Jean Louise 'Scout' Finch is a character in the book To Kill a Mockingbird. Throughout the book she grows from an innocent girl, to a knowledgeable young lady. Scout is not a typical girl, she isn’t just a loving little girl. She is a fighter, and she will fight anyone who brings her or Jem down. Although, Scout is a fighter she is innocent of the real world. However, she will soon enough learn about the harsh reality.
On the morning of Scout and Jem’s first day of school that year, Scout has never looked forward more to anything in her life before. She was beyond ready, however, Jem wasn’t as thrilled as his sister. Scout and Jem walked together to school that morning, you would think nothing could go wrong. Except Scout’s first day was a
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Atticus once said to Scout “You just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ‘em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change.” After the trail Scout learned that not everyone lives by the life lessons Atticus has taught her. Once again Scout is getting less innocent because of real world problems.
Atticus once said to Scout “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” Scout has become a wise and knowledgeable lady. After the trail Scout finally found out what the real world feels like. There is racism, disagreement, and ugliness in the world. At the end of the book Scout’s perspective on life develops from an innocent child into a near grown-up. Anyone who thinks that with experience comes knowledge, has probably learned from their mistakes or learned from their achievements. From Scout’s point of view she had no idea what was going on, however, throughout the story you can definitely tell that she has grown into an informed young lady. Scout has not only learned life lessons from the citizens of Maycomb, but her father has had the most impact on her. Scout was the best character to be the narrator of the story because she grows tremendously throughout the
In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout Finch tries to please her father, but living with no mother it’s hard to know how to act. It’s natural to follow Jem, her brother, when that is her only friend through out the years. Imagine hearing gossip about your father from friends, neighbors, and even your own cousin. Scout had to push through all of the gossip and believe in her father. Throughout the novel Scout shows how social she can be. To Kill a Mockingbird is a great novel that keeps you reading. Scout has a positive effect on events such as at the jail, she was the reason that the mob left. She also always curious so she is more mature than most kids her age. Through the journey of the trial she shows how hot-tempered, tomboyish, and mature she can be.
Through the development of Scout’s relationship with Arthur Radley, Scout develops and becomes more empathetic. Atticus Finch, Scout’s father, is her most consistent role model and used by Lee as the moral compass. Atticus is a firm believer in teaching by example, and his respect of his children is such that he treats them almost as adults, emphasised in the line ‘he played with us, read with us, and treated us with courteous detachment’ pg. 6. This refusal to shelter Scout from the harsh realities of life in Maycomb allows her to learn from experience. The strong moral guidance offered by Atticus allows Scout not only to learn from experience, but also to develop her personal integrity. Atticus exemplifies his strong beliefs, as illustrated when he says ‘Shoot
" Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes." Although Scout Finch in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is a young girl, she learns many important lessons about life throughout the novel. These lessons, among others, are that she mustn't take everything she hears to heart as the truth; that she mustn't take face judgments as actual facts and respect for Atticus.
To start, Scout isn’t able to see things from other people's points of view when she invites Walter Cunningham over for lunch on her first day of school and he pours molasses syrup all over his lunch. She isn’t able to realize that other people do things differently than she does. When she asks why he is doing this, Calpurnia scolds her for asking and tells her that some people just do things things differently. Since she is developing, she is able to realize that Boo Radley is actually a nice, caring person instead of a crazy, squirrel eating, monster. She realizes this when Miss Maudie’s house catches on fire and someone puts a blanket around her while she is standing outside. She realizes that it was Boo Radley is actually a caring person. This shows she is developing because she can discover things about other people instead of just sticking to her first impression of someone. Finally, Scout shows she can see things from other people’s perspectives when she walks Boo Radley home and stands on his porch and watches the last two years play out from his perspective. She is also showing that she changed when she is sad that she never put anything back in the knothole in the tree to give back to Boo. To finish, she has changed by being able to see things how other people see them. She shows she changes when she doesn’t understand why Walter Cunningham
Atticus continuously tells her that this is wrong and that she needs to learn to control her anger, “You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ‘em get your goat? Try fighting with your head for a change” (Lee 101). The day after this discussion with Atticus, Scout is approached by a fellow student who had previously made a mean comment about her father. “I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped my fists and walked away.it was the first time I ever walked away from a fight” (Lee 102).
