Saturday, March 28, 2015

Explain how Scout and Jem learned about respect for the individual from Boo Radley,Mrs. Dubose,Atticus,Mr. Raymond,Cal,Aunt Alexandra,and Tom Robinson

Scout and Jem learned about the respect for and individual from their interactions with and observations of "Boo" Radley, Tom Robinson, Calpurnia, Atticus (their father), Dolphus Raymond, Aunt Alexandra, and Mrs. Dubose because the Finch children, at some point, had judged each of them incorrectly or unfairly.  For example, prior to Mrs. Dubose's death and the information their father revealed to them regarding her determination to conquer her long-time addiction to morphine, the Finch children saw her only as a cruel, often repulsive old woman; afterward, they were able to afford her at least a degree of respect for dying with dignity, though it caused her what must have been a great deal of pain.  Atticus, the children's father, was certainly worthy of their respect and admiration, but the children did not fully recognize that truth until they witnessed his representation of Tom Robinson and his prowess as a marksman when shooting a rabid dog.  Jem and Scout had judged each of the characters previously mentioned based on the opinions of others, to some degree; they learned that their opinions, which had been influenced by others, were unfair.  The children learned that they had no right to judge others without knowing them, and that the opinions of the majority are often incorrect.

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