Scout Finch Turning Point

The twentieth century is known as the turning point for English literature. Classics such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Catcher In the Rye, have taught people important lessons about society through the perspectives of youth. To Kill A Mockingbird, in my opinion is one of the most influential works of literature from the twentieth century. The novel discusses the overlying message pertaining to society’s issues during the Great Depression era, that continue to exist today. This can be explored through the following themes: racism and perspective. Racism connects to the persecution of Tom Robinson, a black man who is convicted of a crime he did not commit. Perspective is integrated through the protagonist Scout and her struggles

As the daughter of a lawyer, Scout is depicted as intelligent, competitive and gullible to believing that there is goodness in everyone. The moment she starts to analyze life from someone else’s eyes she begins to differentiate between good and bad. This is described as a turning point for the novel, “you never really understand a person, until you climb inside their skin and walk around in it” (Lee, 36). Consequently, the moment she began to think about what life is really about, she was able to empathize with others. In modern day, most people do not take the time to consider other peoples lives and their situations. In fact, we live in a time, where materialism has taken over and we take our blessings for granted. Lee’s connections to viewing life through someone else’s point of view, remind us of those who have struggled and may not be as fortunate as we are. Furthermore, the use of a child narrator allows for a perspective that is not based on any intentional discrimination. Even though Scout often misinterprets situations, her presence as the speaker provides insight because of its simplicity. The emphasis placed on respecting other people’s views is held to significance, “they’re certainly entitled to think that, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions…” (Lee, 139). Quite often, people do not respect other peoples beliefs, ideas and values, this is one of the main causes as to why people fight and can never agree on ideas. This has gotten to the point where we have even had two world wars over the disagreements we have formed by not listening to one and another. The values of perspective as illustrated by Lee serves as reminder there is always another interpretation. This refers back to why To Kill A Mockingbird is considered a quintessential