Co-Existence Of Good And Evil in To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

Is it possible for a man to be solely good, or solely evil? Is there a literal pathway from childhood into adulthood? These are two questions indirectly discussed in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Many people are seen as good, and many seen as plain evil, but that is never the only side to a person. A good person usually has a mean streak, that is not dominant, but undeniably there. A bad person has a good side but that side also doesnt show.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, there are many examples of good and bad characters. A good character is Atticus Finch for example. Examples of bad characters in the story are Bob Ewell and Nathan Radley, evidenced by Calpurnia saying that he is the meanest man ever God blew breath into.

There is also one very prominent example of a character that shows both good and evil. That character is Walter Cunningham, father of Scouts classmate, and a hard worker. He is usually a very decent, honorable man

known for his honesty, and the fact that he leaves no debt unpaid. That reputation is changed when, along with a group of men, he wants to execute Tom Robinson for the crime he is charged with, before even going to trial. He shows here that he has an evil side. Not evil per se, but the willingness to kill a possibly innocent man because of his race. He makes up for this. Not only does he tell the men lets clear out. Lets get going boys, making them leave Tom be, but also during the actual trial, he wants to acquit the defendant. That attempt is rendered useless when Tom is actually indicted. Nevertheless, his attempt itself is a sign of goodness in him.

There is no tangible path that one must go through to be considered an adult. No line to cross or certificate to get. In reality, for one to become an adult, he must be of a certain mental maturity. Some people reach it young, others reach it when its too late, and others never become adults mentally, no matter what age they are. The pathway is different for everybody, for some it just comes when they realize they are childish, for some it is their surroundings that provide the pathway, and for others, it is a trauma that forces adulthood upon them.

For Jem Finch, the trial of Tom Robinson provided a pathway to adulthood for him, and a surprisingly sudden one. Before the unjust verdict was announced, Jem was confidant that prejudice had no part in important decisions, like wether Tom Robinson would be convicted or not. He naively thought that since the evidence was in Toms favor, the jury would put aside the racism present at the time, and give him his freedom. He says were gonna win, Scout. I dont see how we cant. He could not a see a way in which this case is not in favor of the defendant, but the jury obviously could.

When Tom is convicted of rape, it is a reality check for Jem. He realizes that even though there is rock hard evidence in favor of Tom, racism trumps the evidence. After the case Jem is no longer a child. He becomes serious, and, if anything, cynical. He no longer has hope in the town he grew up in. I always thought Maycomb folks were the best folks in the world, least thats what they seemed like. He no longer thinks Maycomb people are good people, he has lost his faith in them.

One man cannot be completely good or evil, everyone has a bit of everything in them, and usually, the hidden side surfaces in the most unexpected, severe of times. Also, anything can serve as a pathway, a route of some sort, from childhood to adulthood.