To kill a mockingbird: Essay 2

Again, later on in the extract, Jem does not understand that Walter is equally as human as she is. Once again Harper Lee presents the facts with a little innuendo which touches on discrimination which is basically the heart of the book. "He ain't company, Cal, he's just a Cunningham."

Another of Jem's misunderstandings is the molasses incident. Again she cannot understand why Walter drenches his food in molasses. It probably will originate from Walter's upbringing as a "farm boy". Molasses was probably cheap as chips on the farm where financial difficulty was rife. The author however employs a skilful phrase used in the South of America when describing Jem's amazement, "...what the sam hill he was doing."

Jem does however understand that Calpurnia is one coloured person who is educated. Jem realizes this by how good her grammar was during tranquility. Again there is a misunderstanding on Jem's part. She generalizes by implies that most coloured folk are not educated. The author presents these facts in such a way that it touches a major theme of the book, misunderstanding.

As Calpurnia sent Jem off with a smack, Jem remarked that she'll go and drown herself in Barker's Eddy. This stresses the fact that Jem does not understand the ways and means of discipline. The author presents Jem almost as a headstrong girl who just cannot accept that this coloured lady could tell her what to do and how to present herself.

Once again Miss Caroline Fisher comes into play. Her strict accordance to the rules of the new teaching system does not allow Jem to read or write. Jem blames Calpurnia for teaching her to write however she does not understand that it is a good thing and not a bad thing.

Misunderstanding the Cunninghams, misunderstanding coloured folk, misunderstanding the education system and most importantly misunderstanding Boo Radley which comes across later in the novel goes hand in hand with discrimination in this novel. Harper Lee presents this discrimination very subtly with innuendos throughout the novel until both these themes blow into the upcoming court case. The author, through her artful diction, balances the fine line between understanding and misunderstanding as well as discrimination and tolerance. Try to picture someone's life in their shoes.