she thinks are life threatening risks to keepAtticus's good opinion.

When the three children have to run away from the gunfire, Jem's pants get caught on the barbed wire fence, and he is forced to leave them behind. Dill makes up a story about strip poker to explain to Atticus why the pants are missing, but Jem realizes he needs to get them back or Atticus will know the strip poker story was a lie and that the three of them were pestering Boo when Atticus had told them not too.

Scout thinks the risk of going back on the Radley's property is too great and begs Jem to reconsider, but he he won't:

He blew out his breath patiently. “I—it’s like this, Scout,” he muttered. “Atticus ain’t ever whipped me since I can remember. I wanta keep it that way.”

This was a thought. It seemed that Atticus threatened us every other day.

“You mean he’s never caught you at anything.” “Maybe so, but—I just wanta keep it that way, Scout.”

Jem values his father's good opinion so much that he goes back into the Radley yard to retrieve the pants. Scout doesn't fully understand Jem's thinking at this point in her life, but she does learn that in some cases, honor counts more than safety.

I believe that Scout also learns a valuable lesson about responsibility in Chapter 6.  Jem takes responsibility for his actions by insisting on returning for his pants himself; the crime is his, so the risk is his. After returning from the Radley place, Jem informs Scout that they should not have trespassed onto the Radley place that night.  It seems that, in some way, he is trying to right the wrong, or at least accept ownership for it, by placing himself in the position of (assumed) risk, rather than someone else.

In chapter 9, the Finch family gets together to celebrate Christmas at Finch's Landing, and Scout gets into a physical altercation with Francis Hancock after he calls Atticus a "nigger-lover." Scout ends up punching her cousin directly in the mouth, and Uncle Jack quickly restrains and spanks her. When they get home, Scout immediately runs into her room and slams the door. Uncle Jack then attempts to speak to Scout about the incident, and she tells him that he is not fair. Scout goes on to tell Uncle Jack that he doesn't understand children much and never gave her a chance to tell her side of the story before spanking her. After Scout tells Uncle Jack what Francis said, he apologizes to Scout for his aggressive reaction. Uncle Jack then bandages Scout's hand, and she asks him what a "whore-lady" is out of nowhere. He is caught off guard by Scout's explicit question and fabricates a story rather than telling her the truth.

Later that night, Scout overhears Uncle Jack speaking to Atticus and telling his brother that Scout taught him an important lesson in exercising discernment before passing judgment. Uncle Jack admits that he learned the importance of understanding both sides of a child's story before reacting. Uncle Jack then tells Atticus that Scout asked what a "whore-lady" was and says that he avoided telling her the truth by speaking about Lord Melbourne. Atticus then teaches his brother another lesson by telling Jack that children can easily spot an evasion and adults should always be honest with them.

In chapter 9 Uncle Jack learns a little about how to talk to kids.  The first thing he learned from Scout.  When he pulled her away from her fight with Francis, he didn't listen to her side of the story. Scout says,

"Well, in the first place you never stopped to gimme a chance to tell you my side of it--you just lit right into me.  When Jem an' I fuss Atticus doesn't ever just listen to Jem's side of it, he hears mine too."

So he learns that he can't jump to conclusions with kids.  He needs to hear both sides of the story before acting.

Secondly, he learns how to answer the more difficult questions that kids bring up.  Scout wants to know what a "whore lady" is, since she's heard that and used it, but didn't know what she was saying.  Instead of telling her the truth, Jack goes only avoids the question and confuses her more.  Atticus told him to get to the point and tell kids the truth.

"When a child asks you something, answer him, for goodness' sake.  But don't make a production of it. children are children, but they can spot an evasion quicker than adults, and evasion simply muddles 'em."

This is what he learned from Atticus in the same scene.

In Chapter 11 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout learned what true courage looks like. After Mrs. Dubose insulted Atticus to the children, Jem “simply went mad” and beat the tops off of her camellia bushes with the baton he had just bought Scout with his twelfth birthday money, and then snapped the baton. As a punishment, Jem is charged to read to the old lady six days a week for a month, for a couple of hours after school. Scout tagged along, giving our narrator a front row seat to the condition of the ailing woman. Toward the end of each of their sessions, Mrs. Dubose would fall into “fits”, unable to focus on her surroundings or control her face. Every day, the sessions grew longer and longer, and her fits eventually passed. About a month after Jem was released from his duties, Mrs. Dubose passed away. Atticus explains to the children that her fits were caused by her morphine addiction. Scout learns that Mrs. Dubose knew she was going to die, and painfully, but she wanted to go according to her values, “beholden to nothing and nobody”. The old woman lived her last few months fighting her addiction, suffering greatly, even though she knew that she would soon pass anyway. Atticus explained:

“I 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 know 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. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew.”

In Chapter 11, as Jem and Scout pass Mrs. Dubose's house, she hurls insults at them. Mrs. Dubose says, "Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for!" (Lee 135) Jem is upset and loses his temper by smashing Mrs. Dubose camellia bush. Scout learns that even Jem can lose his temper under extreme provocation. Atticus explains to Scout that she must learn to conduct herself appropriately when the "chips are down," and is told that Tom's case is something that "goes to the essence of a man's conscience" (Lee 140). Towards the end of the chapter, Scout learns that Mrs. Dubose was terminally ill, and her last wish was to "kick" her morphine addiction.Scout learns that Jem's reading took her mind off the pain in between her doses, and she eventually beat her addiction. After Mrs. Dubose dies, she leaves a candy box with a white camellia in it as a gift for Jem. Atticus explains that it's her way of saying that everything is okay between them. This is an important lesson in Scout's moral development. Scout witnesses the duality of human nature when Atticus explains Mrs. Dubose's courage and integrity. Scout learns that people can have both good and bad qualities.

Humility and its antithesis, arrogance, are two lessons Scout and Jem learn in chapters 12 and 13 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.

Scout and Jem learn a lesson in humility from Calpurnia the day she brings them to church with her when their father is out of town. Walking home from church, Jem notes that Calpurnia does not speak the way the rest of the African Americans speak when she is with them at the Finch household; instead, she speaks with proper grammar. However, the children also noticed that while she was at the church speaking with her fellow African Americans, she used the same slang and dialect they use. When Scout and Jem want to know why she speaks "nigger-talk to the--to your folks" when she knows how to speak grammatically, Calpurnia's response gives them a lesson in humility. First, she explains that she would seem out of place if she "talked white-folks' talk at church, and with [her] neighbors." Second, and more importantly, she explains that it is "not necessary to tell all you know." Just because she is literate and knows how to speak grammatically does not give her the right to show off her knowledge at every chance she gets. Most importantly, she knows that showing off her knowledge won't change things; it will only infuriate people. As she further explains to Jem and Scout,

"You're not gonna change any of them by talkin' right, they've got to want to learn themselves, and when they don't want to learn there's nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language."

In other words, Calpurnia's answer shows that she is willing to accept the folks around her as they are. Her willingness to accept those around her shows that she is an extremely humble person, and Scout and Jem learn a lesson about humility by having this conversation with her.

Scout and Jem learn the exact opposite of humility from their Aunt Alexandra when she comes to stay with them. Contrary to Calpurnia, Aunt Alexandra insists in believing she is better than those around her and in acting in a way that shows her superiority. Since the Finch family has been well-educated and wealthy for multiple generations, Aunt Alexandra feels that the Finch family is a family of high quality. She is very surprised to learn that Atticus hasn't taught his children to value their family background and tries to get him to do so. Atticus walks into Jem's bedroom to give both children a lecture about how they are the "product of several generations' gentle breeding" and of a family that has been very influential throughout all of Maycomb County for multiple generations. Finally, at Aunt Alexandra's encouraging, he tries to impress upon the children that they "must try to behave like the little lady and gentleman that [they] are."

However, Scout breaks into tears and Jem is stunned because they know these are not their father's own thoughts, who has only ever said that "Fine Folks" are people who could use their intelligent minds well. The children's reactions bring Atticus to his senses, and he humbly retracts the lecture. But what is most interesting is that Aunt Alexandra tries to teach the children the exact opposite of what Calpurnia teaches them; Aunt Alexandra tries to teach them how to think of themselves and act as if they are better than others, which is the exact opposite of humility. It's arrogance, and this is a lesson that the children reject.

Near the end of Chapter 13 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch attempts to teach his daughter, Scout (Jean Louise) that she must obey her Aunt Alexandra's dictates and adopt a much more ladylike approach to life than she has exhibited previously; Jem, Atticus's son, is to behave himself as a proper young man of quality lineage.  Aunt Alexandra, who is somewhat of a snob, feels that Scout's behavior reflects negatively on the Finch family name.

