What does Atticus mean when he says Mr Cunninghams basically a good man he just has his blind spots along with the rest of us?

Good Versus Evil: To Kill A Mockingbird Where there is good there is evil and where there is evil there is good. The novel To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, demonstrates the prejudice many faced during that time, and is shown through the eyes of a young girl named Scout. Scout learns through her experiences many life lessons that cause her to mature very quickly. One of the many themes played out in To Kill A Mockingbird is good versus evil. Good versus evil mainly plays out the fact that good and evil live side by side and is shown through the actions of friends or family, the corruption of good men, and from unlikely people. Scout and Atticus are having talk after people had been rude to Atticus because he is defending an African-American…show more content…
He thought that the attorneys had picked the most level headed men. Atticus’ response to the statement is, “Those are twelve reasonable men in everyday life, Tom’s jury, but you something come between them and reason”(Lee 295;chapter 23). The thing that came between the men’s reason (the good) was prejudice (the evil). Soon Atticus had also stated that when the jury had to faced the decision of believing a white man versus a black man, the white man would always win (Lee 295;chapter 23). In this case evil has corrupted a man’s reason when faced with a very important decision and is an example of how vulnerable one’s blind spots are. This especially can be seen in the case of Mr. Cunningham, Walter Cunningham's dad. The novel firsts introduces Mr. Cunningham as a good man, true to his word, and loyal. However, the second time the novel depicts him he is leading a mob to hurt Tom Robinson and anybody in their way: this means Atticus. Scout was luckily able to stop them but was confused the next morning. Atticus took the liberty of explaining to her that, “Mr. Cunningham’s basically a good man, he just has his blind spots along with the rest of us”(Lee 210;chapter 16). This statement further proves that somethings good people get misguided (corrupted) and do the wrong things. Like all people not everyone is perfect and not everyone who is thought to be bad is…show more content…
After being caught, he was forced to stay in his home his entire life. This lead to people to create rumors about him being crazy, scary, and just all out mean; essentially, evil. However, as the novel unfolds it shows us many things that Boo does that is out of character from what people depict of him. This can especially be shown when Boo gives Scout a blanket when she was freezing, while watch Ms. Maudie’s house burned down (Lee 96;chapter 8). For Boo this is really out of character because according to the people of Maycomb he kills on sight. This act of generosity further proves that good can be found in the worst places. Ever since Boo was young and got in trouble he never got the chance to redeem himself. However, he is trying very hard to prove himself a good person to Jem and Scout. One major act that Boo commits it when he risks his life to save Jem and Scout’s life from Bob Ewell. While the novel does not directly say this it is highly inferred. In the beginning Boo is depicted as a bad person, but by the end of the novel he proves all of the rumors wrong. Its turns out that he was just misguided. Despite him being seen as bad he wasn’t. This supports the thought that not everything we think is bad is truly bad and that if you look close enough you can find the good in

In her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses point of view to present each character’s own attitude on different matters. In the novel, kids such as Scout and Jem experience and learn many lessons from the events in Maycomb that the adults have already learned. They discovered that their father, Atticus, has done some issues such as protecting Tom Robinson and letting Bob Ewell treat him unfairly, but in Atticus’s point of view, he thinks that it would be a good deed; however, the people of Maycomb has thought opposite of Atticus’s. The different points of view show how kids such as Scout and Jem can view matters differently than adults, and Harper Lee wants to show the true meaning and purpose of point of view by showing how adulthood…show more content…
For example, after Atticus talks to the mob, Scout thinks Atticus “was giving him hell for not going home, but I was wrong,” (206) but beyond the kids’ understanding Atticus is showing “his one gesture of affection.” (206). In other words, Scout thinks Atticus was angry at the kids, but really Atticus is proud of the kids preventing the mob from kill Tom Robinson, but they did not realized what they have done for Atticus. The kids think they are going to be punished by Atticus, but Atticus views the matter differently. For example, during the talk between Atticus and his kids, Jem and Scout do not understand what Atticus was saying because he mentions that “Mr. Cunningham’s basically a good man...he just has his blind spots along with the rest of us,” (210) and he told Jem and Scout, “you’ll understand folks a little better when you’re older.” (210). In other words, Jem and Scout do not understand his point of view on Mr. Cunningham especially when he was in the middle of the mob. Since Atticus says Jem and Scout would understand better when they are older, it demonstrates how the adult’s world is different from the kid’s world. As a result, adults have their own points of view toward which the kids in the story are all growing and maturing. The adults’ point of view is different from the kids’ because there are many lessons that they have to learn, especially Atticus’s words of being in someone’s shoes. Point of view shows how a person or character may view at a situation, but the true meaning of point of view is being in someone’s shoes and understanding their situation which is what Atticus has been doing. Harper Lee wants to show how a character can be a better character by understanding other people’s point of

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