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How Is Scout Presented In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Most young children are yet to discover that there is more to life than themselves. In this particular novel, the main character Scout, tends to think more about herself than others. Although she attempts not to do so, her childish self-kicks in which results in selfish actions. For example, Scout is heated that her cousin Francis, is disrespecting Atticus because he is defending an African American. Although Scout does not understand the meaning of a “nigger lover”, she simply assaults Francis because of the humiliation she faces and the tone of his voice. Scout disobeys Atticus's orders and harms Francis. In front of her uncle, Scout has the audacity to “split [her] knuckle to the bone on [Francis’s] front teeth. [Her] left impaired, [Scout] …show more content…

To overcome this ignorant state, they must experience something beyond their idealities and their comfort zone. It is better to be aware about an unfamiliar world rather than to be naive of it. Scout is uneducated about the meaning of rape and is not alert about the consequences and the dangers of it. Since Calpurnia did not inform Scout about what rape is, she decides to ask her Father after returning home from Calpurnia's church. Atticus begins to explain a child-friendly version of what rape is. Scout foolishly replies, “Well if that’s all it is why did Calpurnia dry me up when I asked her what it was?” (181). Even after Atticus explains what rape is to the best of his ability, Scout still seems to be clueless. As the novel progresses, Scout receives a reality check and immediately realizes how she has the wrong perception of rape the entire time. During Bob Ewell’s turn to speak during the Tom Robinson trial, he mentions that he saw “that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella!” (231). Immediately after, Scout and her innocence become scarred, but she tries her best not to show it. Subsequently, Scout’s brother, Jem, discusses the subject of rape in front of Scout again. Jem is expressing his opinion to Reverend Sykes saying “it wasn’t rape if she let you, but she had to be [18] in Alabama that is

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Ain't he, sir” This quote shows that Scout just realized that she interrupted a mob that was on the way to kill her father and that her friendly neighbors that she sees everyday are easily persuaded to do a awful crime and that the world is not as a happy place as she thought and that there is evil in this world. Later in the story Scout Asks “What’s rape cal?” 127 And a very similar one that talk about the same thing is “well if that’s all it was why did calpurnia dry me up like that when I asked her”(135) Calpurnia does not really tell Scout exactly what rape is during this scene due to the fact that she views her as being too young to understand. When Atticus really does tell her later Scout clearly doesn't fully understand the seriousness of the conversation or topic.

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Perseverance helps push a person past their limits to reach their goal. Throughout the book, Odysseus faces many problems he must solve in order to return home to Ithaca. He must escape the Cyclops’s cave, figure out a way to get past the sirens, and dodge the dangerous sea monsters. His determination will help him get back home to see his wife Penelope and return to rule Ithaca. In The Odyssey, Homer presents the idea that perseverance can make a person stronger when they overcome many obstacles and have a goal to work towards.

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A character in a book changes drastically from the beginning to the end, they grow as a character and learn many lessons throughout the book. Just like Harper Lee's book “To Kill a Mockingbird” the central character Scout, shifts from a state of innocence to maturity with the result of surviving various misunderstandings. The story presents two Scouts: the little girl experiencing the story and the adult Jean Louise who tells the story. She is raised by her father Atticus who is very political, and empathic. At the beginning of the story, Scout is a curious five year old who asks mindless questions but it's acceptable because she is a child.

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647 Words | 3 Pages

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel about the child hood of a young girl named Jean Louise Finch. It is about the struggles she faced growing up with racial circumstances in the Southern United States. She is often her referred to as Scout Finch through the novel. Scout lives with her brother Jem and their father Atticus in the town of Maycomb, Alabama. Maycomb is a small town where everybody knows everybody.

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At first, Scout goes along with Society by saying, “Cal, I know Tom Robinson’s in jail an’ he’s done something wrong…” (Lee 123). She takes what others say as serious and assumes Tom Robinson, a black man, did something wrong. However, She later meets other black people and listens to evidence on Tom’s crime. After that, she realizes, “Tom Robinson was probably the only person who was ever decent to her.

