To Kill a Mockingbird: Scout's Character Development

Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee is a novel set in the United States during the 1930's. This novel deals with the hardships of growing up, among other important themes. Scout, the main character in the book, underwent many challenges during her early life that resulted in her maturing at a young age. Scout learned the meaning of racism, courage, and tolerance (comprehension).

In the beginning of the novel, Scout is just a regular 5 year-old girl who has no knowledge with the crisis and reality of the world. Later in the novel Scout changes, she sees/experiences racial prejudice but Atticus teaches her that you can change evil to good if you just

During Tom Robinson’s trial, Scout starts to understand the entirety of racial injustice. We see this when Scout meets the lynch mob outside Tom’s cell before the trial, and she stopped them by talking to and embarrassing Mr. Cunningham. It was not until after that night

As people grow in life, they mature and change. In the novel , To Kill a Mockingbird ,by Harper Lee, Scout, the main character, matures as the book continues. Slowly but surely, Scout learns to control her explosive temper, to refrain from fistfights, and to respect Calpurnia, their maid, and to really learn her value to the family. Scout simply changes because she matures, and she also changes because Atticus, her father, asks her to.

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.

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch shows us various aspects of her personality, in her actions, thoughts, and words. Her home life affects this greatly as her father Atticus raised her with equality and a sense of freedom. Scout speaks her mind and does not confine to the standards of society at the time. Scouts intelligence is evident on her first day of school, when her teacher discovers her ability to read. Miss Caroline is off put as she was not expecting any of her students to be this advanced. Scout realizes this when “…she discovered that I was literate and looked at me with more than faint distaste.” (Pg.22) Her intelligence is also shown by her ability to realize when to use physical force in an argument,

In the beginning of the novel, Scout is introduced to a case that her father, Atticus, is doing for an African American named Tom Robinson. Scout learns that Tom Robinson has been accused of raping Mayella Ewell. However, Scout does not fully understand the meaning of rape. Scout then asks her father, “what’s rape?”, resulting in Atticus giving her a complex definition of how "rape was carnal knowledge of a female by force and without consent" (180). Throughout the novel, Scout progressively loses her childhood innocence as she is exposed to the many injustices of life, such as learning about rape through observations and conversations during and after the trial. Most importantly, Scout learns a great deal about violence during the case due

How Scout Develops from a Tomboy to a Young Lady in To Kill a Mockingbird

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

It is an unimaginable thought that something so similar can be missing so much. They can be both so unique and incomparable. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee the main character, Scout and her brother Jem fight prejudice through a young person perspective. The main characters go on a journey against Bob Ewell throughout the sleepy town of Maycomb, at the 1930’s. Bob Ewell has falsely accused Tom Robinson of a crime. On the process the characters grow a lot and find things that spark their curiosity. This makes an interesting plot with many turns. The movie, To Kill a Mockingbird, has many differences from its book, many plots and characters are missing which greatly impacts the movie directed by Robert Mulligan.

Scout learns 3 important things about life in the book. One thing she learns is that life is unfair. She experiences this in a court case with her dad defending a black man named Tom Robinson who is accused for raping Mayella Ewell the daughter of Bob Ewell. Mr. Atticus had very good reasons on why Tom should not be accused of rape and everyone in the court including the jury and judge were sure that he would win but at the end of the case the jury decided

Scout’s school did not stress the importance of equality, and it showed in the town’s ignorance. But, Scout did not let school taint her perception of others, and she believed “everybody’s gotta learn, nobody’s born knowin’. That Walter’s as smart as he can be he just gets held back [...]. Nothing’s wrong with him. Naw, Jem, I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks” (Lee 304). Scout’s friend was going to get held back in school because he was poor and unable to attend as often. She stood up for him, because she thought everyone deserves an equal chance. However, a place that did not give everyone an equal chance was the courtroom where Atticus defended a black man accused of a crime he did not commit. After losing the case, Atticus consoles his children and tells Scout and Jem that “as you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it- whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, or how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash” (Lee 295). While others may see a situation such as this and say that the black man was at fault, Atticus sees through the color of a man’s skin. He wants to make sure his children do this, too. Growing up in the south, racism was expected to be seen. But, just because something is common does not make it right. Atticus made it a priority to teach his

Scout’s maturation and non-judgmental attitude that develops throughout To Kill a Mockingbird help her mature into an individual with integrity. Contrary to the beginning of the novel, Scout establishes herself as a wise character in the latter portions of the book. After an incredulous Atticus is told that Jem did not kill Mr. Ewell, Scout reassures Atticus by saying, “Well it’d sort of be like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?” (Lee 276) Taking Atticus’ advice into consideration, Scout climbs into Boo Radley’s skin and finally respects Boo’s decision to remain indoors and not be proclaimed a hero. Additionally, Scout matures into a very open-minded

One’s childhood innocence is never lost, it simply plants the seed for the flower of maturity to bloom. It seems that almost every adult chooses to either forget or ignore this childhood vulnerability. But ironically, it was this quality that pushed them into adulthood in the first place. At the peak of their childhood, their post climactic innocence allows room for the foundation of maturity to begin to grow. In the sleepy southern town of Maycomb this is exactly what happens to eight years old Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. In To Kill a Mockingbird the character Scout is forced to surround herself with a very adult situation, when a trial comes to the small town of Maycomb. The trial raises the question that shakes the entire town up, what

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.