To Kill A Mockingbird Scout's Transformation

In Harper Lee’s book “To Kill a Mockingbird” Jem , Scout , and Dill live in Maycomb , Alabama around the time of the 1930’s they all were struggling through racism and poor family’s trying to get by. Harper Lee’s first and only novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” was published during the civil right movements. In this book Jem, Scout, and Dill tend to have courage and loyalty through life and in their relationship toward one another . Jem and Scout are brother and sister, Dill is a friend of the family but they accept him as a brother. Although, Jem and Dill have the most exceptional relationship out of them all. “ To Kill A Mockingbird” the impact racism had on society shows through the setting , characters , and town of Maycomb , Alabama .

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is a novel written by Harper Lee. It is set during the early 20th Century in the fictional town of Maycomb. Lee has decided to write the novel from a child’s point of view because a child is innocent but as the novel progresses the narrator, Scout, loses her innocence as she deals with the complications of her father being a lawyer. The novel revolves around racism and Scout sees discrimination wherever she goes whether it is racial or social prejudice. The town’s people agree with the idea that whites are superior to blacks. An example of this is when Atticus, Scout’s father, has to defend a black man who is accused of raping Bob Ewell’s daughter.

You’re not the same person you were yesterday. You changed, you grew. Be it physically, mentally, or emotionally. And just like you change, so do characters in books. Take Scout Finch from Harper Lee’s fictional novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. At the beginning of the story, she’s 7 and just learning how the world works. She's scared of her reclusive neighbor and never wants to become what society expects her to be: a lady. At the end of the novel, 4 years later, she realizes that her reclusive neighbor is nothing to be afraid of and being a lady doesn't mean that you aren't strong. Scout changes by learning what real courage is, by walking in others shows, and by learning that things aren't always as they seem.

Since Jem enjoys doing "manly" things, Scout does them as well for she does not know any better and she wants to gain Jem's respect for her. As time goes by, Jem starts to mature himself, from an irresponsible boy to a sensitive, gentlemen, Mister Jem; he is always Scout's adored older brother. As Scout gets older, her Aunt Alexandra decides to try and get Scout to act more like the Jean Louise that she wants her be. The only time that Aunt Alexandra was around for a long period of time was during the trial when she came to live with the Finches when Atticus was the lawyer for Tom. Even though she disagrees with her brother, Atticus, with his way of raising his children, especially Scout, who should be taught to be a lady believes that in time, she will "come around"

Scout sees that Miss Maudie does not believe in rumors, and it proves Miss Maudie a very upright person. She also adds later on, “‘No child…that is a sad house. I remember Arthur Radley when he was a boy. He always spoke nicely to me, no matter what folks said he did…’” (61). Scout finds this concept unfathomable, because it contradicts everything she ever heard about Boo Radley. However, because she regards Miss Maudie so highly, Scout begins having a new perspective on things after this point. Even though she still takes parts in various situations when with Jem and Dill attempt communicating with Boo, she thinks more before acting, and participates only so she avoids teasing from Jem rather than with the intention of humiliating Boo. While not participating at all would display greater maturity, the fact that she thinks more before acting and takes more things into consideration shows that Miss Maudie does indeed have an affect on her. It illustrates Scout’s developing character, as she no longer judges Boo Radley, and she learns from Miss Maudie that she should not judge any one, but rather try understanding them before criticizing them.

“You aren't really a nigger-lover, then, are you?" (Lee 107-09). "I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody... I'm hard put, sometimes—baby, it's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you.” (Lee 107-09). This quote is one of many that show how racism is used in the story. In this quote Scout has heard someone call Atticus a nigger lover because he is Tom Robinsons lawyer and he is trying to his best job to help him as he can (Lee). Scout doesn’t really understand at first what a nigger lover is until Atticus explains it to her.

