Sample essay topic, essay writing: Learning Experiences(to Kill A - 658 words
One of the principal aims of To Kill a Mockingbird is to subject the narrator to a series oflearning experiences and then observe how much she profits from her experiences. There is rarely a chapter that does not teach Scout something new or does not buildtoward a new learning experience. So, one rewarding approach to the novel isthroughout an examination of these experiences. In the largest view, Scout learns about (1) justice and injustice through the TomRobinson trial; (2) prejustice and its effects on the processes of the law and society; (3)courage as manifested in ways others act; and (4) respect for individuality of the humanbeing. On a smaller scale, Scout learns numerous things about numerous people; shebecomes aware of the difficulty of being a lady, particularly when under dressed; and shelearns when to fight and not to fight.
Many of scouts learning experiences being in clearly insignificant scenes. Ultimately she must learn to respect the difference in behavior between vastly differentpeople, especially when the behavior differs from the normal as radically as in the casesof Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose, and the Cunninghams. So early in the novel, Scout in thenovel, Scout is faced with some confusing experiences at school, where she confronts ateacher who dosen't understand why she can read and where she meets WalterCunningham. Later, Atticus explains to her that to judge a person you must try to seethings from that person's point of view
You must learn to walk aroun in his skin. Thenyou cab uderstand better why a person acts or belives what he does. Only at the end of the novel does Scout finally learn to respect this saying. Untilthen, she remains curious and confused why Boo never came out of his house. In themeantime she goes through a series of maturing experiences. She learns how to see herfrom the teachers point of view; she tries to judge the Cunninghams and the Ewells fromtheir side; she bears the insults of the town and particularly the apperent viciousness ofMrs. Duboes. From all of these, she learns to look at the individuality of the others! For Scout, courage is most often something with physical act and involvespersonal danger.
It is very difficult for Scout to see that greater courage is often requiredin other places of life. Scout learns that the greatest courage can be found in a situationwhere a person knows that he is going to lose and still continues to fight. To prove this, Miss Lee first had Scout observe her father perform a physical act of courage when heshoots the charging mad dog. Then Scout encounters the seemingless vinductiveness ofMrs. Dubose. After this she dies, Atticus explains to them how courageous the lady wasbecause she knew she was dying but was determined to die free of morphine which hadpreciously controlled her. She fought against great odds even though she knew that shewould lose.
The above lesser experiences prepare Scout for the greater test o Courage: the isAtticus' fight for Tom's life even though he knows that he will lose the case and eventhough he knows that he is fighting against tremendous odds. This realization forcesScout to quit fighting with her fists and try to combat others opinions with her head thanher physical violence. Prejuduce is someting that has to taught and is therefore on of the most difficultthings to understand. Atticus has brought up both children to respect all peoplenervermind there color. Scout's close relationship with Calpurnia attests to heracceptance of a person of any color. Atticus as a lawyer has always believed in theprinciple of justice and alliance to the processes of the law. Consequently, when Tom isfound guilty though it was obvious even to the children that he was innocent, they are notcapable of understanding the degree to which prejustice can alter the course of justice.
Even Atticus cannot explain it. All that Scout can see in the horror and disgrace wherean ignorant white girl can become instrument of death for an innocent Negro.
Research paper and essay writing, free essay topics, sample works Learning Experiences(to Kill A
Learning Experiences(to Kill A