P1+JCalderon

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Tolerance is acceptance other’s beliefs and practices that differ or conflict with ones owns. Tolerance is an important thing to practice because it’s what helps us avoid racism, prejudice, and even poverty. In the story //To Kill a Mockingbird// by Harper Lee she shows us how important it is to treat others with kindness and be tolerant of them. She does this by using many literary devices one of them being symbolism, which is shown through the character of Tom Robinson. Her choice of narrator and use of ambiguity helps send out the message as well. Therefore, Harper Lee’s //To Kill a Mockingbird// thoroughly demonstrates the importance and use of tolerance and kindness toward others through its use of symbolic references, choice of narrator, and use of ambiguous characters.

The narrator in a novel is usually the one who can give us the facts about characters, events, or places in the story. Harper Lee chose a young girl, Scout, giving us an unreliable narrator. Scout is innocent and naïve and doesn’t know very much of what is going on in the world around her. She doesn’t really understand why some people in her time period are poor, “Why does he pay you like that?...Are we poor, Atticus?” (21). Scout didn’t know anything about the depression because she was young and so she didn’t understand why some people were poorer than others. Although she knows that people are different her ability to accept new things in life helps her see everyone equally. “Well then how do you explain why the Cunninghams are different?...Naw Jem I think there’s just one kind of folks.” (227). Scout doesn’t think that just because Walter isn’t as clean or smart as them that makes him a different kind of person, she thinks that she should still be able to associate with them. Scout’s role in the story was obvious but there are some things that aren’t as straight forward as an unreliable character.

To some readers Tom Robinson was just the black man wrongfully accused of raping a white woman, but there is more to the part he plays in the novel. Tom Robinson can be referred to as one of the many mockingbirds in the story because he is injured or accused through contact with evil, being Ms. Mayella. “She’d call me in suh. Seemed like every time I passed by yonder she’d have some little something for me to do…” (191). He would always pass by the Ewel house and help out Ms. Mayella because she asked but he didn’t think he would end up being hurt by her. After being convicted Tom Robinson was shot when trying to escape, and was killed. “ Well it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?” (276). When the jury said the he was guilty it was like shooting a mockingbird, because he never tried to harm anyone all he did was help a poor, abused whit woman who he felt sorry for. His character was always one to show us he was kind and cared for others, but there are other characters that we are unsure of their character.

In this novel we are given ambiguous characters, one of them being Mrs. Dubose. Mrs. Dubose seems to be a very grumpy old lady who doesn’t show any compassion to anyone. “Don’t you say hey to me, you ugly girl! You say good afternoon, Mrs. Dubose!” (99). Even when Jem and Scout tried to be nice to her she was still mean to them. Even though she was a grumpy old lady there was a reason why she acted this way. “Jem she’s old and ill. You can’t hold her responsible for what she says and does.” (105). Mrs. Dubose was dying of cancer and was addicted morphine, but she didn’t want to die that way and so she overcame her addiction. A person going through so much pain cant is expected to be in the best mood all the time and for that reason Atticus had respect for her. “…She died beholden of nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew.” (112). Atticus admired the fact that she didn’t depend on anyone, Atticus showed her respect, kindness, and he accepted her for who she was.

As shown Tolerance and kindness towards others is shown throughout this novel many of times. Mrs. Dubose’s Ambiguity help people learn to be kind to other’s because although they may seem rude and mean you never really know what their life is like and what they are going through. Tom Robinson showed us the outcome of those who are not tolerant, and by that helped us see how important tolerance really is. Scout’s Ability to accept new things in her life helped her accept other’s for who they were and not by their race, economical status, or knowledge. Harper Lee’s //To Kill a Mockingbird// truly is a great novel to go by because tolerance in this world is very important. W are all very different people and we should be able to accept each others differences.