To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a novel which consists of a number of positive and negative themes. Lee has utilised the way of life and the attitude towards ‘Negros’ in the 1930’s to create a intriguing novel which has enlightened the wider community on the matters of racism and prejudice in America in the 1930’s. Even though the novel has a dark plot line there are a number of positive themes presented to the reader throughout the story, e.g. education, bravery and growing up.

The theme of bravery is amplified by the characters of Atticus and Jem. Atticus is the moral voice of the novel and his decision to defend Tom Robinson even though he knows there would be controversy and attacks on his character and family establishes his bravery. Early in the novel Jem learns that Atticus’ disapproval of guns and Atticus’s opinion that guns don’t make men brave. This is distinguished when Atticus refuses to carry a gun to protect Tom and himself from the angry farmers is another sign of his bravery. Jem also exhibits his bravery during the scene where the mob came to ‘lynch’ Tom Robinson. He refuses to leave his father’s side even after being ordered to by his father. Jem shows the utmost bravery to remain at with his father and face the angry mob of farmers. Another character who is brave is Mrs Dubose who is trying to wean herself of drugs before he dies. In the novel Scout makes a direct reference to Mrs Dubose and bravery, e.g.

“I wanted to see what real courage is . . . she was the bravest person I ever knew” says Scout.

These characters in the novel have been developed and in a number of scenes they have shown the reader their bravery.

In this novel Lee has helped the reader understand the positive theme of growing up in a segregated country. Even though Jem and Scout are surrounded by the dark events of Maycomb they are still able to enjoy themselves, e.g. by re-enacting the Boo Radley case. Lee has written the story in first-person and form the view of Scout when she was a young girl. The fact that the story is the Scout’s memories helps accentuate the theme of growing up. The actual events of the novel expand over three years and over this amount of time Jem and Scout learn a number of valuable moral lessons, e.g. Atticus’ lesson

“You never really understand a person until you climb into their skin and walk around in it.”

Scout finally understood this lesson when she begins to comprehend that Boo Radley is a human being. The theme of growing-up is seen throughout the entire novel as Jem and Scout grow up and begin to mature.

The theme of friendship is influential in the novel with the relationship of Dill with Scout and Jem. Dill opens an entirely new world to Scout and Jem through his experience in outside the small town of Maycomb. There is also a kind of friendship between Atticus and his children. This is shown through the children calling him Atticus instead of father. The fact that Atticus and the children have a close relationship aids the children’s opinions towards Atticus’ teachings; they would take the teachings as life advice and an insight from a close friend.

Moral education is an important theme in the novel. The whole novel has recurring references to moral education. Atticus has become an excellent role model for his children