Theme Of Scout In To Kill A Mockingbird

Growing up does not mean to simply grow old, it means to finally see the world as it truly is.-unknown. In Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows how Jean Louise Finch or Scout, is maturing and developing as a character with each new idea or experience she has throughout the novel. Scout is a child who is not afraid to speak her mind through fighting, but throughout the rest of the novel Scout tries to fight less with her fist and more with her head. She does this by trying to see things from other people's point of view. “ I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped my fists and walked away, ‘Scout’s a cow-ward!’ ringing in my ears. It was the first time I had ever walked away from a fight.”(102)

This includes Atticus and Calpurnia. Each time she has a question or goes through a new experience she learns something new. With some of these experiences Scout is shaped into a new person from the beginning of novel.”That’s why you don’t talk like the rest of ‘em,’ said Jem.’The rest of who?’’Rest of the colored folks. Cal, but you talked like they did in church…’ That Calpurnia led a modest double life never dawned on me. The idea that she had a separate existence outside our household was a novel one, to say nothing of her having command of two languages.”(167) The fact that it never dawned on Scout that Calpurnia had a life outside of the Finch house shows that she was a small minded child in the beginning of the novel, but after going to church with Cal it is clear that through this Lee shoes Scout maturing by her understanding Calpurnia outside of the Finch residence. The quote symbolize how Scout is realizing that people do not always act like they do when they are in public. It also shows how Scout is maturing through her ability to finally see people as they truly are not just as they are perceived. Not only is Scout maturing through her experiences with Cal but also with Atticus through their everyday interactions. “First of all, he said, ‘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 things from his

Scout and Alexandra finally start to understand each others behavior which shows how Scout is maturing now that she is able to get along with Alexandra.”Aunt Alexandra looked across the room at me and smiled, she looked at a tray of cookies on the table and nodded at them. I carefully picked up the tray and watched myself walk to Mrs.Merriweather. With my best company manners, I asked her if she would have some, After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I.”(318) Before this quote in the novel Atticus has informed Alexandra, Scout, Miss Maudie, and Calpurnia, that Tom Robinson has died and Scout is saying that if Aunty can keep so calm at a time like this so could she. This is something that Scout would probably would not of done in the beginning of the book. Alexandra also teaches Scout how to live in the world people have created even though she does not agree with everything that happens. This allows Scout to mature by letting her see the world from a different perspective. Another example of how Aunty has helped Scout mature would be how she influenced Scout enough to where Scout started to wear dresses. “ I was wearing my pink Sunday dress, shoes, and a petticoat, and reflected that if I spilled anything Calpurnia would have to wash my dress again for tomorrow.”(307) In the beginning of the novel Scout