Essay To Kill A Mockingbird Henry Adams, descendant of two American presidents, once said: “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence ends. This is made very evident in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, which is about two siblings, Jem and Scout, who live in Maycomb, Alabama, where racial prejudice is firmly rooted in the hearts of many. The young siblings undergo a great test of lessons and morals, but the influential people are Atticus, Aunt Alexandra and Calpurnia. First, Atticus Finch, Scout and Jem's father, is one of the most influential characters in the book. For example, after receiving two air rifles as a gift from their Uncle Jack, Atticus said, "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit them, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird” ... “Your father is right,” she said. “The Mockingbirds do nothing but make music for us to enjoy” (Lee 74). A mockingbird is an innocent bird, which only does good; accordingly, it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. This moral is highlighted throughout the book as Jem and Scout really grasp the meaning of it. Atticus not only teaches children about killing innocent things, but also about prejudice. For example, when Scout no longer wants to go to school because of her teacher's teaching skills and suggests that Atticus teach her instead of her teacher, Atticus instills the important lesson in her and 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'' (Lee 22). Atticus teaches that you should never judge a person until you have seen their point of view. The only important case is when Scout is saved...... middle of paper ......em. You're not going to change any of them by speaking correctly” (Lee 105). This was one of the first incidents in which children saw some form of prejudice. All this time Calpurnia has been acting formal in front of Scout and Jem, and now at church she speaks like the other black community and with Jem it doesn't make sense. After this event, Jem saw how the two different social classes were created due to race. Although major prejudices surround Jem and Scout, there is always a teacher for them. Atticus, his father taught prejudice, Aunt Alexandra feminism and corruption. And ultimately, Calpurnia showed that you should never prejudge and exposed Jem and Scout to racism. Jem and Scout learn many good and bad moral lessons. Along the way, different characters teach Jem and Scout, but the major influence came from Atticus, Aunt Alexandra, and Calpurnia..