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Scout Finch Character Analysis Essay

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An Analysis of Scout Finch
To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic American literature written by Harper Lee and published in 1960. The main character in the story is Scout Finch. Scout is a six year old tomboy, who lives in rural, 1940’s Maycomb, Alabama with her father, Atticus, and brother, Jem. Despite her age, she isn't afraid to ask hard questions and take risks. The young girl possesses an intelligent nature which helps her navigate the complex relationships in her life. She often engages with the adults in her society, who teach her the valuable lessons that help her grow as a person. Although she is smart, she is growing up in Part One and becoming more mature day by day. Throughout the novel, Scout shows great confidence through being …show more content…

At lunchtime, on her first day of school, her classmate, Walter Cunningham, does not have lunch. When Miss Caroline asks him where it is, he says he forgot it and refuses the quarter she tries to lend him. At first, Miss Caroline is impatient and believes he is being disrespectful with his lack of gratitude, that is until Scout explains. “The Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back -no church baskets, and no scrip stamps. They never took anything off of anybody, they get along on what they have. They don’t have much, but they get along on what they have.” (22) Her confidence in this situation allowed her to teach the oblivious Miss Caroline about the socioeconomic dynamic in Maycomb. She continues, “You’re shamin him, Miss Caroline. Walter hasn’t got a quarter to bring you.” (24) After this interaction, Miss Caroline is embarrassed by her lack of compassion. Educating her on the subject may not have been Scout’s direct intention, but it does open the mind of someone who was brought up in a urban environment, someone who has never walked in the shoes of a Maycomb native. Scout’s straightforward approach to the situation helped her defend a person put in a tough

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