Part B: Individual work Write a critical analysis of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

Your analysis should include a discussion on any two themes in the novel. Sympathy is a feeling of being sorry for somebody and tries to be there with them to support them. One of the themes that really stood out to me was sympathy. One of the main characters in this novel who show the most empathetic characteristics is Jeremy Atticus Finch. He is a gentleman, just like his father, Atticus Finch. In the novel, Jem shows a good example to the reader. He is very concerned about other people and this allow him to understand the situation of others by putting himself into the situation. The evidence can be seen when he invited Walter Cunningham to their house after Scout stomped on him on their way back home for dinner. Jem starting a conversation with Walter to invite him over for dinner by saying, Come on home to dinner with us Walter, he said. Wed be glad to have you. Walters face brightened, then darkened. Jem said, Our daddys a friend of your daddys.
(pg. 30-31, 2010)

Jem stops Scout from attacking Walter because he knows what Walter and his family went through every single day. Atticus ever talked about the Cunninghams family to him and Scout as he is one of his clients. He makes up for Scout by inviting him over for dinner as he knows that Walter will be grateful to have a proper meal even though only for once. During his conversation with Atticus, Walter poured syrup on his vegetables and meat with a generous hand. He would have probably have poured it in his milk glass had I not asked what the sam hill he was doing.
(Page 31, 2010

He knows about Walter Cunninghams family from his father because his father helped Walters father with their entailment. Therefore, he will always think of the action that he going to take for every action that he makes because he is the kind of people who always put people first in every kind of situation. To have a sympathetic feeling like Jeremy Atticus Finch, one should learn to see things from someone

elses perspective because that is where we can feel the kind of situation that other people facing. Another character that showing sympathy as Jeremy Atticus Finch is his aunt, Aunt Alexandra. For example, when she heard about Tom Robinsons death, she is upset with the news and quickly sends Calpurnia to help Toms wife, Helen. She is also feels sympathetic towards his brother because it seems like his burden will never ends. Her intense concern over her brother is noticed when she tells Miss Maudie, I just want to know when this will ever ends. Her voice rose: It tears him to pieces.
(Page 316, 2010)

This reveals that although she disagrees with Atticuss decision to defend a Negro, she still supports him from behind and feels sympathy towards him. It is clearly shown that she has a genuine love beneath her unfriendly attitude towards Scout and Jem. When Atticus lose the trial, Aunt Alexandra also concern about Atticus when she said, Im sorry, brother.
(Page 284, 2010)

Scout said that that was the first time she ever heard her called Atticus brother. We can know that Aunt Alexandra actually feel sad for her brother when he lose the defeat. She is also feel sympathetic towards Tom because she know that it is hard to win any defeat if they are colored-folks. Moral education actually helps children to practice moral habits that will lead them to become productive and contribute to the society around them. Thus, moral education also is one of the main themes in the story as there are many examples and evidence of moral education in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. One of the examples where moral education is clearly shown is when Calpurnia scolded Scout when she criticized Walter Cunningham when he poured syrup all over his vegetables and meat. Calpurnia whispered fiercely to Scout saying,

Theres some folks who dont eat like us, she whispered fiercely, but you aint called on to contradict them at the table when they dont.
(Page 32, 2010)

Calpurnia tries to teach Scout to be polite to her guest, Walter Cunningham although he does not know table manners. It is important to teach Scout to be polite to others because she always went overboard when criticizing people. Even though Scout gets very angry at Calpurnia at first, but then Scout began to realise that it is not necessarily for her to teach other people table manners if she is not good enough with it. Another important lesson in moral education that should be look through is through Scouts perspective. The main lesson that Scout learns from Atticus in the novel is, You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of viewuntil you climb into his skin and walk around in it.
(Page 39, 2010)

It means that she should have not judge people by their look; instead she should put herself into the situation of other people and try to live with it. For example, Scout receives her moral education through her experiences with Boo Radley. In her journey to meet Boo Radley, she had gone through a lot of difficulties and this had taught her to be stronger. Before the story ends, Boo had taught her that not everyone who hides themselves in the house is scary and bad, but they have their own reasons to hide. Thus, moral education is a good way to teach children to understand things better because they will try putting themselves into the kind of situation which they had never been to. In writing this critical analysis of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, I have learnt that writing an analysis on novel is not an easy task as it requires very much on brainstorming and putting up critical ideas. Through this reading experience, I learned to accept people as they are and try to put myself into the situation in which I have never been through because I know it is important for me to understand others if I want people to understand me. Last but not least, I realised that we should be aware of everything that happens around us and try to overcome the problem by putting everyones perspective into it so that everyone is happy with the decision .