Jamie Tambornino
Mrs. Johnson
English 10 Period 6
12514
To Kill a Mockingbird
Comparison Essay
To Kill a Mockingbird is a great book and teaches many lessons about others. Jean Louise
Finch, Scout, is the narrator and main character. Atticus Finch is Scout's intelligent, loving father, who is a lawyer. Atticus teaches Scout many important life lessons. Scout and Atticus have similar beliefs, yet they have different perspectives towards life and different personalities.
Atticus is a calm man throughout the book. When Bob Ewell spits in Atticus's face,
Atticus does not act irresponsiblely like most people would, he stands there and does not fightback (Lee 290291). Most people would throw a few punches at Bob or something, but he stays calm and lets Bob Ewell get his anger out. Atticus also has a steady hand when he shoots
Tim Johnson, the mad dog (Lee 127128). Heck Tate cowers away. Atticus is truly a "oneshot
Finch."
Scout shows she has a temper throughout the book. Scout fights with Walter
Cunningham, because she and Miss Caroline got off on the wrong foot (Lee 3031). She fights with Cecil Jacob because he said her father defends blacks (Lee 99100). Scout also fights her cousin, Francis, for the same reason at the family Christmas party (Lee 109113). In the beginning, Scout gets into fights more often than at the end. She has a bad temper, and Atticus teaches her to understand a person you have to walk in someone's skin. It helps her understand why others do what they do and calms her down.
Atticus tries to be kind and treats people well. He does not want to fight with others or gossip about people. Atticus defends Tom Robinson, a black, because it is the right thing to do
(Lee 100). He defends Tom for justice. Atticus is polite to those who are rude and call him names, like when at Cecil Jacobs tells Scout that her father is a "nigger lover" (Lee 100101).
Atticus tells Scout to ignore him.
Scout does not want to please other people. She does what she wants. In the beginning,
Scout's teacher says that Scout does not read correctly and that she has to stop reading, but Scout reads anyway (Lee 42). Scout disobeys her teacher and does not listen to her. When Aunt
Alexandra moves in, she wants Scout to be more ladylike and that she should wear a dress but,
Scout does prefers to wear overalls and does not wear one (Lee 169172). Scout likes to be tomboyish and does not care what other people think.
Atticus has a polite nature to everybody. He says hello