"...She asked me to tell you that you must try to behave like the little lady and gentleman that you are.  She wants to talk to you about the family and what it's meant to Maycomb county through the years, so you'll have some idea of who you are, so you might be moved to behave accordingly..."

Have been told, basically, that her entire way of conducting herself is no longer acceptable, Scout attempts to comfort herself with an innocent distraction, but Atticus admonishes her harshly for making noise.  Scout is driven to tears, because she sees her father's uncharacteristically stern and unkind behavior as evidence of an impending great change in him brought on by the inevitability of Tom Robinson's trial.  When Atticus realizes that Scout is merely doing her best to mask her fear and upset, Atticus tells his children that he doesn't "want {them{ to remember it.  Forget it."

Atticus, who represents the best of morals and ethics in nearly every way and is an exemplary father, friend, and citizen, finally recognizes the truth of his sister's advice and promptings when Scout comes to him in tears.  Alexandra had instructed Atticus to force his children, in essence, to conform to societal standards and care more about what other people expect of them than their own sense of appropriateness.  In doing so, Atticus betrayed himself; he allowed his sister to influence him and went against his own morals.

In Chapter 13, Aunt Alexandra moves into the Finch residence. Scout comments that Alexandra is obsessed with heredity and learns about her theory regarding family background. Alexandra believes the longer a family has lived on a plot of land, the finer that family is. Scout becomes aware of Maycomb's caste system, and Alexandra convinces Atticus to teach Jem and Scout about their family background. Atticus attempts to explain to Jem and Scout their family's proud history, but gives up because he finds it ridiculous. Scout and Jem learn the important life lesson that people should not judge each other based on their family's history, and individuals should value each other based on merit.

In Chapter 14, Alexandra attempts to convince Atticus to fire Calpurnia, but Atticus defends Cal's character. Jem also upsets Scout by telling her to stop antagonizing Aunt Alexandra, and Scout punches him in the face. After their scuffle, Scout steps on something as she walks by her bed, which turns out to be Dill, who ran away from home. Atticus allows Dill to spend the night, and Dill explains to Scout the real reason why he ran away. Throughout this chapter, Jem learns that it is not wise to be authoritative with his younger sister and Scout learns the importance of a loving family after listening to Dill's sad situation.

In Chapter Thirteen, Aunt Alexandra convinces her brother to teach Jem and Scout about their family's history and possibly use his influence to encourage them to behave like proper children. When Atticus enters the children's room before bed, he attempts to explain to them that they come from a prestigious, respectable family and should behave like a little lady and gentleman. However, Scout gets bored and begins to fidget as her father attempts to have a serious conversation with them. Scout then bursts into tears and attempts to run whenever Atticus yells at her to put the comb down. Scout ends up running into her father's stomach, and he realizes that he has been acting differently towards his children. Atticus learns the importance of remaining true to himself and not being influenced by those around him. Atticus has clearly taken up the task of teaching his children about their hereditary after listening to Alexandra. Scout's reaction also teaches her father that there are far more important things in life than impressing others. 

Atticus learns that he must follow his own instincts when it comes to dealing with his sister, and he recognizes that forcing himself to defend Alexandra's belief that the children must behave as a Finch is not a good fit. As Atticus has discovered before--at Miss Maudie's house fire and in his discussion about Mrs. Dubose--"It's not time to worry" yet, and he sees that his children are both unprepared and unwilling to begin "to try to live up to your name." Atticus does not really believe Alexandra's views on the glorious past of the Finch family, and he is certainly not comfortable defending them. After he brings Scout to tears trying to force the importance of "gentle breeding" on her, it takes his daughter's own motherly concern about Atticus's "growling" stomach and how "You better take some soda" for him to finally abandon Alexandra's demands. "Forget it," he tells Scout, and

... I knew he had come back to us.

Scout helps Atticus understand that Boo Radley is sensitive and should be treated with care. 

When Atticus finds out that Bob Ewell was killed, he thinks that Jem did it in self-defense when Ewell attacked him and his sister.  Atticus argues with Sherriff Heck Tate about it, because Jem is a minor and he thinks that he will not be severely punished for it.  Heck Tate tells Atticus that Jem had nothing to do with it, and that they also should not involve Boo Radley in it.  The best thing to do is say that Bob Ewell died by accident. 

“I may not be much, Mr. Finch, but I’m still sheriff of Maycomb County and Bob Ewell fell on his knife. Good night, sir.” Mr. Tate stamped off the porch and strode across the front yard. His car door slammed and he drove away. (Ch. 30) 

While Atticus is grappling with this idea, he turns to Scout to see if she understands.  She does.  She knows that Jem had nothing to do with Bob Ewell’s death, and she also knows that they need to protect Boo Radley from any recognition for his heroics. 

Atticus disengaged himself and looked at me. “What do you mean?”

“Well, it’d be sort of like shootin‘ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?” (Ch. 30) 

Atticus thanks Boo.  Scout and Heck Tate are both aware that Maycomb would erupt with gossip if anyone knew that Boo Radley saved two children from Bob Ewell.  He is a very quiet and sensitive man, and he would never be able to handle that.  Heck Tate gives the example of a brigade of ladies showing up with angel food cakes.  He tells Atticus that they need to protect quiet, sensitive Boo Radley from that. 

Scout understands.  She has seen Boo Radley, and he has been the backdrop of her childhood.  Boo Radley has always protected her, and this is her chance to protect him.

Through Jem's experience with Mrs. Dubose, he learns that there are consequences for his actions. When he takes Scout's baton and thrashes Mrs. Dubose's camellia bushes, he demonstrates his inability to control his temper in certain situations, thereby causing him to face the consequences of such behavior. Yes, it takes courage to face Mrs. Dubose for a month to read to her, but it is also a very long penance to have to complete for just a few minutes of vengeful satisfaction. If he doesn't want to make up for his misdeeds in such a way again, maybe he will start to think twice before losing his temper. It's a great learning experience for Jem, though. Even though he hates going over to read for a mean, drooling, sick woman, he learns more about her own personal struggles. This helps him to grow as a man, and hopefully it teaches him that it isn't worth losing one's temper over someone else's inability to control their own.

In Chapter 11, Jem is forced to read to Mrs. Dubose as a punishment for destroying her camellia bush. Mrs. Dubose is an ignorant racist who hurls insults at Jem and Scout as they pass her house. She tells Jem that Atticus is no better than the "niggers and trash" he works for and insults Scout for wearing overalls. While Jem reads to her, she continually corrects him and makes negative comments. Later on in the chapter, Atticus gives Jem a gift from Mrs. Dubose, who recently passed away. Inside a cardboard candy box is one white camellia in perfect condition. At first, Jem freaks out and says, "Why can't she leave me alone?" (Lee 148) Atticus tells him to settle down and explains that it was Mrs. Dubose's way of telling Jem that everything is alright. Atticus then tells Jem that she was a great lady who had tremendous courage for battling her morphine addiction. Jem is surprised to hear Atticus speak so highly of the old, cantankerous Mrs. Dubose. Throughout this entire experience, Jem learns an important lesson in the duality of human nature. He learns that even the unfriendly, ignorant Mrs. Dubose has positive characteristics. Jem's childhood innocence led him to generalize all people as either good or bad. In Chapter 11, Jem learns that individuals can have both good and bad qualities. This is one of the many eye-opening experiences that impact Jem's understanding, growth, and moral development.

Jem and Scout learn various lessons from different characters in the book:

Atticus. Both of the children learn that "it's a sin to kill a mockingbird"--be it the songbird or innocent human beings. Scout also learns about tolerance and how

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."

Aunt Alexandra. Jem and Scout come to understand that their aunt's obsession with heredity, "gentle breeding," and "Fine Folks" does not agree with their own way of judging people.

Miss Maudie. Maudie teaches Jem and Scout that their father is a special man to whom the people of Maycomb turn when they have a tough job to be done.

Dill. From Dill's parents' actions, the children see that gifts and money do not buy a child's happiness. Scout learns about love from her secret kisses she shares with Dill.

Dolphus Raymond. From Dolphus, Scout learns that things are not always what they seem, and that supposedly "evil" men actually have good intentions.

Boo Radley. Boo is another example of appearances (or the lack of an appearance) being deceiving, and how rumors often portray people in an untrue--and in Boo's case, an opposite--manner.

Miss Stephanie. The children learn that most of Miss Stephanie's gossip is unfounded.

Miss Caroline. Scout learns from her first grade teacher that a modern education does not always make a good teacher.

