To Kill A Mockingbird: Good Vs. Evil
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around it”(Lee 189). This means you can’t judge a person about what they are and what they stand for, you have to understand where they are coming from and what they really like within themselves not what other people say. Scout and Jem finch the main characters in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. They learn good vs evil in this world and human nature. People are naturally good until they meet a perspective of evil. It’s not good people vs bad people it’s the clash between good vs evil within characters. People do the opposite of what they are supposed to do.
In To Kill a Mockingbird there are three major examples that support good vs bad in their society and I will talk about them. Jem and Dill are faced with the findings of evil and racism during and after the trial. Mr. Cunningham has always been a good person and was a friend of The finch’s, but one night he had chosen the evil side and wanted to hurt an innocent man. Cunningham was still a man. Boo is more Protagonist than an antagonist. For a long time of the book, everyone thought Boo was the neighborhood villain who wanted to do no good for anyone or the community. In the end, he ends up saving Jem and Scout’s lives, usually, villains don’t do that.
Jem and dill are faced with the findings of the evil of racism during and after the trial. ‘Jem was suddenly furious. He leaped off the bed, grabbed me by the collar and shook me. ‘I never wanna hear about that courthouse again, ever, ever, you hear me? Do you hear me? Don’t you ever say one word to me about it again, you hear? Now go on!’ (247).This shows that Jem is having lots of emotion towards the fact that Tom Robinson lost the trial. He’s so caught up on the evil part of white men and that they can’t defend a black man because of the racism in the south, Therefore he breaks down on Miss Gates. The next evidence shows that Dill was mad at Mr. Gilmer and how he was talking about Tom Robinson. Dill had lots of feelings towards the trail and Tom. It made Dill angry how he was treated so badly. “I don’t care one speck. It ain’t right, somehow it ain’t right to do ’em that way. Hasn’t anybody got any business talkin’ like that–it just makes me sick’ (199). Dill hated how white people treated black people so disrespectfully in the south and when Mr. Gilmer said negative things about Tom, Dill came right back at him.
One night Mr. Cunningham chose to betray Atticus and made a big mistake. He chose the evil side and wanted to hurt an innocent man. ‘I looked around and up at Mr. Cunningham, whose face was equally impassive. Then he did a peculiar thing. He squatted down and took me by both shoulders. I’ll tell him you said hey, little lady,’ he said. Then he straightened up and waved a big paw, ‘Let’s clear out,’ he called (154). Atticus saw something different in this scene, he saw that Mr. Cunningham made a mistake, but everyone makes mistakes in their lives. He was a good friend of Finch’s and Atticus. He thinks Mr. Cunningham did the right thing and he knows that he should’ve not messed with Atticus and tried to get Tom at that time. Mob’s are made up of bad people that want to do malicious things, but here Atticus shows why this one mob is still a person. ‘He might have hurt me a little . . . but son, you’ll understand folks a little better when you’re older. A mob’s always made up of people, no matter what. Mr. Cunningham was part of a mob last night, but he was still a man. Every mob in every little Southern town is always made up of people you know. . .’ (157). Atticus is trying to explain to Jem that mobs are bad people, but they’re human beings like everyone else in their society. Mr. Cunningham being a mob shows what he believes in and how they should be treated ( referring to black people).
The last example of good vs evil in To kill a mockingbird is that Boo is more protagonist than antagonist. For a long time of the book, everyone thought Boo was the neighborhood villain who wanted to do nothing but trouble. In the end, he ends up saving Jem and Scout’s lives. Usually, evil people don’t do that. “Scout, I think I’m beginning to understand something. I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house all this time… it’s because he wants to stay inside’ (Lee 117). Seeing the negative and terrible things that happen in Maycomb, staying inside didn’t seem like a bad decision. The one time he does come out is for a good reason, saved Scout and Jem from the death of Bob Ewell. The last Important example is when Boo saves Jem and Scout. Boo has a couple of gifts for Scout when she walks Boo home. Boo gave Scout a couple of good-luck pennies, some dolls, and jewelry.’ Mr. Ewell was tryin’ to squeeze me to death, I reckon…then somebody yanked Mr. Ewell down…’ (Lee 165). Boo is more protagonist because he’s the saver of Maycomb and know one had to deal with Bob Ewell anymore. Bob had made a key decision to kill a bad person to save two good people’s lives in order for the town of Maycomb to be a little better.
Throughout the book, Jem and Scout are believing in the goodness of everyone and learning the values of each person has. When Tom loses the trial the true evil prevails within the town and affects Jem to the max. He believed in the goodness of all people. Scout has trouble trying to comprehend what is all happening still but still believes in goodness. End of the book Boo shows true color about himself when saving the children from Bob Ewell. At the end between different sides the best shows. Goodness will prevail when unexpected but it’s good for the people. I think testing people whether there good vs evil to the limit can show what will come to the truth and see if they can stay truthful on what they stand for.
