Scout's Moral Growth

Scout’s perspective of Boo Radley certainly changes throughout the many years that pass during the course of the novel. At the beginning of the novel Scout learns through the gossip of the community that Boo is a terrible, scary person. The stories that are told make Scout and everyone else think that Boo is just an absolute monster and everyone believes all the stories that are told about the Radley family. Because of the stories that Jem and Scout hear, they are terrified to even get close to the Radley house. They were told that Boo only comes out during the night when the moon was down, and looked through people’s windows. There was

Boo is a very important character in the book, in fact, the novel opens with Scout and her interactions with Boo and is closed by it too. Scout learns about Boo though the gossip passed on through neighbors in the community. The stories are scary and many out of context, however, Scout doesn’t seem to notice this till after the trial. At the beginning of the book she plays a game that involves Boo, and she tries to torment him into coming out. When Scout describes Boo Radley she says, "People said 'Boo' Radley went out at night and peeped in people’s windows. That he breathed on flowers and they froze instantly. They said he committed little crimes in the night but not one ever saw him." This shows that Scout sees Boo as an object of fascination instead of a human being. She does not acknowledge that he has emotions or feelings, she just views him as a monster who does horrible things to people. Furthermore, we can learn that Boo is not a very loved or respected figure in the community due to his strange way of living. As the trial takes place Scout matures and her level of complex thinking increases, but it is not until October 24th that we see how her perception of Boo changes since in the trial she saw how badly they treated Tom Robinson and she directly connected it to Boo “I hugged him and said, “Yes, sir. Mr. Tate was right, it’d be sort of

At the beginning of the novel, Boo Radley, Scout’s neighbor that never came out of his house, was a terror to Scout. She couldn't understand why he never came out because she hadn't learned how to see things from other’s points of view. “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough” (Lee 374). At the end of this novel, Scout understands how Boo saw the world and why he didn't come out until he needed to save Jem and Scout. Just standing on the Radley porch made her realize this but without learning the lesson beforehand, she would have never thought to even look at the world form Boos point of

These ?pretenses? may be misleading, consequently Scout is basing her beliefs about prejudice on the conceptions of others instead of what Scout truly believes. Although Scout?s perspective starts as childish innocence it soon develops in order to become aware of the racial judgments she is exposed to.

Their childish naïveté is evident by their staunch belief in this deception. They have a grossly incorrect view of Boo Radley as a cannibalistic and delusional psycho which is completely absurd. These false rumors dominate their view of Boo Radley for a long time. For example after their escapade from the Radley collard lot, Scout lies in bed thinking. “Every night-sound I heard from my cot on the back porch was magnified three- fold; every scratch of feet on gravel was Boo Radley seeking revenge, every passing Negro laughing in the night was Boo Radley loose and after us; insects splashing against the screen were Boo Radley’s insane fingers picking the wire to pieces;” (Lee 57). In the quote, Scout is terrified of the false Boo Radley who has been created by her misled mind. She continues to view Boo Radley as insane monster and he has become her “monster under the bed” or “bogeyman in the closet”. Her childish perspective makes such preposterous belief in false rumors seem rational to her. Over time, Scout forgets about Boo until he saves them from Bob Ewell’. After the rescue, Scout has a revelation. “One time he [Atticus] said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.” (Lee 283). On close inspection, the reader can see Scout’s increased maturity when she looks past the deception inadvertently set by her

Scout tries to resist her community’s attempts to shape her into a ‘proper’ young lady in several different ways.

Scout was raised in a time with racial prejudices going on around her. This instilled in her the admirable qualities of courage and maturity. Her father, Atticus Finch, was fighting for the freedom of the opposing side, the one everybody despised. This caused her to be put in many dangerous and hate filled situations in public which included school and the

Similar to the story, Scout finds out that Boo is actually a generous and friendly individual. In the end, Scout changes to be an accepting person from because of ArthurBoo Radley.She learns not to judge Boo, by having the courage to go against the society that discriminates people who are different. Once she spends time with Boo, develops empathy for him, and focuses on what they have in common, then she begins to understand and accept him. Through Boo Radley, Scout becomes an accepting person by learning to not to judge someone just based on rumors that have a high probability of being wrong.

When Scout begins to notice the views of her peers and those around her, she is confused by people’s prejudice overruling their judgement.

In the rural town of Maycomb, Alabama, Scout Finch lives with her brother, Jem, and Father, Atticus. Scout teaches many lessons as well as defies stereotypes. Scout gives readers her perspective of things. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the growth and characterization of Scout to reveal to readers how innocence slowly falls away through Scout’s obliviousness about other people, Scout’s protection towards her family, and Scout’s curious ways.

Scout is one of many characters in the historical fiction book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee that develop as the story progresses. She grows throughout the novel by becoming more aware of her surroundings as the story progresses and reveals more to the reader. Also, Scout over the course of the book starts to realize what kind of man Boo Radley actually is and begins to trust him more towards the end of the book. She even walks with him and talks to him as if he were a friend of her, which he could very well be at the end of the book. Finally, Scouts morals develop by in the beginning of the book having started at level one of Kohlberg's moral development chart, but towards the end of the book reaching level two.

First of all, Lee’s critical tone of prejudice is demonstrated by Scout’s innocent curiosity and perception of her surrounding society. Specifically, Lee’s critical tone is illustrated by Scout’s curiosity and the numerous questions she asks her family members throughout the duration of the novel. For example, when Scout raises questions to her Aunt Alexandra concerning her prejudice towards the Cunningham family, her innocence is exhibited by her desire to understand the world, but also to question it. A specific example of Scout’s curiosity is when Aunt Alexandra informs Scout not to invite Walter over for dinner, which leads Scout to ask “Why not, Aunty? They’re good folks” (223). Aunt Alexandra responds with: “The thing is, you can scrub Walter Cunningham till he shines, you can put him in shoes and a new suit, but he’ll never be like Jem” (224). Aunt Alexandra’s response exemplifies her prejudice towards the structure of the social classes in Maycomb County. However, Scout’s innocent nature enables her to remain uncorrupted by prejudice and to question the unquestionable. Lee’s use of a child as a narrator allows her to ask the tough questions regarding Maycomb County’s way of life and question why it is prejudiced towards a certain individual or group of individuals. Moreover, Harper Lee’s choice of narration

When Scout begins to notice the views of her peers and those around her, she is confused by people’s prejudice overruling their judgement.

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout is one of the main characters and the narrator. During the time the book begins, she is a little 6 year-old girl who is mature for her age, and she continues to mature as the book progresses. Over the course of the novel, Scout develops an exceptional character which is constantly changing from the effects of different events and characters. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee uses the minor characters Boo Radley, Miss Maudie, and Aunt Alexandra to help develop Scout into a strong and compassionate human being from the innocent child she used to be.

* Scout’s moral development throughout To Kill a Mockingbird has to do with how she is taught to see “the other”, her exposure to racism and injustice, and that she had Atticus as a parent to guide her through her childhood. These factors together create a stable learning environment for Scout to grow and develop in.