Theme Of Evolution In To Kill A Mockingbird

“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.” This quote is one of the most famous quotes throughout the influential book of To Kill A Mockingbird. Harper Lee wrote this book to instill her ideas in. She used many different methods to explain one same idea, change. Through the idea of change Lee uses a young girl named Scout Finch. “Scout's narrative relates how she and her elder brother Jem learn about fighting prejudice and upholding human dignity.” Scout is the idea of change and development. Scout goes through three stages of evolution: innocence from corruption, exposed to society’s flaws, and realization about the truth of Maycomb.

In the beginning of the book Scout is innocent from all the dirt in Maycomb. One example of Scout demonstrating her innocence is when she confronts the mob that was on their way to Tom Robinson’s jail cell and recognized Mr. Cunningham. Scout, being the six year old that she is, doesn’t understand the situation and just starts up a conversation."Hey Mr. Cunningham. How's your entailment gettin' along?...I go to school with Walter...and he does right well. He's a good boy." Scout is unlike most children her age. She “questions the injustices she sees instead of accepting them as

the way things are." Scout fails to understand why people with a different skin tone are believed to be inferior to one another. "There's just one kind of folks: Folks." Innocence being Scout’s first stage she then moves on to another leaving her childish innocence behind.

Scout evolves quickly from innocence to exposure. Scout even used the “N” word to address the colored people before Atticus had to advise her otherwise. She did that merely of habit because of all of her peers using those derogatory words; not because she intended to use racial discrimination. Another example of Scout being exposed to the discrimination in her society, is when she observed the Tom Robinson court case. “Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” Scout begins to be aware that the real reason Tom Robinson lost is because of his skin color. Her opinion of colored people change. When her cousin Francis calls both Atticus and Scout a "nigger-lover," she becomes infuriated. Scout then grows into her final stage of change “Realization.”
The similarities and differences between exposure and realization is that in both stages you are exposed to “it;” however in Realization you finally acknowledge “it”. Scout has been exposed to the dirt in Maycomb all this time however it wasn't until chapter 23 that she began to know. Scout proclaims “when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins.” This demonstrates Scout’s understanding of Maycomb based on the events she’s seen so far. Although Scout wants to believe that “there's only one kind of folks,” she comes to an understanding that hardly anyone shares her perspective. However; that doesn’t stop her in believing her principle.
Scout’s perspective on prejudice and discrimination evolves throughout the novel.

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

change.