What pattern do you see in Part I of the novel, and what do you think is the significance of this particular pattern in the text (i.e., how does it relate to your understanding of what is going on)?

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Essential Nature of Human Beings
The novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” has two parts. Part one of the novel primarily deals with the characters of Scout, Atticus, and Jem as well as the innocent reaction of the youngsters toward the racial chauvinism that is predominant in their town. The Children’s fascination with Boo Radley drives part one of the novel. The adventures of Jem and Scout has some direct link to their growing up and learning lessons from their dad. Atticus Finch, a father of Scout and Jem, is a morally passionate lawyer. Thus he exposes his children to similar experience that aid in shaping their sense of right and wrong. However, Jem and Scout end up having a different conclusion about good and evil as well as the essential nature of human beings.
The pattern that is evident in part one of the novel is the exploration of the moral nature of humanity, thus trying to find out if human beings are fundamentally evil or good. Part one of the novel approaches this issue by dramatizing Jem and Scout transition from childhood perspective in which they assume that all people are good since they don’t know evil, to adulthood perspective in which they have met evil and now they must incorporate evil in their new understanding of the world. Their father Atticus plays an important role in teaching his town as well as his children. According to Atticus people contain both aspects of good and evil “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view [……] until you climb his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 30).

In spite of the challenges Atticus faces to overcome the town’s intensely ingrained prejudice, he struggles on. He believes that one-day goodness shall prevail over evils of discrimination and hence racial equality will exist.
Throughout the part one of the novels, Jem and Scout are used by the author to make the classical transition from childhood innocence to adulthood. As Jem is older than Scout he leads this change, however, they both face a similar experience. At the beginning of part one of the novel, both children approach life innocently. Scout says “I was born good but have grown progressively worse every year” (Lee 84). They both believed in the goodness of all people and thought that all the people adheres and understands similar values as they and their dad do. However, Scout and Jem are disappointed during the trial of Tom Robinson. During the trial, Tom Robinson who was innocent was convicted by the jury that consisted of their fellow townsmen. This was because his accuser was white and he was a black man. It is during this trial when Jem realized that there is true evil within their society. At first, Jem held a strong belief in the goodness of all human beings. However, after the trial, Jem reexamines his understanding of human nature. As Jem tries to come to terms with the bitter reality of racism, inequality and biases he suffers great emotional pain. Scout on the other hand also tries to understand these things, however, even after trial Scout maintains her belief in the goodness of human nature.
Atticus has raised his children nurturing their mind conscience and individuality. At the beginning of the novel both Scout and Jem are good-hearted and innocent children with no experience of world’s evils. However, their childhood innocence is threatened by several incidents that expose the evil nature of humanity. As the novel progresses, they both come in contact with evil in the form of racial discrimination. Their first contact with evil helps Scout to learn that humanity has a great capacity of evil and good and that evil can be mitigated if we all approach each other with an outlook of understanding and sympathy. Scout is exposed to evil at an early age, and she develops an adult moral outlook. Jem, on the other hand, finds himself in an uncertain situation, his first contact with evil helps him learn that justice does not always prevail. And therefore his earlier perspective that people are good changed. Therefore morality comes into play when we interact with each other in social situations.
Works Cited
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Lippincott, 1960.