Essay #11

1/13/10
Jade
Mr.Salsich
English 8

The Price You Pay for Ignorance:

An Essay Based on the Book, To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Ann Lee and My Life

To some, ignorance is bliss, to others a way of life. To live with ignorance clouding your vision can be a relief for some because they don’t want to face the reality of their lives. To others, they can’t stand not knowing what’s going on around them because the thought of relinquishing what little power they have in their lives is terrifying. Ignorance can be perceived in a different way than in these two examples though, and they are as similar as they are different. Not being properly educated can be considered as ignorance. In the book, To Kill a Mocking Bird, ignorance shows its face throughout the story, weaving through the personalities of all the characters at some point to show that although we are all unique, we all go through some of the same issues.

In the book, every character shows some form of ignorance at one point or another. Scout is a good example of this because even though she is young, she understands more than most people think. Jem realizes that Scout might not be as ignorant as he might have thought, saying “Aw, she doesn’t know what we’re talkin’ about,” (Lee, 279), but was later convinced that she probably did. He decided to keep quiet after that, not wanting to take the risk of her understanding his conversation. Jem is surprised by how much Scout understands, and realizes he was the one being ignorant. Mayella Ewell also is a good example of ignorance. She has been poor her entire life and doesn’t know how to live any other way. Although she can read and write just as well as her father can, she is ignorant to society. When Mayella was in court, she consistently told Atticus that she would not answer any more questions “Long’s you keep on makin’ fun o me.” (Lee, 243). Atticus had done nothing wrong calling Mayella ma’am, she was the one who did not realize that he was only being polite. She has probably never been called ma’am in her life, so she was ignorant to how strangers talk with one another. Ignorance cannot always be avoided. Some people like Mayella Ewell have no choice because of how they live. Though you can still try to make the best of a situation, some people prefer to live with ignorance as a comforting cloud, shading you from reality. But there are times when reality forces its way through and shines like a bright light. Unfortunately, many people despise this ray of light, and prefer to be locked behind the clouds, feeling safe and at home in their comfort zone.

Ignorance in my life is something I try desperately do avoid. To me ignorance is not bliss; it’s a distraction, something to hide behind in a time of weakness. To be able to avoid reality to me is like playing hide and seek with your problems. You can run and hide as long as you want, but the longer you wait, the more aggressive your problem will be. Even knowing this, many people still find ways to run and hide. If they cannot do it themselves, they turn to even more self destructive methods like drugs and alcohol. At one point or another they are forced to see reality, whether it’s from a caring friend or a life or death situation. Even I hide sometimes; purposefully seeking ignorance for a little while even knowing that it won’t do any good. But every time this happens I tell myself that the problem is still there, and if I stop procrastinating, I might be able to get it done. Covering your problems up with ignorance is like letting the clouds cover the sun. The clouds may block everything for a little while, but at one point or another, the sun makes its presence noticed and it shines on all of your problems. Though ignoring your problems may seem like a good choice at the time, you are only being unfair to yourself and the people around you.