Miss Gates. Scout learns about hypocrisy from her third grade teacher's comments about Hitler, the Jews, and Maycomb's black citizens.

Calpurnia. Scout learns to write cursive from Cal, but she also learns about mannerly behavior during her visit to Cal's church and from Walter Cunningham's visit to the Finch house.

Bob Ewell. By the actions of the Ewell family, Jem and Scout recognize the differences between true "trash" and country folks like the Cunninghams.

Mrs. Dubose. Jem discovers from their cranky old neighbor that bravery comes in many shapes and sizes.

Sheriff Heck Tate. From Tate's decision to call Bob Ewell's death self-inflicted, Scout sees that the law is not always enforced honestly, but that sometimes it is necessary for justice to be served.

This is a good question. But we need to be nuanced here. What Atticus intended to teach Jem and what Jem learned might be different. 

Here is the context. Atticus had Jem go to Mrs. Dubose's house to read to her, as a punishment for destroying her flowers. So, Jem, as a dutiful son, went to Mrs. Dubose's house to read to her on a regular basis. 

After Mrs. Dubose died, Atticus pulled Jem over and told him why he wanted him to read to Mrs. Dubose. He was trying to teach Jem a valuable lesson about courage. So, Atticus explained to Jem that Mrs. Dubose tried to overcome her morphine addiction before she died. She knew it would be hard, but she did it anyway. For this reason, in Atticus's estimation, she was the bravest person he ever knew. Therefore, he wanted Jem to see what bravery really meant. 

Here are Atticus's words:

I wanted you to see something about her—I 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 know 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. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew."

Jem picked up the candy box and threw it in the fire. He picked up the camellia, and when I went off to bed I saw him fingering the wide petals. Atticus was reading the paper.

Jem destroys all of Mrs. Dubose's camellia bushes, which she adores, because she is an unlikeable person who is constantly criticizing Scout and Jem and berating Atticus for defending Tom Robinson, who is African-American. To punish him, Atticus makes Jem read to her every day for a month.

At the beginning of Chapter 11, Scout narrates the following about Mrs. Dubose:

"Jem and I hated her. If she was on the porch when we passed, we would be raked by her wrathful gaze, subjected to ruthless interrogation regarding our behavior, and given a melancholy prediction on what we would amount to when we grew up, which was always nothing" (page numbers vary according to the edition).

Mrs. Dubose seems like a hateful woman, and she regards Scout and Jem as entirely unpromising. 

When Jem has to read to her, Scout and Jem regard her with distaste. Her house smells bad, and she has saliva on her mouth. She also spends a great deal of time berating the children. After Jem spends a month reading to her, his penance is over. 

Atticus tells Scout and Jem a short while later that Mrs. Dubose has died and that she was addicted to the drug morphine but kicked her addiction before she died. Atticus explains in Chapter 11: 

“She said she was going to leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody. Jem, when you’re sick as she was, it’s all right to take anything to make it easier, but it wasn’t all right for her. She said she meant to break herself of it before she died, and that’s what she did” (page numbers vary according to the edition).

Mrs. Dubose could have taken morphine until she died, but she decided to go through a great deal of pain and agony by choosing to quit. Jem's reading to her to help her pass the time and forget about her pain. Through his experience with Mrs. Dubose, Jem realizes that even people who seem detestable have secret struggles that others don't know about and that everyone deserves empathy and understanding, even those who don't at first seem likable or understandable. 

Scout and Jem learn several important life lessons throughout To Kill a Mockingbird. Of these would be the following three: how to treat people fairly (which they learn from Atticus), not to judge a book by its cover (which they learn from Boo), and from Calpurnia, they learn to always have dignity but not to laud your successes and achievements over others.

Atticus teaches his children to treat people fairly. He models this behavior when he defends Tom and protects him at the jail when the mob comes, presumably to lynch Tom. He also teaches the children this by how he instructs them to treat Boo.

“Son,” he said to Jem, “I’m going to tell you something and tell you one time: stop tormenting that man. That goes for the other two of you.”

What Mr. Radley did was his own business. If he wanted to come out, he would. If he wanted to stay inside his own house he had the right to stay inside free from the attentions of inquisitive children, which was a mild term for the likes of us.

When Boo rescues the children at the end of the novel, it solidifies their growing realization that he was not the person they had originally supposed him to be. In other words, they learn not to judge a book by its cover. When the story begins, they are fascinated and afraid of Boo. They are constantly trying to get a glimpse of him, which is one reason that Atticus tells them not to torment Boo. They think of him as the “phantom occupant” of “the Radley Place.”

After Mr. Radley dies, Calpurnia says, “There goes the meanest man ever God blew breath into.” Mr. Radley had tortured Boo throughout his life, which made Boo fearful of almost everything. Yet, he still comes out to rescue the children and even waits at the Finch’s home to make sure that Jem is cared for by the doctor. Scout realizes how sad it is that she and Jem never gave Boo anything.

Calpurnia teaches the children not to laud their achievements or higher social status over others. When Walter Cunningham comes for dinner, Cal calls Scout out of the dining room to have a word with her in private:

She was furious, and when she was furious Calpurnia’s grammar became erratic …"There’s some folks who don’t eat like us,” she whispered fiercely, “but you ain’t called on to contradict ‘em at the table when they don’t. That boy’s yo’ comp’ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear?”

“He ain’t company, Cal, he’s just a Cunningham—”

“Hush your mouth! Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo‘ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you was so high and mighty! Yo‘ folks might be better’n the Cunninghams but it don’t count for nothin’ the way you’re disgracin‘ ’em—if you can’t act fit to eat at the table you can just set here and eat in the kitchen!”

Later, when the children accompany Cal to church, they notice a difference in her speech patterns and ask her about it.

“That’s why you don’t talk like the rest of ‘em,” said Jem.

“The rest of who?”

“Rest of the colored folks. Cal, but you talked like they did in church …”....

“It’s right hard to say,” she said. “Suppose you and Scout talked colored folks’ talk at home it’d be out of place, wouldn’t it? Now what if I talked white-folks’ talk at church, and with my neighbors? They’d think I was puttin‘ on airs to beat Moses.”

“But Cal, you know better,” I said.

“It’s not necessary to tell all you know. It’s not ladylike—in the second place, folks don’t like to have somebody around knowin‘ more than they do. It aggravates ’em. You’re not gonna change any of them by talkin‘ right, they’ve got to want to learn themselves, and when they don’t want to learn there’s nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language.”

From Boo Radley the children learn that things (and rumors) are not always what they seem. At first believing that Boo is a bloodthirsty ghoul guilty of all "stealthy small crimes committed in Maycomb," they eventually see that he is a neighbor who only wants to be their friend. By the end of the novel, Boo becomes their saviour, coming to their rescue and finally revealing himself by saving their lives from the murderous hands of Bob Ewell.

The children learn that the jury has already made up its mind about Tom Robinson's guilt, and nothing Atticus can say (or prove) will change their minds. "... In the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed." Jem believes juries should be abolished and he questions whether "Maycomb folks were the best folks in the world" after all.

Jem and Scout discover that Atticus isn't as "feeble" as they have come to believe. He has a secret talent that he has never revealed--he was once the finest marksman in Maycomb County--but it is one of which he is not proud. His "unfair advantage over most living things" is something that shames him, partly because of his humble nature. Miss Maudie explains that "People in their right minds never take pride in their talents," and Jem wants to emulate his father. "Atticus is a gentleman, just like me!"

Scout learns several important life lessons through her experiences in school throughout the novel. On her first day of school, Scout gets into trouble with her teacher for reading and writing in class. Scout also attempts to defend Walter Cunningham Jr. but fails miserably. She also witnesses Burris Ewell’s antics as he verbally insults Miss Caroline in front of the class. When she arrives home from school, Atticus teaches her an important life lesson in perspective. He encourages her to metaphorically climb into a person’s skin and walk around in it, in order to see things from their point of view. He also explains to Scout that the Ewells don’t have to follow typical rules and laws because they are an exception. Atticus then teaches Scout what a compromise is. Atticus agrees to read to Scout every night, if Scout agrees that she will continue to go to school.

Later on in the novel, Scout learns about Adolf Hitler persecuting the Jews during a “Current Events” activity. Her teacher, Miss Gates, explains to the class that nobody is persecuted in America because there is no prejudice. Scout thinks about Miss Gates’ comment and recognizes the hypocrisy in her statement. Scout had overheard Miss Gates making prejudiced comments about African Americans at the courthouse, and discusses this with Jem. Scout learns that even her teacher, Miss Gates, is prejudiced. Scout also learns that she needs to pay close attention in order to differentiate between factual lessons in school, and her teacher’s personal beliefs.

