Evolution Of Scout Finch In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

The Evolution of Scout Finch

Childhood is a significant part of people’s lives; it is a period of time that molds how you are going to be in the future from what you learned. Scout Finch, the narrator in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, learns a lot from the people in her life. As a young woman she fights through criticism and inequality, yet she still learns to be kind and sympathetic. Throughout the novel, Scout shows the ability to sympathize for others, being willing to learn, and to be scrupled.

A: Scout is a sympathetic person.

SU: After Dill ran away from home Scout and Dill reflect on the incident. Scout says,

P: “It’s no reason to run off. They don’t get around to doin’ what they say they’re

She feels sympathy towards him because she understands what Dill is currently going through.

T: Scout shows sympathy from going through similar experiences but she also is sympathetic when reflecting on the past.

SU: Scout is looking back on the incident with Walter Cunningham and Miss Caroline on the first day of school. She tells the reader that,

P: “… but if Walter and I had put ourselves in her shoes we’d have seen it was an honest mistake on her part” (Lee 40).

C: When reflecting on the incident and putting herself in Miss Caroline’s shoes, Scout understands why Miss Caroline acted the way she did. Scout isn’t angry with Miss Caroline after this.

CL: These are examples of Scout showing sympathy for others and understanding what it’s like from the other person’s point of view, whether it was from past experience or from reflecting on an incident she understands, the actions of others.

A: Scout is willing to learn from the people in her life.

SU: Aunt Alexandra is against Scout’s attire, more specifically her overalls. Scout says,

P: “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches…” (Lee

This shows Aunt Alexandra wants Scout to dress more like a lady. Scout, although remains mostly a tomboy, eventually learns the importance of being like a lady too.

T: Scout is willing to learn from people that she doesn’t quite like but she also learns from people she looks up too.

SU: Scout is about to kill the roly-poly on the back porch in September. However, Jem says,

P: “Don’t do that, Scout. Set him out on the back steps” (Lee 319).

C: Scout, being a young child, is unable to grasp the concept of being sensitive to the vulnerable. When Jem tells her not to kill the bug Scout at first thinks something is wrong with Jem, however she soon learns that she has to protect what can’t themselves. This is a lesson she learns from the Tom Robinson trial and also eventually from Boo.

CL: Scout as a young child was relatively thoughtless. However, she learns from the people around her and becomes very smart for someone her age because of her willingness to learn. She listens to what others say instead of closing them out, even if the person is not someone she likes, and this causes her to understand things most kids her age wouldn’t.

A: Scout is a scrupled person.

SU: When asked on her thoughts about Aunt Alexandra living with the family she