Ethical Dilemmas in Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird Essay -- Kill M

Ethical Dilemmas in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird Black and white, right and wrong; do decisions that simple and clear even exist? Does a decision ever mean gaining everything without giving anything up? Many characters in To Kill A Mockingbird are forced to make difficult, heart wrenching decisions that have no clear right answer. Harper Lee presents many of these important decisions in To Kill A Mockingbird as ethical dilemmas, or situations that require a choice between two difficult alternatives. Both of these alternatives have unpleasant aspects and question morals and ethics. A person is put in an awkward position, with their mind saying contradicting things. These dilemmas are presented in many different ways. The decisions in the beginning of the book are simple and can be solved quite easily, yet they are symbolic of later decisions. Other dilemmas place adult-like decisions in the lap of a child. One dilemma concerned a man burdened with the strict traditions of the South. Then there are the two biggest dilemm as, Atticus' decision to take the case and Heck Tate's choice between truth and the emotional well being of a man. Lee's ingenious storyline is established by these crucial and mentally arduous choices faced by the characters. The first half of To Kill A Mockingbird contains many classic dilemmas that serve as models for more important problems later to come. For example, Atticus is forced into a choice between disobeying Scout's teacher and doing what he feels is right for Scout. Atticus wants Scout to retain her respect for the teacher and to continue following her instructions. Yet, he knows that the time he shares with his daughter is very important and is something that will h... ...o take. Unlike plot, the ethical dilemmas do not follow in importance from beginning to end. The most important decision occurred in the middle of the book, however the final ethical dilemma was very important in bringing the reader a feeling of conclusion. The perfection to which the ethical dilemmas were presented and resolved was impressive and key to the stunning impact of To Kill A Mockingbird. Sources Consulted Erisman, Fred. "The Ethical Dilemmas of Harper Lee." Alabama Review April 26, 1983: 122-36. Johnson, Claudia. "The Secret Courts of Men's Hearts: Code and Law in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird." Studies in American Fiction (1991):129-139. Jones, Carolyn. "Black and White and Atticus Finch." The Southern Quarterly Summer 1999: 56-63. Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York City, NY:Â   J.B.Lippincott Company, 1990.