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1400 Words | 6 Pages

People are conceived with partiality, as it is our approach to stay on top of the social pecking order, a current rendition of survival of the fittest. An awesome case of this is given in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, The paramount quote, "You never truly comprehend a man until you consider things from his perspective, until you move into his skin", is the essential message of the whole novel, to become more acquainted with a man as opposed to pre-judge and separate in view of race or class. Utilizing To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee investigates partiality utilizing normal talks related with race and class, setting and characterisation to help her perusers embody the very pith of her own against bigot philosophy. The story is set

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1247 Words | 5 Pages

The name of the novel being explored is 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the 1950's in Alabama Maycomb during the racist times towards the blacks. Throughout this topic the focus is on the main character/narrator Scout (Jan Louise Finch). This essay will explore Scout's character and the negative and or positive influence she has on other characters at the start, throughout and at the end of the text. At the beginning of the novel 'To kill a Mockingbird' Scout is a naïve, has a very tomboy like personality, is a judgmental five year-old girl who was oblivious to the cruelty's of the outside world.

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Atticus teaches his kids young to respect every human being and not to assume the reputation of a human before standing in their shoes, “If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view until you climb into his skin and walk around it.” (Lee, 39) Atticus explains to his daughter Scout after a long day at school, and absurd day, she shouldn’t conclude a story of a person’s life because of the situations they might be going

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By the end of the novel during the court scene and Tom’s death, we see the final stages of her development and how far she has come as she can 't stand for Tom’s discrimination which only further proves her power to rebel against something that everyone conforms to. This shows her make her own opinion about racism which creates the exciting environment that we find ourselves in while reading. The novel has many important points and moments which make a lasting impression on us even after reading the novel. One of the biggest ideas which are focused on in this essay is Scout 's development and how it allows her to forge her own opinions. Scout learns to separate herself from the conforming sheep that Maycomb residents are described to be.

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According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, growing up means to grow towards or arrive at full stature or physical or mental maturity. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, 3 children experience some growing up in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s, the Great Depression. This growing up is seen through the eyes of Scout Finch. She sees her brother Jem, grow up in responsibility. She sees her friend, Dill, grow up in courage.

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1247 Words | 5 Pages

Many children have adults in their lives who influence the way they turn out in the future. These people can affect the children in negative or positive ways. Scout learns the importance of respect from Calpurnia, the ways of the world, how to live life to the fullest, and walking in someone else’s shoes to understand them throughout the entirety of To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee truly portrays Scout ’s coming of age by using the character’s Calpurnia, Miss Maudie, and Atticus as very important role models in Scout’s life.

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1137 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout the novel, Scout is faced with situations that challenge her understanding and compassion for others, particularly in the context of racism and misogyny. For instance, when Scout learns about the treatment of Tom Robinson, a black man wrongly accused of rape, she is forced to confront the reality of racial injustice and question her beliefs about fairness and justice. As she becomes more aware of how racism and misogyny pervade her community, she experiences a growing sense of frustration and anger, struggling to reconcile her empathy with the harsh realities of the world around her. In the novel, Lee attempts to explores the concept that empathy is not always easy but is a continuous journey of growth and self-reflection. Through Scout's struggles, the novel highlights how privilege and power can blind individuals to the experiences of others and the importance of examining one's own biases and prejudices to cultivate a deeper understanding and empathy.

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788 Words | 4 Pages

Scout is already wise beyond her years, but she continues to grow throughout a series of events in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. The most important thing about Scout is her growth throughout events in the book. The context of To Kill A Mockingbird influenced Scout to change her identity and morality throughout her experiences with stereotypes and racism in Maycomb. The first way that Scout changed was by seeing and experiencing stereotypes in gender.

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667 Words | 3 Pages

Scout is also coming of age with the things she’s forced to hear racists vulgar terms and speech, she asks Atticus what a nigger lover means because she hears it from people in the community when they are talking about Atticus. Atticus is able to answer her back by saying "nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don’t mean anything—like snot-nose. It’s hard to explain—ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody’s favoring Negroes over and above themselves.” So Scout learns what this term means but she also had learned to face the reality of the negative opinions and feelings the people in Maycomb against black

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She must express her individuality in her beliefs about all people being equal. During the trial of Tom Robinson, Atticus proclaims "You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women—black or white.” In this trial they are stereotyping black men with things such as not being able to be trusted around women, which is the basis of the trial. Scout, the protagonist who is designed to come across as innocent, youthful and virtuous, does not fully understand the prejudice against people of color or why they cannot be trusted around women. Scout appears to be the age where she can understand a person’s actions based off of what they really are, not what they are supposed to be.

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