Family is one of the most important factors that help shape a person's life. In the critically lauded and moving tales of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee and 'Bless Me, Ultimate' by Rudolf Nanny, the protagonists are all children, newly thrust into the world, faced with extreme obstacles and situations that test their character. Each one deals with these obstacles In different ways because of their deferent personalities.
However, one thing is certain--the main characters of both novels overcome their hurdles and develop a strong level of morality along the way because they are guided by the love, understanding, and experience of their family members. A major theme in To Kill a Mockingbird is the moral nature of humans. At the beginning of the novel, Scout and Gem live In their childhood world, Intuitively assuming that everyone is good because not once in their lives have they seen what evil truly is. As Gem and Scout transition from their naivetéГ© and innocence, Attic's is here every step of the way, In order to gulled them towards the right path.
He Is neither the strictest parent nor the most affectionate, but the reader comes to see Attic's as the noblest man and father one could ever encounter. As Tom Robinsons trial looms around the corner. Attic's Is worried that Scout and Gem are too young to understand the true significance of the trial. He confides in uncle Jack, saying that he doesn't wish his children to catch 'Macomb's usual disease. ' (page 88) He means that he doesn't want Gem and Scout to be Influenced by the prejudice of close- indeed Southern folks. He doesn't want to shield them, however, from something that is inevitable.
Instead, he lets them make their own decisions regarding life, but is there to help them distinguish right from wrong. Attic's never forces his children to do anything or reprimands them. 'Attic's, you've never laid a hand on her. ' 'l admit that... Jack, she minds me as well as she can. '' (page 88) Instead, he guides them by example. Gem and Scout are able to grudgingly accept the other schoolchildren mocking of Attic's. When Cecil Jacobs taunts Scout, she says: 'Somehow, if I fought Cecil I would let Attic's down. Attic's so rarely asked Gem and me to do something for him. Loud take being called a coward for hell' (page 77) Attic's knows that letting these comments manipulate them means Gem and Scout have stooped to the level of those kids. Attic's shows this when he is not bogged down when Bob Lowell threatens nil anon SSP TTS In Nils race. Attic's noels Gem Ana scout Decode noodle people Ana Is absolutely fundamental in their formation of morals and values. He understands evil but doesn't lose his faith in people's goodness. The important thing is to appreciate a arson's good qualities but to understand and accept their bad qualities. He tries to teach this moral lesson to them and succeeds.
Attic's forces Gem to go read to Mrs.. Dubos in order to instill the message. Attic's admires Mrs.. Double's courage to live life despite her tremendous pain, while accepting her intense racism. He hopes that Gem can learn something meaningful from his experience with Mrs.. Dubos. ''She had her own views about things, a lot different from mine, maybe... Son, I told you that if you hadn't lost your head I'd have made you go read to her. I wanted you to see meeting about her--l 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 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. Mrs.. Dubos won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I knew. '' (page 112) When Attic's tries to tell Gem that 'a man with a gun' is not courageous, he is downplaying the fact that he really isn't proud of being he sharpest shooter back in the day, that is not something that makes a person virtuous. However, he is actually describing himself in this quote.
By taking up Tom's case, Attic's knows he is licked before he begins, but he sees it through anyways because he knows it is the right thing to do. The trial of Tom Robinson is what affects Gem most. His idealistic notions of life are crushed when innocent Tom is convicted. He has no idea how to comprehend the injustice that he has Just witnessed. The strong presence of Attic's in Gem's life is what will help him see the positive impact of he trial. At the beginning of Chapter 25, Gem refuses to allow Scout to squash a roll- poly bug because it has done nothing to harm her. 'Why couldn't I mash him? ' I asked. 'Because they don't bother you,' Gem answered in the darkness. '' (page 238) After seeing the unjust destruction of Tom, Gem clearly sees the unfairness in destroying the innocent. Gem and Scout become the people they are because of the way their father raises them. He teaches them basically every important moral lesson, preparing them for a successful life. As I made my way home, I thought Gem and I would get grown but there wasn't much else left for us to learn, except possibly algebra. (page 279) The predominant struggle in Bless Me, Ultimate is the main character's search for identity. As Antonio 'Tony' Mare comes of age, there is tremendous pressure to live up to the expectations of his parents and of society. However, Tony's ability to think independently about moral decisions marks his progression from boy to man. Ultimate acts as Tony's guide as he learns the importance of moral independence. Ultimate is a arranged, a healer, who comes to live with Tony's family. She is a respected old woman, wise and all knowing.
Much like Attic's, she helps Tony discover his path, but does not choose it for him. 'Antonio,' she said calmly and placed her hand on my shoulder, 'l cannot tell you what to believe... As you grow into manhood you must find your own truths--'' (page 119) Ultimate teaches him that he has to think for himself and arrive at his own conclusions. She is his guardian angel, more a part of his soul than even Nils parents seen Is undoubtedly Nils most Important Tamely memoir. I en conflict Tony encounters involves his parents.
His mother, a 'Ulna' wishes him to be a priest, while his father, a free-spirited 'Mare' wants him to feel the liberty and peace of a vaquero's way of life on the llano. 'My mother was not a woman of the llano, she was the daughter of a farmer... After I was born in Lass Pastures she persuaded my father to leave the llano and bring her family to the town of Guadalupe where she said there would be opportunity and school for us. The move lowered my father in the esteem of his compares, the other vaqueros of the llano ho clung tenaciously to their way of life and freedom. (page 2) Tony looks to his family to define his future and identity, but he has no idea which path to follow and whose dreams to accomplish. This is important because it forces Tony to make his own choices, drawing from the experiences of his family, but not to be limited by them. The other major conflict is between the Catholic and indigenous cultures. 'You have to choose, Tony' CIO said, 'you have to choose between the god of the church, or the beauty that is here and now--'' (page 237) Tony becomes tremendously frustrated y the failure of the church to answer his questions about evil, forgiveness, truth, sinning, and life.
Many events lead to his crisis of faith. The unjust deaths of Lupine, Florence, and Narcosis, who were innocent in the way they lived their lives, and the inability of the Catholic priest to destroy witches' curses on town residents are some of these events. He becomes unsure about the Catholic faith and the nature of God. Ultimate is a member of both the indigenous and Catholic traditions. She understands that life can be viewed in many different perspectives.
Although the church doesn't recognize or condone her mystical powers, she still respects the Catholic faith and goes to mass regularly. Tony is influenced by her to embrace all the cultural influences in his life to become a better person, instead of being restricted to Just one culture. Ultimate teaches him to make his own moral choices and her guidance leads Tony to resolve his conflicts. Bless Me, Ultimate is the story of Tony's development from childhood to maturity, and he learns from Ultimate that only he can determine his future.
Author: Erica Morris