Wise…father-figure...hard-working - all encapsulate Atticus in the eyes of his children. Atticus plays a major role in the maturation of his children due to his impactful advice. In short, the novel is about Scout and Jem maturing from multiple major events that help them learn adult life lessons. Harper Lee builds a character’s background before allowing readers to form opinions. Notably, at the time Harper Lee chose to write the novel, colored people, specifically African Americans, were always unjustly judged due to the enormous number of racists in the Southern United States. By using the symbol of the mockingbird, an object which represents an idea, and the Boo Radley motif, a recurring figure in the book, she is able to describe the tolerance in the Finch family as they try to learn about someone before they judge them.
Harper Lee utilizes the symbol of a
Gaining background information about a person is a vital factor in creating a true conclusion. In the case of Boo Radley, the rumors deem him as a savage psychopath that should be left to rot in a house. However, the children start to unravel the true personality of Boo Radley and see him as a mockingbird, a misunderstood innocent, through the many first-hand experiences where Boo expresses his caring personality. Both Jem and Scout learn the key lesson of discovering someone’s personality before creating a standpoint about them. Conclusively, prejudice should not be used when meeting a new person, since everyone deserves a chance to prove