What lessons do the Finch children learn from the incident with the mad dog? Explain in detail, indicating how they change their understanding of their father. Is the mad dog a symbol of some Maycomb citizens?
-Maudie Atkinson: ‘Atticus Finch was the deadest shot in Maycomb County in his time.’
The incident involving Tim Johnson, a rabid dog who is eventually shot by Atticus, is a key learning experience for the Finch children in Harper Lee’s bildungsroman, To Kill a Mockingbird. The events drastically change the children’s understanding of their father, and are used by Harper Lee as a powerful symbol for Maycomb society as a whole.
The pages which precede the mad dog incident tell of Scout’s embarrassment over the fact that her father is somewhat older the father’s of her peers. Atticus wears glasses and reads rather than hunting and playing football like the father’s of many of her friends. Scout’s opinion is drastically changed, however, when Tim Robinson, an old dog, turns up, walking down the street towards the Finch’s house. It is immediately obvious that Tim is not healthy, and it soon becomes apparent that he is in fact rabid, and thus highly dangerous. Heck Tate, the sheriff, soon arrives, bringing with him a rifle which he hands to Atticus. Although he is initially unwilling, Atticus realises his duty to his community, and shoots the mad dog. Maudie Atkinson later tells Scout and Jem that Atticus was once ‘the deadest shot in Maycomb County.’ The children are shocked that their seemingly boring and non-violent father was actually a great marksman.
The incident, although seemingly rather minor, has huge significance in To Kill a Mockingbird. Firstly, it tells us many important things about Atticus. His attitude towards firearms, that they give men an unfair advantage over nature, shows an incredibly considered moral outlook. Atticus does not believe in wielding firearms because he things it gives men too much power. He sees his gift as a marksman as almost unnatural, and this is why he has not fired a gun in years. He is keen to convey this message to his children, and to avoid promoting the use of guns in front of them. This is why he is unwilling to let his children have air rifles, why he has hidden his former reputation as a marksman from them, and this is also one of the reasons why he is initially very reluctant to shoot Tim Robinson (simple fear is another reason). Despite this, Atticus has the courage to shoot the mad dog, not only putting his only safety, but also the moral education of children, in jeopardy. This demonstrates that Atticus is not overly idealistic, and that he is willing to compromise his strong system of values in order to ensure the safety of the community.
The mad dog incident and its aftermath is a key moment in the moral education of the children. They learn many important life-lessons from their father and from Maudie Atkinson. Firstly, they begin to learn the most basic lesson on courage, that ‘courage is not a man holding a gun.’ Atticus tries to teach the children that shooting an animal or human does not show bravery, and that it is easy to appear brave if you have the huge advantage offered by a weapon. Upon learning of Atticus’s prowess with a rifle, the children initially find it very difficult to understand why Atticus does not hunt animals and take advantage of his skills. The words of Maudie Atkinson, however, help them to understand. Ms Maudie explains that ‘God had given him an unfair advantage over most living things,’ and that he therefore ‘decided he wouldn’t shoot till he had to.’ Hearing these words has an impact on the children, particularly Jem. It is clear that he has reached a better understanding of his father because he tells Scout not to tell anyone at school about Atticus’s shooting prowess, saying ‘if he was proud of it, he’da told us.’ The mad dog incident is a key moment in the learning process which Jem goes through. Before it, Jem had complained that Atticus was boring and didn’t play football with him. Through the mad dog incident, Jem comes to appreciate Atticus more, not only admiring his marksmanship, but also his high moral standards. Jem shows this new understanding when he tells Scout ‘Atticus is a gentleman,’ a clear statement of admiration.
The incident involving Tim Robinson is a powerful symbol for one of the key themes in To Kill a Mockingbird. The mad dog has become mindless, uncontrollable and dangerous, so it is necessary to shoot it. This is a symbol for Maycomb society, and more specifically, the prejudice which exists within it. Prejudice is mindless and dangerous, and is imprinted in the minds of most Maycombians throughout their lives, as they are constantly surrounded by it. As Tim Robinson wonders through the streets, people retreat inside their houses, boarding windows and locking doors, refusing to confront the danger outside. This symbolises their moral laziness; rather than seeing the wrongs in their own society, like Atticus, they are ignorant, and refuse to confront their own prejudiced ways. Atticus is the only one who steps up to confront the mad dog, and he is also the only one who stands up against prejudice, as shown later in the book by his brave defence of the innocent Tom Robinson in the face of a bigoted jury. The message Harper Lee is trying to convey is that prejudice must be ended, or ‘shot’. The person attempting to stop prejudice is Atticus, a highly principled man who sees through the prejudice by which he is surrounded, the same man who shoots the mad dog. In a way, Atticus is made to seem like some form of guardian for Maycomb, not only attempting to protect Maycombians from a mad dog, but also from the dreadful prejudice which exists within them.
The shooting of Tim Robinson may appear to be a relatively insignificant happening in the grand sequence of events that make up To Kill a Mockingbird, but in fact, it is a vital moment in the novel. The incident is a key point in the learning process of the Finch children, and is an opportunity for Atticus to teach his children important things about courage and ethics. The incident also further reveals the high moral standards of Atticus and is used to symbolise one of the primary themes of the novel. Through this episode, Harper Lee conveys her own opinions about prejudice and her disapproval of moral laziness, meaning it is a key moment in the novel.
Notes:
The essay has a very analytical focus and does not just tell a story. It is a good essay because it focusses on the question.
The quotation at the begining is not neccessary by any means.
Attention is given to historical context and the author's purpose is considered.
Other articles on To Kill a Mockingbird:
Comparing and contrasting the First Purchase Church service and the Ladies’ Missionary Circle
How does Harper Lee bring out different elements of Atticus’s character?
brilliant! one thing though, it's Tim Johnson (not Tim Robinson)
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