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is a novel which can teach many life lessons. Calpurnia, Miss Maudie, and Link Deas are all givers of wisdom, and one could learn many things just by talking to them. The primary character who shares lessons for life, though, is Atticus Finch. His daughter, Jean Louis (Scout), is the one to whom most of his lessons are directed, and through her experiences we process what Atticus tells her throughout the story.

One of the primary lessons Atticus wants his children, and particularly Scout, to learn is that everyone has a story. He says:

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."

He hopes Scout will learn not to be so critical and condemning of others, especially those who are different from her. This is a life lesson which stands the test of time and is something all of us would do well to remember. 

A second life lesson is directed at Jem, who is often disdainful of his scholarly, justice-minded, peace-loving father. Atticus says:

"Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing 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."

This definition of courage is even more powerful because it Jem experiences this lesson in his dealings with Mrs. Henry Lafayette DuBose. It is also effective because Atticus is actually an expert marksman, though he only uses a gun when necessary.

Finally, Atticus explains an important principle to his children. When he gives them guns, he reminds them that they can shoot many things, but it is a sin for them to kill a mockingbird. 

"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy... but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

We come to understand that Tom Robinson, as a black man in the South, and Boo Radley, their reclusive and helpful neighbor, are kinds of mockingbirds. They do nothing but try to help people, and they should not be punished for their kind hearts. 

Atticus is a wise man who shares his wisdom with his children; the readers are fortunate enough to be able to listen and learn, as well. 

In Chapter 3, Walter Cunningham Jr. is eating with the Finches. Scout makes fun of the way Walter eats and Cal scolds her for doing so. Cal tells her: 

Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo‘ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you was so high and mighty! Yo‘ folks might be better’n the Cunninghams but it don’t count for nothin’ the way you’re disgracin‘ ’em—if you can’t act fit to eat at the table you can just set here and eat in the kitchen! 

By 'better than' ("better'n"), Cal means that even though the Finches are more educated and have more money, that doesn't mean they (or anyone) has the right to mock those of a lower social class. Scout probably doesn't grasp the notions of class here, but she does learn a lesson to be respectful to others, regardless of who they are or where they come from. 

In Chapter 12, Scout discovers that Cal lives two separate lives: her life with the Finches and Cal's life with her own family and African-American community. Here, Scout gets an introduction into the way the two races are segregated in Maycomb: 

That Calpurnia led a modest double life never dawned on me. The idea that she had a separate existence outside our household was a novel one, to say nothing of her having command of two languages. 

This trip to Cal's church clues both children in to Cal's other life. Jem learns that most of her congregation can not read. Cal tells them that she learned to read from the Bible and an English law book. It had probably never dawned on Jem (or Scout) just how limited the opportunities were for African-Americans, even for Cal. 

“Why yes sir, Mister Jem.” Calpurnia timidly put her fingers to her mouth. “They were the only books I had. Your grandaddy said Mr. Blackstone wrote fine English—” 

In the novel, Calpurnia is a figure of decency who is strict with Scout. We learn that Calpurnia's "hand was wide as a bed slat and twice as hard," but she provides the boundaries the motherless girl needs to feel safe as she grows up and explores her world.

One of the most important learning experiences Calpurnia provides occurs when she takes Jem and Scout to her First Purchase A.M.E. church. This is the first time Scout has had exposure to the black community of Maycomb as a whole. She is impressed by the overall (if not entirely) warm acceptance she receives. She learns that the black community is very poor and that many of the church members can't read. When the congregation gives sacrificially so that Tom Robinson's wife can have $10.00 to support her family while her husband is in jail (no one will hire Mrs. Robinson to clean, because her husband is considered a rapist even though he hasn't been convicted), Scout learns a valuable lesson about the solidarity of the black community.

Calpurnia offers an alternative model of hard work, respect for others, and good sense that contrasts to some of the white ladies of Maycomb, such as Mrs. Merriweather, who spend their time socializing and would rather send money overseas to black people in Africa than help their own community.

Calpurnia also teaches Scout that a person can adapt their speech and behavior to conform to the community they happen to be in at the moment, a lesson that the outspoken Scout needs to learn.

From Miss Caroline, Scout learns the lesson that just because someone is educated and in a position of authority, it doesn't necessarily mean that they know what they're doing. It's perfectly clear to Scout that her hapless first-grade teacher is completely out of her depth, that she lacks basic common sense and doesn't know how to handle her class.

Despite being educated, Miss Caroline takes against Scout for having been taught to read and write at home by her father. This gives Scout a crash course in what kind of teaching methods are now being used in Alabama schools.

Later on, Scout tries to help out Miss Caroline by telling her about the Cunninghams and their refusal to accept money, but the teacher ignores her and insists on offering Walter Cunningham Jr. a quarter for his lunch. For good measure, Scout ends up getting a rap across the hand with a ruler.

As for Jem, in the wake of the Tom Robinson verdict, he learns that Maycomb is not the town he thought it was. Previously, he'd always believed that Maycomb folk were the best in the world. But after witnessing such a brazen miscarriage of justice, he becomes completely disillusioned. Now he realizes what the people of Maycomb are really like, and it breaks his heart.

Some of the most important lessons Jem and Scout learn are about the nature of courage. These lessons come from Atticus.

First, they are surprised to find out Atticus is a talented sharpshooter, a skill he keeps from them until he has to kill the rabid dog Tim Johnson. When they ask him why he keeps his talent a secret, Atticus says he doesn't want to look courageous when all he does is use a God-given talent he didn't earn. Instead, he has them read to the difficult and hateful Mrs. Dubose as she, unbeknownst to the children, battles and wins against morphine addiction in the last weeks of her life. Her battle with addiction, to Atticus, is a model of true courage because she pays a heavy price in pain.

Through the Tom Robinson trial, the children also learn that courage is fighting the good fight even though you know you are doomed to lose. The children admire their father's courage in doing the right thing even though it causes him the threat of physical harm and much criticism in the white community of Maycomb.

The children learn important life lessons, too, about prejudice, both through the Robinson trial—in which an innocent man is convicted solely because he is Black—and through their own reaction to Boo Radley. They come to understand after he saves their lives that they prejudged Boo as a bogeyman without really knowing him.

Yup, excellent examples so far.  A few more:

• They learn from Dill that not everyone has a family who loves and cares for them.
• They learn from Lulu (at Cal's church) that some black people don't particularly like white people--that prejudice can work both ways.
• They learn that not all black people are educated, and that Calpurnia is not typical.
• They learn that color does not determine character, as the most despicable characters in the novel are white.
• They learn from Mrs. Dubose that one can be strong and courageous despite being cantankerous and racist.

The previous post gave some good examples of the children's lessons learned in To Kill a Mockingbird. Other examples:

• Scout learns that the well-educated do not always apply their knowledge properly through the mistakes made by Miss Caroline.
• Through Miss Gates, Scout discovers that teachers do not always practice what they preach.
• Scout and Dill learn that not all town gossip is true when they discover the true nature of Dolphus Raymond.
• Scout and Jem learn that the very poorest people in town--the Cunninghams and the Ewells--actually have very little else in common.

Oh, so many lessons! The children learn that truly great people don't brag about it. They never even knew that their dad, Atticus, was a crack shot. When he kills the rabid dog, they are quite surprised. Atticus teaches them this lesson, by example.

They are not too impressed with their father's profession as a lawyer, until Miss Maudie brags about Atticus' abilities. Miss Maudie teaches them this one. Then, they observe their father in the courthouse. The Blacks tells Scout to stand when her father passes. The children learn that their father is brave and a man of integrity.

They learn that life is not fair. The results of Tom's trial teaches them this. Jem is quite crushed by the verdict.

They learn to treat company as company, no matter how bad the company's manners are. Calpurnia teaches them this when Walter pours syrup all over his food.

Scout learns that people are hypocrites and sometimes do not live the religion they preach. She learns this lesson from Miss Maudie at the women's missionary tea and also from observing the speech of the women in attendance.

I think there is probably a lesson in every chapter. What a great novel.

On the first day of school, Miss Caroline tries to give Walter Cunningham Jr. a quarter for lunch, telling him to pay her back the next day. Scout tries to explain to Miss Caroline that Walter doesn't have the money to pay her back. Scout doesn't consider the fact that Miss Caroline doesn't know all of the social and cultural (unwritten) rules of Maycomb. In Chapter 3, Scout realizes this after talking with Atticus: 

Atticus said I had learned many things today, and Miss Caroline had learned several things herself. She had learned not to hand something to a Cunningham, for one thing, but if Walter and I had put ourselves in her shoes we’d have seen it was an honest mistake on her part. We could not expect her to learn all Maycomb’s ways in one day, and we could not hold her responsible when she knew no better. 

