The Co-existence of Good and Evil

The theme which i thought was a very key aspect to this novel was, the Co-existence of Good and Evil. I felt this theme was used really well and it really helped us to understand ourselves as we are right now and the characters as they are in the book.

The first example of this theme is when Atticus says to Scout, "...its never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is," (Lee, 30). I chose to use this as an example of the Co-existence of Good and Evil because Atticus makes a strong point. He says when someone calls you a bad name, it just makes them look bad, mean and a very poor type of person. Atticus says this because he is explaining to Jem that you can be labeled with bad names but it shouldn't matter as you know you are the good person but the individual who called you that name is the bad person. He is teaching her a valuable lesson about how to be kind and to others, instead of being mean and evil.

"He slowly squeezed the breath out of me. I could not move.

"Suddenly he was jerked backwards and flung in the ground, almost carrying me with him, I though Jem's up," (Lee, 151). This is an example of the co-existence of Good a nd Evil because Jem and Scout are about to be faced with evil as Mr. Ewell is nearly about to kill him. Though, they are saved by Mr. Radley which becomes a good thing as Scout and Jem are now under protection.

The Importance of Moral Education

The Importance of Moral Education was another theme used greatly by Harper Lee. There were a lot of lessons which Atticus and other characters taught to Jem and Scout about life, and oppurtunities, risks etc. They taught them life lessons based on what they knew.

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do," (Lee, 119). This relates to Moral education because Atticus was trying to teach Jem and Scout a lesson about what courage really means and what happens when you become courageous.


Another example of Moral Education is when Scout says to Mr. Dolphus Raymond, "Atticus says cheatin' a colored man is ten times worse than cheatin' a white man. Says it's the worst thing you can do," (Lee, 201). This is an example of moral education because Scout is explaining how her dad taught her about cheating other people. She knows its wrong to cheat anyone whether they are Black or White. However, she knew specifically not to cheat black people as they are already cheated enough. Both Scout and Jem are very good and well behaved individuals, usually well-respected by their peers and neighbourhood friends because of the morals and ethics which Atticus continues to influence them with.

The Co-existence of Social Inequality

In my opinion, the Co-existence of Social Inequality means how people are treated unfairly. To me, this means that people are treated differently based on their social status. If they are poor, they are most likely treated with less-respect and given different rights and equalities than rich people are given. Social inequality also has a lot to do with your appearance and for example, your skin colour.

An example of Social Inequality is, when Lula is arguing with Calphurnia because Cal brought Jem and Scout with her to the "negro" Church. "You ain't got no buisness bringin' white chillun here- they got their church-they got their church , we got our'n. It is our church, ain't it Miss Cal?', said Lula. 'It's the same God, ain't it?," said Calphurnia (Lee, 119). This example represents social inequality because Calphurnia is saying that whether the children are Black or they are White, it doesn't matter where they pray. Lula doesn't exactly approve of Jem and Scout praying with Cal in the "negro" Church because they are white. However, even I believe that a Church should be open to anyone who wants to pray. At the end of the day, Calphurnia is right by saying that it is "one god,".

Another example of Social Inequality is shown when Aunt Alexandra is explaining the justice system. This quote relates to Social Inequality because Alexandra is talking about the Black and White race. She is talking about the inequality amongst the two groups when she says, “The handful of people in this town who say that fair play is not marked White Only; the handful of people who say a fair trial is for everybody, not just us; the handful of people with enough humility to think, when they look at a Negro, there but for the Lord’s kindness am l," (Lee, 256).