Maturity In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

The Road to Maturity

Important relationships often impact the way people think and behave. Our friends, teachers, and family all have the opportunity to not only teach us valuable life lessons but also shape the way we grow and mature as a person. This is demonstrated in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, through the life of Scout Finch and how she is impacted by the people around her. Because of the relationships Scout maintains with Ms. Maudie, Calpurnia, and Atticus, she learns important life lessons and reaches a deeper sense of maturity.

Ms. Maudie is one of the main female role models in Scout’s life and teaches her to be humble and view people in a different way. In chapter 10, Scout questions why Atticus never talked about how great

In chapter 14, Aunt Alexandra brings up the idea of getting rid of Calpurnia and Atticus quickly defends her and her role in the Finch family. “She’s a faithful member of this family and you’ll simply have to accept things the way they are…Besides, I don’t think the children’ve suffered one bit from her having brought them up. If anything, she’s been harder on them in some ways than a mother would have been… she’s never let them get away with anything, she’s never indulged them the way most colored nurses do. She tried to bring them up according to her lights, and Cal’s lights are pretty good—and another thing, the children love her” (137). Atticus talks about the large part Calpurnia has played in raising the children and the role she took on being a mother figure. Through Calpurnia’s important role in Scout’s life, she was able to teach her many lessons that a mother would have taught her. Without Calpurnia as an important figure in her life, Scout would have most likely lacked many skills including respect and how to be polite. “There’s some folks who don’t eat like us, but you ain’t called on to contradict ‘em at the table when they don’t. That boy’s yo’ comp’ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear?” (24). Calpurnia makes it clear to Scout that no matter what they do, when you have company over you treat them as your guests and with respect. Through Calpurnia’s lessons and words of advice, Scout becomes more