Essay On Scout Coming Of Age

Scouting for Maturity Coming of age is a difficult time and a struggle for many children. Learning that there are people who have different opinions than what you have changes your life and who you are. Growing up in the 1930’s with racism, prejudice, and the recession would have accentuated this struggle to find your self-identity. Jean Louise “Scout” Finch is a character in the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Scout changed greatly from the beginning of the novel to the end. She changes from an inquisitive, impulsive, impolite tomboy, to a caring, brave, and mindful girl. This evolution was caused by many factors which turned Scout into the person she became. Calpurnia, Miss Maudie, and Aunt Alexandra served as Scout’s female role models throughout the novel. These extraordinary women were highly influential factors in her coming of age. Calpurnia served as a mother,

Atticus taught Scout right from wrong, how to respond to difficult situations, and how to treat others. Additionally, he was the person that she turned to when she was in trouble, and he helped her in any way that he could. The most important thing that he taught her is that she needs to be kind to everyone and that she cannot just fight or argue out her feelings. An example of this is after the first day of school where Scout spent the whole day in trouble with her new teacher. After this happened, Atticus advised her that, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-”Sir?”- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”(Lee 39). This statement greatly impacts how she treats other people and responds to them. It taught Scout how to treat others with compassion and understanding, which shows an increase in her maturity. These newfound traits came into play in a big way near the end of the novel with Tom Robinson, the trial, and Boo