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Mental Changes In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Throughout a lifetime, people grow and change based on many different factors. Characters in literature are no different. Published in 1960, Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, centers around a young girl named Scout and her experiences as she grows up in the suburbs of 1930s Southern Alabama. During a period of 4 years, she, her brother Jem, her father Atticus, and many others experience occurrences and events bound to alter opinions and thoughts. Over the course of a lifetime, a variety of factors influence one’s mental growth and perspective of right and wrong, such as what one sees and hears as well as surrounding family, friends, acquaintances, and more. Towards the beginning of the book, the Finch family cook, an African-American …show more content…

Towards Christmas Time, Jem, Scout, and Atticus travel to see family at Maycomb Junction. There, her dislike for her cousin Francis is shown. After eating Christmas dinner, Scout and Francis begin conversing about their lives since the last time they saw each other. It starts out polite and good-natured but soon turns the other way. Just several minutes pass and Francis insults Atticus multiple times, telling Scout that “‘…it ain’t your fault if Uncle Atticus is a[n] [n-word]-lover besides, but I’m here to tell you it certainly does mortify the rest of the family—’” (Lee 94). This continues until Scout finally snaps. She allows her emotions to take over and she “...split[s] [her] knuckle to the bone on [Francis’s] front teeth.” (Lee 96). Only partially aware of the magnitude of the case Atticus is involved in, Scout does understand that many citizens in Maycomb–and now her cousin–disagree with what Atticus is doing on account of racial biases, and, wanting to defend her father’s dignity, she lashes out at her cousin. She allows Francis’s words and actions to influence her emotions, later leading to discipline. While Scout allowed Francis’s words to influence her emotions and actions, the exact opposite occurs when Aunt Alexandra comes to live with her for some time. Puzzled at first by her Aunt’s presence, Scout inquires as to the purpose of her visit, to which Aunt Alexandra replies, “‘We decided that it would be best for you to have some feminine influence. It won’t be many years, Jean Louise, before you become interested in clothes and boys—’” (Lee 145). Being a tomboy, Scout tends not to follow typical gender stereotypes perceived as normal at that time, something that Aunt Alexandra—and many others in Maycomb—refuse to accept. Despite it never being mentioned directly, Aunt Alexandra pressures Atticus into allowing her to live with him

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320 Words | 2 Pages

“We decided that it would be best for you to have some feminine influence. It won’t be many years, Jean Louise before you become interested in boys” (Lee 170). In this quote Aunt Alexandra is trying to be the motherly influence when she moves in. She tries to give Scout some feminine influence so that she won’t

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626 Words | 3 Pages

Atticus’s relationship with his family is highly altered, after news spreads about Atticus defending Tom Robinson. The case comes in between the family at a Christmas dinner when Francis tells Scout that Atticus is a “nigger-lover” (83). Atticus is following

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916 Words | 4 Pages

Aunt Alexandra is a conservative woman who is conscious of propriety and class. So she wanted Jem and Scout to live in a certain way especially Scout, She was worried Scout was too much of a tomboy. Aunt Alexandra was also concerned that Atticus was too careless in his parenting. He allowed his kids to do whatever they wanted. She was also concerned that Calpurnia had too much say and authority over the lives of the children with the absence of their mother.

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1273 Words | 6 Pages

Scout's family gathers for Christmas where she and her cousin Francis are forced to hang out. That's where she hears Francis and Aunt Alexandra talk badly about Atticus helping Tom Robinson. First, she starts chasing him but Aunt Alexandra gets Scout in trouble. Then after everything calmed down. Francis whispers to Scout that Atticus is a N*****-lover.

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684 Words | 3 Pages

Francis disrespects Atticus by expressing the opinion of his superior. Scout, Atticus, Jem, and Jack go to Finch’s Landing. Scout and her cousin Francis go outside to play after Christmas dinner. Francis was telling Scout what his grandma says, when he said, “ Grandma says it’s bad enough he lets you all run wild, but now he’s turned out a n***** lover we’ll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb again. He’s ruinin’ the family

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1547 Words | 7 Pages

Influences of Aunt Alexandra and Atticus Finch The main characters in the novel responsible for Scout’s construction/ development would be her Aunt Alexandra and her father Atticus Finch. The Aunt, who tires to manipulate Scout into becoming the conventional lady that society has laid out in front of us; where as Atticus encourages Scout to continuing being who she is. Through out the novel there is a huge focus on Scout 's clothing as it is an important ingredient for her to develop her female sense of self. However her aunt’s pushiness in what she should be wearing, makes Scout hate the idea of being a female even more, as her aunt wishes to mold her into stereotypical southern lady. “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire.

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940 Words | 4 Pages

A while after Aunt Alexandra comes to Maycomb to live with Atticus and his family, Scout finds that Aunt Alexandra [fits] into

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1177 Words | 5 Pages

She must to be charming, submissive to the men around her, and always in need of a man’s protection. Scout’s Aunt Alexandra is unable to separate herself from society’s traditions, leaving her dependent on

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940 Words | 4 Pages

When Atticus heard about he thought he should tell his wife but before doing so he told his family. Aunt Alexandra had a tearful reaction to the news but kept her meeting with the other Maycomb ladies going. Because of this Scout thinks "After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I.” This quote is a very specific moment to scout when she decides to help her aunt by being something she really doesn't like to do. But she believes in herself that she is a lady without the assistance of Aunt

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753 Words | 4 Pages

She doesn’t tolerate people ridiculing Atticus and fights most everyone she can over it. At Christmas, Cousin Francis says Atticus is ruining the family. Scout responds by punching him: “This time, I split my knuckle to the bone on his front teeth” (Lee 112). This quote shows Scout is not afraid to stand up for what she believes is right.

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673 Words | 3 Pages

Alexandra who is Jem and Scout’s aunt, came to visit to be a better example for the children. “Jem’s growing up now and you are too,” she said to me. “We decided that it would be best for you to have some feminine influence. It won’t be many years Jean Louise, before you become interested in clothes and boys—” (170). Despite being a better example, Aunt Alexandra wants to decide everything for them and do what she thinks is best for them.

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1205 Words | 5 Pages

Unlike Atticus, his sister Alexandra’s use of traditional knowledge segregates the duties, attire, and lifestyle of both men and women. She is a firm believer in perpetuating sexism where women should only be seen in modest dresses, cooking, and tending to the children. For instance, she pesters Scout to follow societal roles such as, wearing dresses instead of breeches and behaving like a proper lady. On page 92, the author states, “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn’t supposed to be doing things that require pants” (92).

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236 Words | 1 Pages

My first pinewood derby race It was my first pinewood derby race and my mom and I were driving to Tom’s house (one of her co-workers) to make the car. When we got to the house, we got out and went to the workshop to get the shape of the car. When he opened the door to the workshop, I saw so many power tools, hand tools, and utilities. We first went to i’m pretty sure it was the band saw to make the shape of the car. Of course I wanted to use the tools all by myself since I was a third grader, but like always, my mom told me I had to be helped with the tools and I couldn’t use the saw because I was too young.

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1089 Words | 5 Pages

“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 from his point of view—” (Lee, 30). After Atticus tells her this, she considers Miss Caroline’s point of view. She realizes that it was an honest mistake and that she is incapable of learning Maycomb’s ways in a day. Scout applies the skill Atticus

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531 Words | 3 Pages

Scout was more of a tomboy than a girly girl. Aunt Alexandra didn’t like how she didn’t act like a proper lady, and would ask Scout to act more ladylike. As she grew up, she was able to understand things a lot better. She began acting more grown up in situations like Aunt Alexandra’s dinner party.

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