Boo Radley's Maturation

Visualize a moment of innocence in life, where everything in the world seemed to be pure and perfect. The most frightening thing in the world was the abandoned house down the road and the worst calamity that could happen was failing a test. Scout Finch, a six-year old little girl living in the 1930’s, perfectly fits this description in the beginning of the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. As the novel continues, Scout matures into a sophisticated nine-year old, who has had to deal with murder, loss, and her father being publicly tarnished. Throughout the novel, the theme of maturation is extremely prevalent, through Scout and Jem’s fear of Boo Radley disappearing, Scout beginning to respect her Aunt Alexandra, and Scout realizing

Scout has anxiety about walking past the Radley house alone at the beginning of the novel. As the novel continues, Scout and Jem’s angst over Boo Radley lessens, as they mature and realize that there are more frightening concepts in the world than Boo Radley. During the fire at Miss Maudie’s place, Boo Radley covers Scout up with a blanket, and later when Scout realizes it was Boo Radley that put the blanket on her, she comes to an understanding that Boo Radley only wants to be her friend. Scout tells Jem that “The Radley Place had ceased to terrify me”(277) and she has grown up and recognized the true problems in her life and in her community, such as the Tom Robinson trial. Additionally, at the end of the novel, Scout has a sophisticated conversation with Boo Radley, after he saves her from Bob Ewell. She walks Boo home and says her final goodbyes, to the mysterious man from her childhood. She comes to the realization that Boo Radley was never a horrible person, just a misunderstood man, as she stands on his porch and thinks, “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”(321). In her eyes, she is leaving that part of her adolescence and her innocence behind as she says her last goodbyes to him. Scout, also matures, as she begins to respect her Aunt

Jem, gets in trouble for destroying Mrs. Dubose’s flowers, while trying to defend Atticus. His punishment is to visit Mrs. Dubose’s house every day and read to her, which he finds repulsive and intimidating. Scout goes with Jem every day to Mrs. Dubose’s house, even though Atticus tells her "You don't have to go with Jem, you know." (124) Scout wants to support her brother, as she feels sorry that he is forced to go to Mrs. Dubose’s house. Scout, no longer plays after school, but spends her time at a scary lady’s house, to back up her brother. Furthermore, when Atticus is threatened by four huge, intimidating men, Scout defends her father, even though it puts her in immediate danger. Scout describes herself by saying “I broke away from Jem and ran as fast as I could to Atticus.” (172) While Scout’s action may not have been very intelligent, she was defending her father and her family honor, which was more important to her. The Scout in the beginning of the novel did not care about her family honor, which shows the growth that Scout makes throughout the