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The significance of Keeping Your commitments
Through out Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird a lot of people are making commitments to one another. Atticus promises to defend Tom as much as he does and that's what he did even though he knew he wouldn't win. I think Harper Lee wanted to show the readers that commitments isn't just making promises and keeping them but fulfilling them to your best abilities even though you may not enjoy it. Also it is not about what you promise to do its the thought that's counts even though you may not be able to finish it its about your effort to fulfill it. Also it's a part of growing up and throughout the story Jem and Scout mature and make promises that they keep, like when Jem had to read to Mrs. Dubose. Therefore keeping your commitments is one of the many themes from To Kill a Mockingbird because not only do the characters make commitments to one another they keep and fulfill them no matter how much they may dislike it.
"Dill concluded by saying he
would love me forever and not to
worry, he would come get me and
marry me as soon as he got enough
money together, so please write.
The fact that I had a permanent fiancé was a little compensation
for his absence:" (Lee 132)
This quote is from when Dill gets a new dad and doesn't come to Maycomb for the summer. He writes a letter to Scout letting her know he still loved her and will see her soon. Dill shows that no matter how old you are you can still make commitments and they still are important and matter to people. Whether its silly or not a commitment is a commitment. It didn't matter to scout that they were young she still cherished his commitment to her. Even little kids can make commitments and keep them its a part of coming to age which is another theme of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
"Jem seemed fascinated by a rose in
the carpet. 'Atticus,' he said, 'she wants me to read to her.' 'Read to her?' 'Yes sir. She wants me to come every afternoon after school and Saturdays and read out loud to her for two hours. Atticus, do I have to?' 'Certainly.' 'But she wants me to do it for a month.' 'Then you'll do it for a month.' ................. The following Monday afternoon Jem and I climbed the steep front steps to Mrs. Dubose's house and padded down the open hallway." (Lee 121)
Jem made a commitment with his father and Mrs. Dubose that he would go and read to her everyday for a month. He didn't want to but he still did. He kept his commitment even though that was the last thing he wanted to do. The is a good example of the theme because even though you may not want to keep your commitment its the respectful thing to do. Jem put away his pride and read to Mrs. Dubose for longer than he agreed to not because he wanted to but because he promised he would and fulfilled his commitment to Mrs. Dubose and Atticus.
" 'He in there, Mr. Finch?' a man said. 'He is,' we
heard Atticus answer, 'and he's asleep. Don't
wake him up,' In obedience to my father, there
followed what I later realized was a sickeningly comic aspect of an unfunny situation: the men talked in near-whispers. 'You know what we want.' another man said. 'Get aside from the door, Mr. Finch.' 'You can turn around and go home again, Walter,' Atticus said pleasantly.' " (Lee 171)
This is from when Atticus is sitting infront of the jail so that no one can hurt Tom and the group of men come and confront Atticus and try to get to Tom, but he wont let them in because he told Tom he would keep him safe and do whatever he could to help Tom and that's what hes doing in this scne. Atticus had a commitment to keep Tom safe and that's what he intended to do. Even if he had to face the Lynch Mob Atticus would do whatever it took to make sure nothing happened to Tom because that's what he promised and as the respectful man Atticus was he always fulfilled his commitments. This is one example of the them keeping your commitments because that is exactly what Atticus Finch did.