To Kill a Mocking Bird - Connections

        Next, many parents in Maycomb did not teach their kids moral values. This is evident because there were so many kids calling black people the ‘N’ word. Atticus strongly believed in teaching his kids moral values. Every time Scout or Jem had a problem, he sat them down and advised them what was the right thing to do. When he told Jem to help Mrs. Dubbose out and read to her, he refused. He did not know why Atticus was so serious about it. When he found out that she was addicted to morphine and his reading helped her to deal with it, he understood and respected Atticus. He dealt with Scout the same way. When she had a problem, he would sit her down and carefully explain to her what was the right thing to do. Today, many parents do not teach their kids moral values. This is evident because so much teen rebellion is occurring. Parents should try to teach wisdom to their kids as Atticus did. In my opinion, children think that their parents do not understand them enough. There needs to be more discussion between children and their parents.

The concept of walking away from fights is addressed in the book, and can be related to real life today. Atticus was always advising Scout and Jem to control themselves and walk away from fights. He said it was better to fight with your head. Parents today always advise their children to walk away from fights. They always say, “Use words, not hands.” Jem and Scout listened to Atticus and tried their best to avoid getting into fights at school. However, Scout still got into some fights. Kids today also listen to their parents and try their best to avoid fights. Yet, they still end up fighting just as Scout did.      

Sometimes in life you are faced with an unexpected situation. Atticus was given a gun and asked to shoot the rabid dog. He hesitated at first because he didn’t want to set a bad example for his kids. He had the courage to go ahead and shoot the dog because this was a potentially dangerous situation since the dog could have bitten someone. The dog had to be destroyed humanely. Today, people are faced with unexpected situations all the time. A few weeks ago, the citizens of New Orleans were faced with the unexpected situation of Hurricane Katrina. They had to decide whether to evacuate or remain in their homes.