This is one of the most important lessons in the book. Scout learns to consider Miss Caroline's point of view. The lesson is to consider the perspectives of other people, no matter what the situation is. 

Following school, Walter arrives to have dinner at the Finches' home after Jem's invitation. Scout makes fun of the way Walter eats and Calpurnia reprimands her for it. Calpurnia tells Scout that she should treat Walter with respect after Scout remarks that Walter is "just a Cunningham." Scout at least begins to learn that she shouldn't be condescending to others simply based on their social or economic status. 

One of the things Dill learns throughout the course of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird is about the importance of a connected family. When Dill's mother gets married, Dill feels left out. While his mother and step-father take care of him, they do not pay attention to him and Dill feels this absence in his life. As a result, he runs away to be with people to whom he is connected and who do pay attention to him. When Dill explains to Scout the reason he ran away, he hits upon the idea that they should be their own family.

"— Scout, let's get us a baby" (Lee 143).

Another thing Dill learns is about the social classes of the town of Maycomb. From his first arrival and hearing about the "haint" Boo Radley to the start of the trial when Jem points out and explains all of the different families as they travel to the courthouse, Dill is given a glimpse into how social norms are used to determine status. With each description Dill is provided with a preconceived perception of a person and/or family sometimes without even actually interacting with the them himself.

Dill also learns throughout the course of the novel is the ugliness of racism in the 1930's America. During Mr. Gilmer's cross-examination of Tom Robinson Dill begins to cry. After he and Scout leave the courtroom Dill explains why it upset him. At first Scout, who has not yet realized the severity of racial injustice in Maycomb, is unable to really understand why this was so upsetting to Dill and she tries to justify Mr. Gilmer's attitude toward Tom. But Dill responds strongly:

"I don't care one speck. It ain't right, somehow it ain't right to do 'em that way. Hasn't anybody got any business talking like that—it just makes me sick" (Lee 199).

BOO RADLEY.  Like Jem and Scout, Dill eventually comes to understand that the terrible rumors about Boo are not true. It is Dill who first realizes why Boo may have decided to spend his world inside the walls of the Radley House. Unlike Boo, Dill has a place to run away to when things get bad at home; Dill recognizes that Boo does not have this option. Dill tells Scout,

"Maybe he doesn't have anywhere to run off to."  (Chapter 14)

DOLPHUS RAYMOND.  It is Dill who uncovers the great mystery of what Mr. Raymond drinks from inside the paper sack--and why he does it. Everyone in the town believes the sack to contain a bottle of whiskey, but Dill finds out differently.

"Scout, it's nothing but Coca-Cola."

Mr. Raymond explains that he "deliberately perpetrated fraud against himself" because

"I try to give 'em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason. Folks can say Dolphus Raymond's in the clutches of whiskey--that's why he won't change his ways. He can't help himself, that's why he lives the way he does."  (Chapter 20)

CLOWNS.  Dill decides that he wants to be a clown when he grows up, but it's a different kind of clown: one who will be happy and laugh all the time instead of always being sad, and making others laugh.

"I'm gonna stand in the middle of the ring and laugh at the folks."  (Chapter 22)

One of the central lessons learned by Scout and Jem is the lesson of empathy. They also learn that justice is not automatically carried out, but that it depends on individuals to work for it and defend it. Even then, justice is not always done. 

Both Jem and Scout come to realise that life is not always fair, that good does not always triumph over evil.

Scout and Jem both learn to "walk in someone else's shoes" before they judge. Scout learns this in relation to her experience at school. Atticus tells Scout that before she judges her teacher harshly, she should try to see things from Miss Caroline's point of view.

This lesson is extended to episodes including the lynch mob, the jury at Tom Robinson's trial, and (most notably) Boo Radley. As the two Finch children grow over the course of the novel, this lesson is central to their burgeoning maturity. 

In the events surrounding the trial, Jem and Scout also realize a hard lesson about town they live in. Maycomb is not the ideal place they had believed it to be. The residents, demonstrating local prejudices in attitude and behavior, act in ways that surprise and disappoint the children. 

As witnesses to the events surrounding Tom Robinson’s trial they see a miscarriage of justice, with an innocent man condemned before he even enters the courtroom.

Jem is especially let down by the town's behavior at the trail. He learns, however, that one must work to defend those who are powerless to defend themselves, even if that defense is bound to failure. Atticus both states this ethic directly and acts it out in his role as Tom Robinson's attorney.

In part 1 of To Kill A Mockingbird, Jem and Dill become close friends, shutting Scout out at certain points during the summer, especially when Scout feels reluctant to defy Atticus. The boys learn two important lessons about life and about people in chapters 4 and 5, and both lessons involve their fascination with Boo Radley.

In chapter 4, Jem and Dill learn that they aren't as clever as they think and that the games they are all playing that dramatize their imaginings of the Radleys are actually obvious to the adults who observe them. This lesson is a significant one for many children who believe that their actions go unseen. Perhaps if Jem and Dill are more aware of their behaviors and their impact on others, they will think more carefully about what they do.

In chapter 5, Jem and Dill both learn from Atticus that innocent-seeming interest can be understood as interference or a violation of someone's privacy. This lesson takes place when Atticus catches them trying to deliver a letter to Boo Radley. His disapproval and explanation communicate to the boys that their pushy way of trying to engage someone who has chosen a reclusive life is rude and unwelcome. This lesson is important because the boys are learning about boundaries.

Dill and Jem are both very child-like in their actions when the book opens.  However, it is clear that Jem realizes that Dill’s quirky behavior, especially the whoppers he tells about his father, really hide a source of pain.  Jem and Dill both learn that people are not always what they seem, and they learn the importance of friendship.

Dill is especially interested in the Radley House.

The Radley Place fascinated Dill. In spite of our warnings and explanations it drew him as the moon draws water, but drew him no nearer than the light-pole on the corner, a safe distance from the Radley gate. There he would stand, his arm around the fat pole, staring and wondering. (ch 1)

By the end of Part 1, Dill has become more self-confident.  In the beginning, he over-compensates, telling stories about his rich father and introducing himself by saying he can read.  Time with the Finches allows him to move beyond himself and be curious about others.

Dill convinces Jem to spy on the Radleys, and later to act out their story.

Dill Harris could tell the biggest ones I ever heard. Among other things, he had been up in a mail plane seventeen times, he had been to Nova Scotia, he had seen an elephant, and his granddaddy was Brigadier General Joe Wheeler and left him his sword. (ch 5)

As the children get older, the stories become more entertainment than self-serving.  Jem and Dill begin to hang out more together, leaving the younger Scout to feel left out.

Dill and Jem learn about courage when Jem loses his pants.  Dill is a key player in this experiene, even though he is not there will Jem goes to get them.

Although Dill is not there, Jem learns a lot from the experience with Mrs. Dubose and the mad dog.  Both incidents teach him the real meaning of courage, building on the lessons he learns with Dill. 

In To Kill A Mockingbird, Mrs. Dubose is a bitter, sick woman. She utters rude comments about Atticus as Jem and Scout walk by her house. Jem gets really upset with Mrs. Dubose for insulting his father. When passing her house, Mrs. Dubose would insult Atticus in front of his children. One day, Jem became fed up with Mrs. Dubose's insults. He beat all the buds off of her flower bush. 

When Atticus learned what Jem had done, he disciplined Jem. He told him he would have to talk to Mrs Dubose about his punishment. Mrs. Dubose gave Jem a punishment. She insisted that Jem and Scout visit her six days a week for a month and read to her for two hours. Since Mrs. Dubose was undergoing a severe drug withdrawal, she would indeed enjoy having Jem read to her. Jem read to her daily. This helped her overcome her morphine addiction.  

Atticus said that Mrs. Dubose was the bravest woman he knew because she was trying to rid herself of drug use. He knew that she was in turmoil since she had become addicted to drugs. Mrs. Dubose was trying to beat her drug addiction. This put her under extreme stress.

Mrs. Dubose died a month after Jem and Scout had visited her regularly. She died free from morphine addiction. That is why Atticus said she was the bravest woman he knew.  

First, Cal acts as a mother figure for Scout. For example, after Cal gets after Scout for how she treats Walter Cunningham early in the novel,  Scout is angry at her.  However, when she returns from school Cal is nice to her and cooks her some crackling bread.  In this way she is mothering Scout and disciplining her at the same time.

