How Does Scout Mature In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Scout Finch is many things: daring, rugged, loyal, a tomboy, and compassionate. Some however, stand out more than others. Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” tells a tale of both childhood innocence and prejudice. Scout and her brother are forced to quickly mature because of a court case their lawyer father takes on. They also desperately want to meet the Boo Radley that everyone in Maycomb says is a monster. Cover to cover, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch maintains two primary characteristics. Scout’s Early in the book, the reader discovers that Scout can read. Miss Caroline, her teacher, tells her that Atticus, her father, needs to stop teaching her to read. This upsets Scout; she goes home to Atticus and begs him not to send her back. “‘-and …show more content…

Because Scout is so curious, she also happens to be very smart. Her extensive vocabulary for an eight year old shows when she uses words like auspicious and erratically. Scout understands so much for her young age. Not only does she rightly demonstrate her literary skills, Scout comprehends what the adults around her say. A death occurred on the night of the pageant. It doesn’t click at first, but then Scout realizes Boo Radley saved her and Jem by stabbing Bob Ewell. To take this case to court would be putting Boo in the public eye. “‘...well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?’”(276). Scout knows that turning in Boo for Bob’s murder would be like shooting a mockingbird because Boo did no harm. Scout is able to tell when Boo was uncomfortable being out of his home for so long. “I was beginning to understand his body English. His hand tightened on mine and he indicated that he wanted to leave”(278). She grasps his secluded lifestyle now, and that has a lot to do with the fact that she can read his body language. She realizes that Boo is intrigued by Jem and his broken arm, but also uncomfortable. “An expression of timid curiosity was on his face, as though he had never seen a boy before”(277). He’s a gentle soul; Boo is very reserved, but he still wonders about the Finch