To Kill a Mockingbird Literary Analysis

In Harper Lee's book To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus tells Scout that "'most people are [real nice], Scout, when you finally see them'" (281). Scout learns this lesson many ways throughout the book such as with Dolphus Raymond who she thinks is an "evil man" because of Jem's description of him (200). But after Dill began to drink some of what the people in the town thinks is whiskey , Dill looks up and says " 'Scout, it's nothing but Coca-Cola. ' "(200).

After learning that she, and the rest of the town's, assumption of what Mr. Raymond is drinking all the time is wrong she decides that he is actually an o. k. person and not an "evil man" as she had previously thought (200). Another person Scout ends up changing her mind about is Boo Radley. In the beginning of the book Dill, Jem, and Scout played a game where Boo stabs Mrs. Radley and they believe that he comes out at night to eat small animals and look through people's windows. Her stereotype of him changed at the end of the book when Boo saves their lives and Scout takes Boo home and realizes, "We had given him nothing, and it made me sad" and, "Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough." (278, 279) When she actually meets Boo she learns that her squirrel-eating, window-peeping image of him is very wrong and that he is actually a nice person. A third person Scout eventually learns is "real nice" is Aunt Alexandra (281).

At first Scout believes all Aunt Alexandra cares about is being lady-like and the family reputation and is absolutely against what Atticus is doing for Tom Robinson. Scout's thoughts of "Aunty had a way of declaring What Is Best For The Family" were put to rest when Atticus tells them about Tom being shot at the prison and Aunt Alexandra shows concern saying, "Didn't they try to stop him? Didn't they give him any warning?" and "This is the last straw, Atticus" (129, 235). This shows Scout that Aunt Alexandra does agree with what Atticus is doing and cares about more than just being lady-like. Another example of Scout learning someone is actually "real nice" is on her first day of school when her teacher Miss. Caroline tells her to stop reading at home because she isn't doing it correctly and to have Atticus stop teaching her because he doesn't know how (281). This makes Scout think that Miss Caroline is a mean person and is unreasonably making her stop reading but as she leaves for lunch behind all the other kids she sees Miss Caroline: "I saw her sink down into her chair and bury her head in her arms. Had her conduct been more friendly toward me, I would have felt sorry for her" (22). Seeing this doesn't completely change Scout's opinion about her but it does let her see that it is Miss. Caroline's first day and she doesn't really know what to do yet, and isn't just being mean.

The lesson Scout learns is "Most people are [real nice] ... when you finally see them" and by learning this lesson she also learns that there is no reason to prejudge or stereotype someone because once "You finally see them" they are usually good people and don't fit whatever stereotype you gave them (281).