Moral teaching is one of the functions of Literature. This is achieved through the creation of characters; fictional and non-fictional stories to convey a message to readers.
A didactic Literature work can be embedded in the themes and the subject matters of the different types of Literature; novels, poems, and plays.
To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee can be categorized as a didactic novel because it teaches a lot of moral lessons. Most of the lessons are projected through the interactions of Atticus Finch and his children, Scout and Jem.
Atticus teaches his children to do the right thing and always stand up for what is right, no matter the difficulties involved.
This is reflected in his decision to defend Tom Robinson, an African-American man in court. The majority of American whites are against this and Atticus goes ahead with the case.
The people cast aspersions on him, tagging him a “Nigger lover” because of this but he is not deterred.
He also teaches them that everyone deserves to be treated with respect regardless of their background, race, or social class.
He says further that Boo Radley’s privacy should be respected as he is entitled to his privacy. He tries to discourage them from disturbing the reclusive man.
The novel teaches us not to judge others too quickly. Scout Finch learns this when everything is clear to her that Mayella Ewell is not as innocent as she earlier thought.
Courage is very important in human life. This is displayed by Atticus Finch when he takes it upon himself to defend Tom Robinson who is falsely alleged to have raped Mayella Ewell.
Atticus faces a lot of condemnation from the white majority including his family members. His children also share from the affront. These could have discouraged Atticus from continuing with the case if he was not courageous.
He also encourages his children to always fight for justice without minding the consequences or whose ox is gored. Atticus offers to defend Tom Robinson because he believes that the black man is justified.
Atticus Finch teaches his children to be optimistic and not pessimistic. That they should not lose hope, even when everything seems difficult. He is optimistic about justice for Tom Robinson at the appeal after being sentenced in the court.
Atticus cautions his children not to judge anybody too quickly. The children believe that Boo Radley is a reclusive monster because of what the people say about him.
He says they should not judge somebody from a distance. He says, “You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.”
Atticus educates them that they can choose their friends but cannot choose their family. No matter who that person is, he is still kin to them and cannot be discarded.
Jem refers to this when Aunt Alexandra tells Scout not to bring Walter Cunningham to the house in chapter twenty-three.
The book also teaches that the world is not always fair because good people suffer sometimes while bad and devilish people go scot-free. Tom Robinson died in the novel for the offence he did not commit.