The book "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a story of life in an Alabama town in the 30's. The narrator, Jean Louise Finch, or Scout, is writing of a time when she was young, and the book is in part the record of a childhood, believed to be Harper Lee’s, the author of the book..

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is a complex literary work exploring several aspects of the human condition. Lee’s story is one based in the 1930’s, shortly before the Civil Rights Movement. Her novel ventures into the societal issues, such as racism and gender stereotyping, in their fictional town, Maycomb. One recurring theme throughout the narrative is the social adjustment of the citizens of Maycomb and the human race as a whole. Lee showcases the progress in social justice matters by using symbolism and motifs.

In Part 1 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee introduces Atticus Finch as a father who rejects ideas or practices of racism. At school, Scout hears Cecil Jacob shout that her father, Atticus, is defending ‘niggers’. Later that day, when Scout asks her father what Cecil meant, Atticus explains that he is defending a Negro named Tom Robinson. Scout was stunned by his unexpected response. When Scout asks why, Atticus responds, “I’m simply defending a Negro… for a number of reasons. The main one is if I didn't I couldn't hold my head up in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again.” (86) By accepting Tom Robinson’s case without a single argument, Atticus really shows his civility towards Negroes, even when they are not respected by anyone else in the state. Atticus seeks to treat Tom as an individual while rejecting racism in all forms, both language, and behavior. Not only does this show his belief in racial equality, but it also shows his courage.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a fictional novel about a young girl named Scout Finch. The story revolves around Scout and her family as they face prejudice and discrimination in Maycomb County. At the beginning of the novel, Scout is an innocent girl who hasn't come into contact with the evils of the world. At the end of the novel, Scout develops with understanding of that good always wins over evil no longer is always true. The events Scout saw made her knowledgable and aware of the human nature around her to mature with understanding of the world.

Scout really begins to control her anger as the novel goes along. She stops fighting and begins to use her words. In the beginning of the novel, she used more violence than words. “Catching Walter Cunningham in the schoolyard gave me some pleasure, but when I was rubbing his nose in the dirt Jem came by and told me to stop,” (Lee page 30). She decided to use her fists instead of her words to set up a kind of respect and so Walter would not make her look bad again. A little later on in the novel, Scout, once again, loses her temper and gets into a fight with Cecil Jacobs. Cecil called Atticus a nigger lover and Scout gets into a fight because Cecil called her dad a name, which, at the time, she did not know what it meant. Atticus was the most influential character in changing Scout and helping her to control her anger. “Atticus had promised me he would wear me out if he ever heard of me fighting

Through the use of Scout’s innocent nature and the words and actions carried out by the townspeople, Harper Lee’s critical tone regarding prejudice is revealed.

In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout, the main character changes in many significant ways throughout the book. In the beginning, Scout was a naive girl who doesn’t completely understand the world around her, and continuously decided to physically hurt people when she was facing her own mental battles. However, by the end of the novel, not only has Scout become more mature, but she has learned to be more respectful of other people and the choices they make. She also learned that she should make her own decisions, and not base her actions off of other people's thoughts or opinions. One example that can be found in the book, is while Mrs. Maudie's house had caught on fire.

According to the British Librarians in 1999, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was rated higher than the Bible on the list of books everyone must read. This book shows life in the South in the 1930s. It deals with the important themes of racism and segregation. Harper Lee, through the eyes of Scout, the 6 year old narrator, brings readers along for an accurate representation of family life, town life, court cases, and growing up in the South during the Depression. Her use of symbols in this book help the reader more deeply understand the plot, characterization, setting, and themes.

The ability to understand others by viewing things from their perspective is an important skill that Scout develops through her interactions with Atticus, Jem, Cecil Jacobs, and Boo Radley. This allows Scout to better control her emotions, understand others, and treat others fairly. After Scout complains about Mrs. Caroline and Walter, she talks with Atticus and learns a simple trick to help her get along with all kinds of folks. Atticus tells her that, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 39). This is an important lesson to Scout, one which she begins to apply in her life.