Scout undergoes three stages of rapid change. She goes from being innocent of the corruption in Maycomb County, to being exposed to the problems the society of Maycomb has, then finally realizing the truth behind Maycomb. One example of Scout’s change in the story is when her thinking of people went from saying, "He ain't company, Cal, he's just a Cunningham" to “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.” One thing is for sure Scout’s views did
Scout first learns to show compassion and tolerance by refusing to go to school because she hates Miss Caroline. Atticus tells her that, 'First of all, if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along better with all kinds of folks. 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'; (30). When Atticus told her this, she began to accept Miss Caroline as well as other people's differences and opinions.
One of the principal aims of To Kill a Mockingbird is to subject the narrator to a series of learning experiences and then observe how much she profits from her experiences. There is rarely a chapter that does not teach Scout something new or does not build toward a new learning experience. So, one rewarding approach to the novel is through an examination of these experiences. In the largest view, Scout learns about (1) justice and injustice through the Tom Robinson trial; (2) prejustice and its effects on the processes of the law and society; (3) courage as manifested in ways others act; and (4) respect for individuality of the human being. On a smaller scale, Scout learns numerous things about numerous people; she becomes aware of the difficulty of being a lady, particularly when under dressed; and she learns when to fight and not to fight.
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout is taught many times throughout the book by events happening around her. These lessons help her reach multiple epiphanies. Her father Atticus goes against the majority of the town by showing his children the true meaning of humbleness and bravery. Scout and Jem use this as they comprehend the conflict happening around them. An example of the leadership shown by Atticus is when he says, “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). This statement helps Scouts innocent mind realize all the prejudices happening around her, in which she reaches an epiphany.
Atticus is a great leader of his family, teaching his children morals and life lessons. He makes them better people by showing them how to deal with the trial and people making fun of them. Atticus teaches Scout how to respect other people. First, Scout learns to respect Atticus, then to respect "Boo" Radley, and finally to respect a whole race of people, negroes. He makes it a common practice to live his life as he would like his children to live theirs, and thus displays the attributes of an honest, respectable, and kind man. Throughout the trial process, Atticus shows Jem and Scout that true courage is standing up for what you believe in and that all human beings, despite their race, deserve respect. "You never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." This quote shows that Atticus wants his children to get along with people, and so other people will respect them for whom they are.
At the end of the book, Scout learns to look at life through others perspective before judging them and believing the rumors. Scout succeeds to understand Boo Radley's perspective and fulfills atticus’s advice that ¨you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.¨ Despite all of the rumors, Scout learns to assume another person's perspective before jumping to
In addition, Scout learns about morality from Atticus after she is taunted at school. Cecil Jacobs begins giving Scout trouble at school because Atticus is defending a black man. Scout isn’t sure what he means by that or why it is such a bad thing, so she consults Atticus to learn more about the matter. Atticus explains to Scout that he is defending Tom Robinson, a black man, in a trial. Atticus says he has to do it although he knows he isn’t going to win, he says “‘ If I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t this county in the state legislature. I couldn't even tell you and Jem not to do something again’’’ (100). Atticus wants to fight for what he believes is right, even if there is almost no chance of him winning. In addition, Atticus asks Scout not to fight when someone makes comments about him or this case. Through Atticus actions, Scout learns to have integrity, even if it means making tough decisions. For example, Scout walks away from a
As a result, this dramatic and deeply moving novel takes us into the world of Jem and Scout, in a journey that teaches both the characters and the readers about lessons in life that we witness everyday and learn from, growing and maturing, day by day. The main problems that were faced in the book were of: prejudice and hate, people judging others, and the inequality between the treatment of men and women. These are problems that are faced in places by people, everyday, even today, and together we must work to overcome these problems and unite, every person equal to any other.
Through the innocence of the characters and racial prejudice, Harper Lee depicts the problems of injustice and portrays justice. In addition, Scout develops her personality by learning the significance of justice from her dad, Atticus. Although she is afraid of Boo Radley at first, she goes one step toward Boo and opens her heart to him. Atticus’s sense of justice did not just remain with him, but also passed down to Scout. In the future scenes of To Kill a Mockingbird, it is Scout’s turn to model her dad and exhibit justice to the world.
“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart,” 1 Corinthians 4:5. To Kill a Mockingbird is a spectacular novel that sports a variety of themes through different characters. Scout, the narrator of the novel, is the eye that shows the reader the stories that take place in To Kill a Mockingbird. Although there are a variety of themes, there is one that is the most important and it is Scout learning to walk around in other people’s shoes before making quick judgments. This theme is viable for a variety of reasons, including: the importance of learning to walk in someone’s shoes then and now, how it relates to the touchy subject of segregation, and learning how to understand someone’s position even if they appear to be the “bad guy.” Although it can be a challenge to understand where other people are coming from, it is an important life skill that Scout ends up mastering by the end of the novel.