How Does Scout Mature In To Kill A Mockingbird

As a child grows, many people, and events influence development and maturity. This transformation is seen in several instances throughout Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird through the main character Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch. The story is set in a Southern Alabama town called Maycomb, in the 1930’s. Scout lives on the main street of the town along with her father Atticus Finch, and brother Jem Finch. The family employs the service of a black lady named Calpurnia, who functions as a cook, and mother for the children. When we are introduced to Scout at the beginning of the novel she is portrayed as a brash, six year old tomboy. She spends her time playing with Jem, and her new friend Dill Harris. She has a large temper, and often gets into small

Scout is very obviously dedicated to her brother Jem. He often criticizes her for “Acting like a girl”. For this reason Scout grows up far away from the typical way daughters are raised. She plays outside in the dirt, dresses in overalls, and hates dressing like a typical lady. Scout’s very slight change into a lady is majorly affected by her own Aunt Alexandra. Aunt Alexandra is Atticus’s sister, who lives at Finch's Landing. Aunt Alexandra highly disapproves of the way Atticus is raising his children, and steps in in an attempt to raise them correctly. She constantly criticizes Scout’s tomboy attire, and personality, which Scout resists. Despite this criticism by her aunt Scout attempts to please her by participating in Alexandra’s missionary circle. Scout wears a dress, and even serves refreshments, in an attempt to learn the complicated life of a lady. After hearing of Tom Robinson’s death Scout becomes very determined to stay strong and please her aunt, even saying: “if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I." (Lee, 240). This slight change shows that Scout is maturing, and conforming to fit the expectations for her

Boo is a subject of mystery to the children, who look at him like a ghost story. Even adults are fearful of him, and blame him for small crimes around the town, such as freezing flowers. This fear is passed down to the children who run past the Radley house everytime, and even make small dares about touching the house. Jem describes Boo by saying: “He dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that's why his hands were blood-stained—if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time” (Lee, 17). However as the novel progresses Scout’s views on Boo begin to change. They begin finding small gifts in the knothole of a tree from Boo, and begin to see how much of a kind, shy person he is. This is cut short by Nathan Radley who fills in the knothole with cement. The children begin to better understand Boo after experiencing the evil, and dishonesty going on in Tom Robinson's trial, Jem says: “Scout I’m beginning to understand something. I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley stayed shut up in his house all the time… it’s because he wants to stay inside” (Lee, 117). Atticus plays a crucial part in Scout’s transformation. “First of all," he said, "if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds