Aubrey Sveen
Miss Olson
English 10
9 January 2023
Title
To Kill a Mockingbird, written in 1960 by Harper Lee, is a timeless classic for people of all ages. The main character, Scout Finch is seemingly connected to and may even be based off of Lee and her childhood. By the end of the novel, Scout shows great maturity and development as a character. Through the examination of Scout, it is shown that femininity and growing up are two themes that are very prominent in this novel.
The first example of femininity is shown towards the very beginning of the novel. Uncle Jack states, “You want to grow up to be a lady, don’t you?” (Lee 90). Scout had said a swear word and Uncle Jack was explaining that women don’t swear so she shouldn’t either. This quote shows that even young girls were
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Atticus says “The older you grow, the more of it you’ll see” (Lee 253). At this point in the novel, Tom Robinson has been convicted and has continued to be a victim of prejudice. Jem and Scout don’t really understand why this is happening because their father has taught them to never judge anyone no matter their race. Scout talks about empathy and not fully knowing someone until you “stand in their shoes.” Towards the end of the novel, Scout shows just how much she has changed because of the trial. She learns to be more empathetic towards others and how to control her emotions better. Even though everyone else in Maycomb County is prejudiced towards the black residents of their town, the Finch family continues to never judge anyone but to try and put themselves in other people’s shoes to understand how they feel. Scout figures out what the right way to handle certain situations and has learned to show compassion towards others who may not entirely want it. She has grown emotionally through the course of the novel. In conclusion, Scout has changed greatly as a result of the events throughout the