The Moral
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Harper Lees, To Kill a Mockingbird, focuses on the moral growth of the two main characters, Scout and Jem. Throughout the novel, the children learn many lessons about the world they live in. At the beginning of the novel, the children have a very stereotypical view of courage. They only see courage as physical strength, and only feel proud of their father when he performs masculine tasks, such as shooting a gun. However, throughout their experiences they learn that courage may not be the same as they previously believed.
Scout and Jem begin with a very traditional view of courage. They believe that courage means to have physical strength and bravery. Because of this, Scout and Jem view Atticus as a weak and feeble man, unlike the fathers of their classmates. They were also embarrassed at their fathers physical weakness and old age. In Scouts and Jems eyes, Atticus lacked masculinity and courage. Miss Maudie, their neighbor, picked up on how the children were embarrassed of their father, and decided one day to tell the Scout and Jem about Atticus talents in order to try to dissuade the kids from being embarrassed of him. She told them how Atticus was “the best checker player in town,” and how he could play the Jews harp. However, these modest accomplishments only made Scout and Jem more ashamed of him. This led the kids to believe that Atticus had no courage.
These conventional beliefs were reinforced when Scout and Jem oversaw Atticus shooting a rabid dog. After the incident, they discovered from Miss Maudie that Atticus was the “deadliest shot in Maycomb County.” Their new knowledge of his abilities gave them a new since of pride in their father, and only reinforced their childlike views of bravery and courage.
Scouts and Jems stereotypical views of courage were challenged when Atticus told them of the death of Mrs. Dubose. Before her death, Jem was forced to read to the bitter old lady for a month for what he thought was punishment for destroying her garden. However, Atticus confessed that the reason was not for punishment. It was actually for them to see what courage really was. He then revealed to Jem and Scout that Mrs. Dubose