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Madelyn Colbert
Ms. Starry
English 9 Honors
5 November 2015
To Kill A Mockingbird Essay
Sometimes the least likely people become role models that change the course of a
persons life. In the three years that take place during the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, the
character Scout comes across three such people. These influential individuals have a huge
impact on Scout as she grows up both physically and emotionally. Over the course of the novel
To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee has Scout meet the characters Mrs. Dubose, Atticus, and Boo
Radley, all of whom help shape Scouts personality, as well as teach the audience many lessons
about life and living.
One character that impacts Scouts personality is Mrs. Dubose, she teaches Scout about
courage. When Mrs. Dubose is first introduced in the novel, Scout and Jem think of her as their
grumpy old neighbor. Little do they know, she is a morphine addict, and by reading to her they
were actually helping her break her drug habit (Lee 109). After her death, Atticus tells the
children about her addiction. He also tells them that she is a representation of true courage. He
explains this to them by saying, It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you
begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. Mrs. Dubose won (Lee 110). Harper
Lee uses Mrs. Dubose to teach the audience about courage. Mrs. Dubose knew her addiction

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was killing her and yet she was determined to give up her addiction before her death. She faced
her fears and with the help of Scout and Jem she succeeded.
Scout learns the importance of justice and fair treatment from the character Atticus.
Atticus decides to defend Tom Robinson because he feels it is the right thing to do, despite the
fact that he knows he will be ridiculed. He explains this to the children by saying, The main
one is, if I couldnt hold my head up in town, I couldnt represent this country in the legislature, I
couldnt even tell you or Jem not to do something again (Lee 49). Atticus knows that Tom
Robinson is innocent. He knows Tom Robinson deserves justice and fair treatment. So he tries
to persuade the jury to look passed Tom Robinsons skin color and come to a resolution based on
what is fair and just and not based on prejudice. Scout witnesses Atticus strong belief of justice
when she goes to the trial. She sees Atticus determination, and she sees how evident Tom
Robinsons innocence is and how everybody else in the courtroom realizes that the Ewells are
guilty. When the jury finds Tom Robinson guilty, Scout comes to the understanding that not all
people treat others as fairly as Atticus (Lee 202). She learns from Atticus actions while
defending a black man no differently than he would defend a white man, that all people deserve
the same amount of justice and fair treatment. Harper Lee uses Atticus to convey the message
that all people deserve to be treated fairly.
Boo Radley teaches Scout not to judge someone on appearance alone. In the novel, Boo
Radley is rumored to be a monster. The people in Maycomb depict him as a beast, blaming him
for anything bad that has happened in the county. Scout, along with all of the other children in
her small town, fears Boo Radley. However, Boo Radley is simply misunderstood by the people

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of Maycomb. Throughout the novel, Boo performs small deeds for Jem and Scout, such as
leaving treats for them in a treehole, sewing Jems pants, and giving Scout a blanket when Miss
Maudies house caught on fire (Lee 63). While these small acts of kindness begin to change
Scouts thoughts about the kind of person Boo Radley is, it is not until the end of the novel,
when Boo saves the lives of Jem and Scout by killing Bob Ewell, that Scout truly comes to
realize Boo Radley is not the man he is made out to be by the people in the town. After standing
on the Radley porch, she looks at things from Boos perspective and realizes that all that has
been said about him is a lie. She says to Atticus, Boo doesnt mean anybody harm" (Lee 238).
Through Scouts experiences with Boo Radley, Harper Lee teaches the readers tolerance and to
avoid making assumptions about people. The residents of Maycomb County characterize Boo
Radley as a villain, but he is really the novels hero.

In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the characters Mrs. Dubose, Atticus

and Boo Radley to teach Scout and the readers important lessons. These influential characters
and the events with which they are involved help form Scouts view on life. They also
encourage the reader to evaluate his or her own views on life. Courage, belief in justice, and
tolerance guide the characters throughout Harper Lees novel and inspire readers to develop
these qualities in themselves.

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Works Cited:
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: HarperCollins, 1960. Print.