Second, she acts as a counterpoint to Aunt Alexandra.  In the previous example, Cal scolds Scout for embarrassing Walter at lunch.  Cal emphasizes to Scout that while she might be of a higher social class than Walter, she still must respect his wishes. 

It is no coincidence that later in the book, Alexandra makes an entirely different point.  She tells Scout that she is too good to socialize with Walter; Finches don't socialize with white trash.  Because of Cal's influence, Scout is able to see both sides of the issue and come to her own conclusion.

Cal also serves to show Scout a different side of Maycomb society.  Look at all that Scout and Jem learn when Cal takes them to her black church.  She realizes that Cal exists in two different words - a black world at home and a white one with Scout's family.  This parallels nicely how Scout is caught between worlds - becoming a young woman and being a tom boy, becoming an adult and still relishing her childhood, being exposed to some of the negative experiences in Maycomb while still being innocent.

Jem has a blow-out of his temper when Mrs. Dubose, of whom he is terrified, enrages him by insulting Atticus (of whom she is actually a friend, with a mutual, shared respect between them). As a consequence, Jem is compelled to go to her for over a month (a week being added to the originally appointed month) to read to her while she is in a very, very ill condition. During these encounters, Jem learns courage; to control his emotions; to pursue the right course of action even when it is distasteful (or even appalling); and to turn a blind eye to what is distressing. After these encounters Jem learns, the hard way and much against his will, to respect someone with whom he deeply disagrees; to acknowledge and value courage; and to embrace as worthy a different point of view.

Mrs. Dubose was a lady of fiercely staunch Old South habit, expectation and upbringing as illustrated by her tirades to Scout: “Don’t you say hey to me, you ugly girl! You say good afternoon, Mrs. Dubose!” During Jem's quite unsettling reading-aloud encounters with Mrs. Dubose, Jem has to learnphysical courage just to mount her "steep steps." As he confides in Atticus, Jem finds the Dubose home "all dark and creepy ... [with] shadows and things on the ceiling...." To forebear in the face of Mrs. Dubose' symptoms of suffering, Jem has to learnmoral courage, as Atticus tried to teach him before, by receiving her insults with bold calm and emotional tranquility:

he would gaze at Mrs. Dubose with a face devoid of resentment. ... [H]e had cultivated an expression of polite and detached interest, which he would present to her in answer to her most blood-curdling inventions.

After the encounters with Mrs. Dubose, Jem learned aboutall-encompassing courage when he understood from Atticus the determination, strength and deeply rooted courage that Mrs. Dubose needed to call up in order to break her morphine habit so that she might pass from her life and "leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody." This lesson changes Jem in a concrete way that manifests in his attitudes and behavior toward Scout, much to her confusion and dismay: "Jem hollered, 'It’s time you started bein‘ a girl and acting right!'"

The cranky, old, racist Mrs. Dubose is sitting on her porch and calls Atticus a “nigger lover” one day as Scout and Jem are passing by her house on the way to town.  When Scout and Jem return, Jem destroys Mrs. Dubose’s camellia bushes with the baton he purchased for Scout in town.  Jem’s retaliation causes Atticus to agree with her request for Jem's punishment and makes him go to Mrs. Dubose’s house each day to read to her while she is “sick” to help her through her secret struggle. In reality, Mrs. Dubose has an addiction to morphine and has vowed to break her habit before she dies.

Despite her possible symbolic representation of the dying South, Mrs. Dubose teaches Jem about taking responsibility for one’s actions (Jem’s destruction of the bushes) and that there are consequences to actions. Atticus also tells Jem that she is the most courageous person he has ever met, thus teaching them about overcoming obstacles and hardships in life.

I have always encouraged my students to analyze Mrs. Dubose as something more than just an old, mean lady.  She is a symbol of the Old South and their racist attitudes.  The addiction she is trying to break could be representative of the South’s adherence to racism. As one of the oldest residents of Maycomb, she is signaling the death of the old ways and the emergence of a new generation of people like Jem and Scout who are not racist.

Calpurnia is the Finch's housekeeper and cook. She is a coloured woman but possesses a good deal of common sense and knowledge. She has been working in the house ever since Jem was born and after Scout's mother dies, she becomes a substitutory disciplinary figure in the house. Atticus knows that Calpurnia is an invaluable teacher to the children, and that is why he refuses to fire her, despite his sister's insistence. Calpurnia is much loved and respected by the two children and she is almost a member of their family. Calpurnia's role is especially invaluable to Scout, who in the absence of any female figure in the household, grows up as a tomboy. Calpurnia's major role in the novel is as a mentor to Scout. In the first chapter Scout introduces her as:

She was all angles and bones. She was near-sighted; she squitned; her hand was wide as a bed slat and twice as hard. She was always ordering me out of the kitchen, asking me why I could not behave as well as Jem when she knew he was older, and calling me home when I wasn't ready to come. Our battles were epic and one-sided. Calpurnia always won, mainly because Atticus always took her side.

When Walter Cunnigham Jr. is invited to lunch at the Finches' and Scout inadvertantly embarrass him, Calpurnia tells Scout:

Hush your mouth! Don't matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house's yo' comp'ny, and don't you let me catch you remarkin' on their ways like you was so high and mighty! Yo' folks might be better'n the Cunninghams but it don't count for nothin' the way you're disgracin' 'em - if you can't act fit to eat at the table you can just set here and eat in the kitchen!

Her moral lesson to Scout here is to respect people, even if you think you are better than them. According to her, acting like you are better them is the surest way to show that you are not. This dialogue foreshadows Bob Ewell's bad behaviour to the Robinson family, just because they are black, while the truth Tom and Helen Robinson and their children live a more hygenic, independent and god-fearing life, than the Ewells.

Calpurnia was a well-educated woman.

Atticus said Calpurnia had more education than most coloured folks

Miss Maudie Atknison's aunt taught Calpurnia to read and write. However, despite having a better command on language than most of her congregation, she never puts on airs, and instead prefers talkin in broken English or what Scout calls 'nigger-talk' because she does not want her peers to feel that she is putting on airs. Atticus too respects Calpurnia's guiding presence in his children's life and he firmly defends her against his sister Aunt Alexandra.

Anything fit to say at the table's fit to say in front of Calpurnia. She knows waht she means to this family.

JEM.  Jem learns from Miss Maudie about his father's importance in the Maycomb community following the trial (Chapter 22). Jem discovers that Calpurnia is one of the best educated members of Maycomb's black community, and that she is a respected member of her church (Chapter 12). Atticus teaches Jem a great deal: Jem learns that Atticus is a humble man who doesn't brag about his skills (Chapter 10); he also witnesses first-hand Atticus' courtroom abilities (Chapters 17-21).

SCOUT.  Scout knows that Miss Maudie is a friend who she can trust (Chapter 5), and she sees that Miss Maudie is loyal to her father when she stands up to Mrs. Merriweather at the missionary circle tea (Chapter 24). Scout learns how to write cursive from Calpurnia and gets lessons in manners from her as well (Chapter 3). Scout also sees that Calpurnia can take charge during a crisis when she warns the neighbors about the mad dog (Chapter 10). From her father, Scout learns about the importance that one should "climb into his skin and walk around in it" before judging people (Chapter 3). She sees his personal bravery when he confronts the lynch mob at the jail (Chapter 15), and how he is willing to protect the innocent Boo and how he is like a mockingbird, too (Chapter 30).

    Below are a few examples of lessons learned by Scout in Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.

CHAPTER12.  Scout learns that Calpurnia speaks one way in the Finch house and a different way at church.

CHAPTER16.  Scout discovers that Atticus is beginning to take charge of his household again, "a quiet digging in" against Aunt Alexandra.
    Scout also learns the definition of a "mixed child."

    "Half white, half colored. You've seen 'em, Scout. You know that red-kinky-headed one that delivers for the drugstore? He's half white. They're real sad.
    "Sad, how come?"
    "They don't belong anywhere. Colored folks won't have 'em 'cause they're half white; white folks won't have 'em 'cause they're colored, so they're just in-betweens..."

CHAPTER20.  Scout finds out Dolphus Raymond's secret--that he doesn't really sip whiskey out of the paper bag.
    She also learns just how much respect Atticus commands from Mr. Raymond.

"... you don't know your pa's not a run-of-the-mill man, it'll take a few years for that to sink in--you haven't seen enough of the world yet..."

CHAPTER22.  Scout sees for herself just how well respected Atticus is in the black Maycomb community. "The kitchen table was loaded with enough food to bury the family."

