher up in society because of the way that they talk. Sometimes during the trial he would say ma’am and would have good manners. While some people like the Ewell’s thought that it was rude and that he was mocking them when he just had good manners. And another time is when people see Mr. raymond they think that he’s a crazy drunk because in the society that they are in it is not right for him to…

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Morals generally make up a good person. To know all morals will make you great and wise. If what I say is true, then To Kill a Mockingbird could make you a much better person. In the book, the one who learns how to become mature, wise, have faith and learn life lessons and morals is Scout. She learns not to hurt the innocent, not to judge, and treat everyone as equals.…

    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays