How Is Calpurnia's Changing Experience In To Kill A Mockingbird

The mind is like clay; malleable early, but it hardens over time. Moreover, the coming-of-age novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, has the narrator, Scout, guide the reader through her childhood. During this period, Scout undergoes several life-changing experiences. These events develop into lessons taught to Scout that can change her perception of other people. To start, Calpurnia, the Finch’s housekeeper, teaches Scout an important lesson. During lunchtime at the Finch house, Scout rudely points out Walter’s outlandish etiquette, which motivates Calpurnia to quietly admonish Scout, explaining that, ”anybody [who] sets foot in [her] house is [her company]” (Lee, 27). What Calpurnia reveals to Scout is to be respectful of other people, even her guests. With this in mind, Calpurnia is able to divert Scout from being impolite to people in the future, which essentially forces Scout to perceive others as different from herself. To finalize, Calpurnia teaches Scout how to respect other people because of how different their cultures are. In addition, Scout learns

On a peaceful evening, Scout reveals her negative beliefs of Boo Radley, an ominous neighbor, to Miss Maudie, but Miss Maudie, defending Boo Radley, argues that, “the things that happen to people [they] never really know” (51). Miss Maudie’s lesson also echoes off of Calpurnia and Atticus’s lessons. In reality, Scout does not actually know Boo Radley well, and so should respect Boo Radley despite him being so distant. To elaborate, Scout has her own opinions of Boo Radley, which she picks up from the neighborhood gossip and rumors, but they have no support because of the lack of her own observations. Miss Maudie’s lesson helps Scout understand how people misinterpret Boo Radley’s uncanny behaviors as evil or threatening. In summary, Miss Maudie teaches Scout a lesson that turns her views of Boo Radley in a different