CHAPTER23.  Scout feels what it's like to step into Bob Ewell's shoes after he spits in Atticus' face. Atticus tells her that "I destroyed his last shred of credibility at the trial... the man had to have some kind of comeback..."
    Scout learns that Tom Robinson may get the electric chair if Atticus doesn't win on appeal, even though the jury could have given him a sentence as light as 20 years.
    Additionally, Scout is amazed to find that women cannot serve on juries in Alabama--even Miss Maudie.

CHAPTER24.  When Atticus interrupts Aunt Alexandra's missionary circle to give the news about Tom Robinson's death, Scout sees a new side of her aunt. Upset about Tom's death, Alexandra composes herself and returns to serving the ladies without a sign that anything has happened.

    After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I. 

To Kill A Mockingbird

There is an obvious lesson in the courage and bravery of Mrs. Dubose. Although she doesn't need to go "cold turkey", she can't bear dying being dependent on morphine, and so, at great personal cost, weans herself off this drug. Here we have another noble fight that is fought in this novel, one that is based on principles and values, and interestingly, one that Atticus Finch treats with great respect and causes him to praise Mrs. Dubose. Her struggle is perhaps a foreshadowing of the struggle for justice engaged in by other characters in the novel later on.  

Also, she reminds Jem that her Camelias cannot be destroyed unless you "pull them up by the roots". This could be seen to be a metaphorical illustration of racism - it needs to be uprooted completely for it to be eradicated.

We need to be nuanced in answering this question. 

First, Atticus wanted Jem to spend time with Mrs. Dubose to learn what true courage was. So, even though Jem did not want to read to Mrs. Dubose, he did. At the end, Atticus revealed to Jem what he could learn from her. According to Atticus, Mr. Dubose was the bravest person he ever met. The reason for this was because she wanted to overcome her morphine addiction before she died. All 98 pounds of her struggled, even though the odds were stacked against her. Here are Atticus' words:

I wanted you to see something about her—I 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 know 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. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew.”

Did Jem learn this lesson? Probably in time he did. 

Second, when it comes to the rabid dog, we cannot be sure if Jem learned a lesson. On a more figurative level, the point is that sometimes people are gripped with madness, like the rabid dog. We know that we are on the right track in saying this, because the text makes this connection.

“Right. But do you think I could face my children otherwise? You know what’s going to happen as well as I do, Jack, and I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness, and most of all, without catching Maycomb’s usual disease. Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don’t pretend to understand... I just hope that Jem and Scout come to me for their answers instead of listening to the town.

Eventually, I believe that Jem learned an important lesson. Many people in Maycomb have a huge blind spot. They cannot see their racism. So, good people like Atticus are needed to advocate for what is right by challenging the madness. 

At the beginning of Chapter 3, Jem stops Scout from beating up Walter Cunningham Jr. and then invites him over for dinner. In the middle of dinner, Walter asks for molasses and proceeds to pour the syrup all over his meat and vegetables. Scout is utterly disgusted and asks Walter what the "sam hill" he is doing. Walter immediately puts the saucer down because he feels embarrassed, and Atticus shakes his head at Scout. Scout continues to protest about Walter's eating habits until Calpurnia summons her to the kitchen.

Once Scout is in the kitchen with Calpurnia, Calpurnia reprimands Scout for her behavior. Calpurnia tells Scout that there are some people who don't eat like them, but that doesn't give Scout the right to contradict them. Calpurnia then explains to Scout that anybody who steps foot in their home is considered "company." Cal says,

"...don't you let me catch you remarkin' on their ways like you was so high and mighty! Yo' folks might be better'n the Cunninghams but it don't count for nothin' the way you're disgracing' 'em" (Lee 17).

Calpurnia's conversation with Scout about how she should act towards her company is one example of how Cal teaches Scout respect in the novel.

Since it is a coming of age story, there are going to be many lessons learned in To Kill a Mockingbird, mainly by Scout and Jem.

One of the first lessons Scout learns is empathy.  Her father tells her she has to learn to walk around inside other people’s skins, and she applies this lesson first of all to her conflict with Miss Caroline.

Miss Caroline had learned several things herself. She had learned not to hand something to a Cunningham, for one thing, but if Walter and I had put ourselves in her shoes we'd have seen it was an honest mistake on her part. We could not expect her to learn all Maycomb's ways in one day, and we could not hold her responsible when she knew no better. (ch 3)

Scout learns that Miss Caroline had acted out of ignorance, not meanness, and Scout should feel a little sorry for her because she is in a new place with different customs.

Jem also learns a lesson.  He learns a lesson in courage from Mrs. Dubose.  Atticus tells him that he wanted Jem to spend time with the old suffering woman so that he could learn about “real courage” from her battle to die without morphine.

You rarely win, but sometimes you do. Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew. (ch 11)

Jem realizes that courage is not always physical.  It comes in different forms, and in unexpected places.

The people of Maycomb learn a lesson about racism.  Atticus reminds the men of the jury and the people in the courtroom about their responsibility as a people to make decisions based on what is legal and right and not race.

"I'm no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and in the jury system-that is no ideal to me, it is a living, working reality. Gentlemen, a court is no better than each man of you sitting before me on this jury. A court is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up. I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this defendant to his family. In the name of God, do your duty." (ch 20)

Unfortunately, the jury does not acquit Tom Robinson.  They do deliberate longer than expected, showing that some of Atticus’s lessons about race got through.

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of those novels that famously deals with life lessons. In fact, it gets a lot of criticism for being overly direct (not subtle) and sometimes even preachy about life lessons! So you have lots of them to choose from. To find one you like, try skimming the book until you see Atticus doing a lot of talking. He's basically the embodiment of morals throughout the story.

Here's a particular life lesson that I enjoy finding in the book. Although it's easy to say that everyone deserves kindness, it's harder for people to actually do it: it's hard for us to follow that golden rule with consistency. So we can't just tell ourselves that we're good people and leave it at that. We have to pay attention to how we're treating people and work actively to extend humane kindness to everyone, especially to people we don’t particularly like.

Some quotes that illustrate this life lesson are as follows.

1. Here's something Scout says to Jem as she's talking about her teacher:

"'Well, coming out of the courthouse that night Miss Gates was—she was goin' down the steps in front of us, you musta not seen her—she was talking with Miss Stephanie Crawford. I heard her say it's time somebody taught 'em a lesson, they were gettin' way above themselves, an' the next thing they think they can do is marry us. Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad an' then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home—'"

Scout means, how can you condemn Hitler's treatment of the Jews and then fail to treat black people with kindness? It's inconsistent, yet Miss Gates probably thinks of herself as a kind person anyway!

2. Although Aunt Alexandra is noted for her excellent manners, we also know this about her:

"Let a sixteen-year-old girl giggle in the choir and Aunty would say, 'It just goes to show you, all the Penfield women are flighty.' Everybody in Maycomb, it seemed, had a Streak: a Drinking Streak, a Gambling Streak, a Mean Streak, a Funny Streak."

If you asked Aunt Alexandra, she would definitely tell you that she is a nice person with excellent manners towards others, and yet she constantly makes unkind comments about people behind their backs. 

3. After the jury deems Tom guilty of the crime he couldn't have possibly committed and Jem wants to know how the jury members could have possibly done such an unfair thing, Atticus says:

"'I don't know, but they did it. They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it—seems that only children weep.'"

What Atticus means is that it's a nasty part of human nature to treat people you don't like in an unkind, unfair, inhumane way, and that we're all so used to this that it's only kids (the most innocent people) who see how wrong it is.

Scout learns several important lessons throughout her experience with Mrs. Dubose. After Atticus punishes Jem, Scout is rather upset that her father is making him read to their racist neighbor alone. She has a discussion with Atticus about his decision to defend Tom Robinson where she says that he must be wrong. Atticus then explains why he is defending Tom despite the community's opposition. Throughout this conversation, Scout learns the importance of following one's conscience.
After Mrs. Dubose passes away, Atticus explains to his children that Jem's reading helped Mrs. Dubose beat her addiction to morphine. He then elaborates on Mrs. Dubose's courage and tells his children,

"I 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 know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what" (Lee 70).

Scout not only learns what 'real courage' is, but also gains perspective on the duality of human nature. From her experience with Mrs. Dubose, Scout learns that people can have both positive and negative qualities.

