"To Kill A mockingbird" By Harper Lee.

To Kill a Mockingbird

Theme Essay

" Respect for Individuality"

"You never really understand a person until you. ...climb into his skin and walk around in it." I believe this quote by Atticus was a true statem0ent about the people of Maycomb. They didn't follow the simple rule that you shouldn't judge or dislike people even if they are odd or not like you. In other words, they never respected each other's individuality. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout, Atticus, and Boo Radley were just a regular people who were never given a chance by the townspeople to really show who they were. The people of the community never looked past their own prejudices to see these individual's unique qualities and character, which is why they were not accepted in Maycomb. The people of Maycomb didn't tolerate people who were different from them. In Maycomb you didn't act as an individual, you acted the way you were expected to and the way you were brought up.

Screenshot of To Kill a Mockingbird(an American mo...

President George W. Bush awards the Presidential M...

Film producer Alan J. Pakula with Lee; Lee spent t...

This was the South and there were many unique Southern customs and prejudices and you were supposed to follow the rules of society, which included all the social amenities and formalities. People were never given the chance to be themselves because there were always unattainable expectations. . But Scout, Atticus, and Mr. Arthur Radley looked beyond that and weren't afraid of being who they were and took the criticism without letting it get to them.

Scout was an "unusual" little girl for the time in which she was raised. She was a tomboy by nature and wasn't anything like the other girls. She didn't wear dainty little dresses or stay inside and learn Southern etiquette. Instead she wore overalls, t-shirts and played rough, got dirty, wasn't afraid to fight with boys.