In chapter three, Scout disrespects and embarrasses Walter Cunningham Jr. by commenting on his odd eating habits during lunch with the Finch family. Calpurnia calls Scout into the kitchen and proceeds to teach her a lesson in manners, being a gracious host, and showing her company respect. Cal tells Scout,

"Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo‘ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you was so high and mighty! Yo‘ folks might be better’n the Cunninghams but it don’t count for nothin’ the way you’re disgracin‘ ’em" (Lee, 25).

One of the most significant lessons Scout learns concerns the importance of protecting innocent, defenseless beings. In chapter ten, Atticus tells his daughter that it is considered a sin to kill a mockingbird. Miss Maudie then elaborates on Atticus's lesson by telling Scout,

"Your father’s right...Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird" (Lee, 93).

In chapter 20, Scout removes Dill from the courtroom when he burst into tears after listening to Mr. Gilmer treat Tom Robinson with contempt and speak to him disrespectfully. While they are outside of the courthouse, Dolphus Raymond befriends the children and tells Scout that Dill will eventually become numb to the prevalent racial inequality in their hometown. Dolphus Raymond proceeds to teach Scout a lesson about the true nature of her racist community by telling her,

"...Miss Jean Louise, you don’t know your pa’s not a run-of-the-mill man, it’ll take a few years for that to sink in—you haven’t seen enough of the world yet. You haven’t even seen this town, but all you gotta do is step back inside the courthouse" (Lee, 205).

Scout learns several lessons on her first day of school in To Kill a Mockingbird. First, she learns that she is way ahead of the other kids academically: She can already read and write. Secondly, she learns that her new teacher, Miss Caroline, has some fancy new educational ideas that, when applied in a classroom, do not always work properly. Most importantly, Scout learns from her talk with Atticus about how to "climb into his skin and walk around in it." It is Atticus' way of explaining how to put yourself in another's position and try to visualize the situation from that viewpoint. Scout learned that Miss Caroline could not be expected to learn all of Maycomb's ways in just one day. Scout also learned that Atticus would support her, even if it came to going against Miss Caroline's suggestions.

It depends on what kind of lesson you are talking about.  The teacher only wants to teach the kids about letters (a little bit) and to read them stories.  So if that's the kind of lesson you're talking about, it's a story about a cat and a bit of learning letters in the morning.

But the lesson that Scout actually learns is that the teacher only wants things her own way and that Scout needs to not talk back to her.

The teacher ought to have learned a lesson about the way Maycomb's society works -- what the Cunninghams and the Ewells are like, for example.

Scout teaches us a bit about Maycomb's social ladder. She tries to explain to Miss Caroline about how the Cunninghams won't take anything they can't pay back. She also tries to explain the tradition of the Ewells only coming to school on the first day. Scout gives us a glimpse into two of the families that become very important in the rest of the book.

We also learn that the school Scout attends is a bit hypocritical. Scout is punished for knowing how to read and write early rather than rewarded. This is the first we see of the hypocrisy theme that will be evident in the book.

Calpurnia is as key as Atticus is to teaching Scout and Jem one of the most important lessons of their childhood—and therefore to letting the audience know the book's most essential theme: respect for others, particularly those who are different. Atticus's famous line "You never really understand a person...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it" is a lesson Cal routinely imparts to the kids—just not in those words. For example, when Walter Cunningham comes to lunch, Scout criticizes his behavior at the table. Cal lectures Scout to show hospitality to her guest but also to respect that other people have different backgrounds and behaviors.

Cal teaches this lesson again when she takes the kids to her church. Not only is she exposing them to a different community, but she also teaches them about showing respect for the differences in each community. Scout does not understand why Cal speaks differently with her church friends, but Cal explains that you show respect by adapting to the community you are in.

"Suppose you and Scout talked colored-folks' talk at home it'd be out of place, wouldn't it? Now what if I talked white-folks' talk at church, and with my neighbors? They'd think I was puttin' on airs to beat Moses." 

"But Cal, you know better," I said. 

"It's not necessary to tell all you know. It's not ladylike—in the second place, folks don't like to have somebody around knowin' more than they do. It aggravates 'em. You're not gonna change any of them by talkin' right, they've got to want to learn themselves, and when they don't want to learn there's nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language" (12.139-144).

Although she is "just" the housekeeper to the Finch family, Calpurnia also serves as the surrogate mother to Jem and Scout. Since their mother died of a heart attack shortly after Scout's birth, Cal is the only adult female in the home. Atticus gives her free rein in disciplining and teaching the kids right from wrong--an unusual thing for a black women in a white home in Depression-era Alabama. When Aunt Alexandra arrives to take over as female head of the household at the beginning of the Tom Robinson trial, she tries to convince Atticus to fire Calpurnia, believing that she will no longer be needed. But Atticus knows differently: He stands up to his sister and declares firmly that Cal is a necessary and loved member of the family. Aside from teaching the children manners, she strictly rules the home and keeps them (especially Scout) on their toes. She also helps to educate them. It is Calpurnia who teaches Scout to write in cursive, an act that she regrets after Miss Caroline condemns her for not printing her work on the first day of first grade.

Jem actually learns two lessons. 

One: You must take the consequences for your actions. After he cuts off the tops of the flowers at Mrs. Dubose's home, Atticus sends him back to talk with her. He (Jem)  returns with the information that he is going to work in her garden every Saturday until the flowers bloom again, and he cleaned up her yard.  She also asked him to read to her every afternoon.  That was the part that upset him the most. Atticus tells him,

"Jem, she's old and ill.  You can't hold her responsible for what she says and does." (pg 105)

Later, Scout tells the readers that,

"Jem's chin would come up and he would gaze at Mrs. Dubose with a face devoid of resentment.  Through the weeks he had cultivated an expression of polite and detached interest, which he would present to her in answer to her most blood-curdling inventions." (pg 110)

However, the greatest lesson Jem learned was after Mrs. Dubose died.  Atticus, at that time, chose to tell the children that Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict. She had taken the drug for years when it was prescribed by her doctor for pain. She could have continued its use and died without so much agony, but she wanted to be free from the drug when she died.  She had a very painful and horrible death, but died "beholden to nothing and nobody" (pg 112) .  Atticus tells Jem,

"I 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 know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway, and you see it through no matter what." (pg 112)

Atticus called her the bravest person he ever knew.  However, if you look at Atticus and his battle to save Tom Robinson, you will see that he too knew he was licked before he began, but he began it anyway, and saw it through to the end.

Throughout the novel, Jem, Scout, and Dill learn several significant life lessons from their experiences in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. Atticus teaches both Jem and Scout the importance of respecting and standing up for innocent beings. He not only tells them that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird but also valiantly defends Tom Robinson in front of a prejudiced jury. They also learn what "real courage" is through their interactions with Mrs. Dubose and from watching Atticus accept an unwinnable case. Jem and Scout learn the importance of being tolerant of other people's opinions even when they disagree with them, and how to maintain self-control in adverse situations. Following their experience with the Old Sarum bunch, Atticus shares with them the concept of mob mentality. Early in the novel, Scout learns the significance of viewing situations from other people's point of view, and that a person's conscience doesn't abide by majority rule. Miss Maudie teaches Scout how people can manipulate and twist religion, as well as the importance of not believing rumors.

Following the wrongful conviction of Tom Robinson, Jem, Scout, and Dill learn the negative, harmful effects of prejudice. They also realize that their openly magnanimous neighbors are racist against African Americans. Scout and Dill learn that some citizens, like Dolphus Raymond, go to extreme lengths to conceal their true feelings. Later on in the novel, Scout and Jem learn about Maycomb's caste system and compare their father's beliefs to the values of their community members. Jem, Scout, and Dill learn that in order to do the right thing and treat all people fairly, they must challenge the typical conceptions of Maycomb, Alabama.

Walter Cunningham comes over for lunch. Scout watches him eat and is appalled by his manners and eating habits:

Walter interrupted to ask if there was any molasses in the house. Atticus summoned Calpurnia, who returned bearing the syrup pitcher. She stood waiting for Walter to help himself. Walter poured syrup on his vegetables and meat with a generous hand. He would probably have poured it into his milk glass had I not asked what the sam hill he was doing (Chapter 3).

Scout starts to protest. She cannot believe someone would want sweet syrup all over their savory food. Calpurnia interrupts Scout and calls her to come in the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen, Calpurnia scolds Scout.  She is very mad at Scout for calling attention to a guest's manners. She reminds Scout several times that Walter Cunningham is a guest in their house and should be treated with respect. Scout tells Calpurnia that Walter is not really a guest, but Calpurnia is firm. She tells Scout that anyone who comes into their house is considered a guest. Lastly, she tells Scout that she will have to eat in the kitchen instead of at the dinner table unless she behaves herself.