Scout's Maturation Through Racial Understanding in To Kill a Mockingbird

Scout develops throughout To Kill a Mockingbird a similar belief in human rights and respect like her father, Atticus. In her own way, she begins to comprehend the cruelty and inequality thrust upon black people. Scout has many epiphanies throughout the book that give her a better understanding of the racism in Maycomb. Scout's views on racial prejudice are largely formed as a result of the trial of Tom Robinson. Scout's life is relatively sheltered until the trial. She knows that blacks are segregated but their lives do not touch Scout except for Calpurnia. Scout really isn't exposed to the harsh realities of bigotry until the trial. She endures remarks about her father being a "n lover" and then finally the travesty of injustice that happens to Tom Robinson. For the most, Scout is confused by the racism. She just does not understand where the hate and bigotry comes from. Scout loses much of her innocence because of racial intolerance, but she matures at the end of the book and is not a racist.

When Jem and Scout go to church with Calpurnia they are met, first, with hostility. Lula is not happy that white children are attending her church. This is an example of how racism can work in both directions. Notonly can white people be prejudiced but black people as well. However, just like not all white people display prejudice in this book, not all of

Calpurnia's church members are rude to Scout. “Lula stopped, but she said, ‘You ain’t got no business bringin‘ white chillun here—they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain’t it, Miss Cal (120)” During Scout’s visit to Calpurnia’s church, Scout notices that Calpurnia talks differently with her black church members, When working at the Finch family's household, Calpurnia uses standard grammar. Scout learn that Calpurnia's black church cannot afford hymnals for everyone. Scout learns about the inequalities of blacks who cannot afford the luxuries that white people enjoy. Truly, blacks are discriminated against and Scout witness it first hand when they visit Calpurnia's church.
During Aunt Alexandra and Atticus’s disagreement, Alexandra thinks she should dismiss Calpurnia because now that she is there she doesn’t feel like Calpurnia needs to be there, and that she is teaching them wrong. She does not want Scout exposed to that neighborhood. Scout gets annoyed that Aunt Alexandra tells her what to do, and then Atticus and Alexandra have an argument about whether or not Cal should stay the housekeeper. Atticus defends Cal, and says that she has brought the children up well. Atticus tells her that Calpurnia is part of the family, and that the children love her,"Anything fit to say at the table's fit to say in front of Calpurnia. She knows what she means to this family 158).” He get defends Calpurnia and isn't afraid to be a little rude to Aunt Alexandra to get his point across.
The argument between Scout and Francis demonstrates how far the racism reaches.

”Grandma says it's bad enough he lets you all run wild, but now he's turned out a nigger-lover we'll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb again (). Atticus defending a black man is a point of contention within his own family, to the point where his family considers it wrong for him to do his job. Scout does not understand what her father is doing wrong, but she does not tolerate Francis insulting him. Scout finds out that not everyone considers her father a hero. Alexandra considers Atticus a traitor, if Francis reports

accurately.
Another epiphany Scout has is when she meets Dolphus Raymond. Dolphus and his children are judged by the town because He acts like he is drunk but in reality he is drinking some coca cola from his bottle. His wife died year ago and he has a racially mixed child. Back in those days it was bad to "mix races" and since many people were racist, they looked down upon those who were nice to the African Americans. Jem explains that he married a black woman and that he has "mixed" children. Jem says that these children are "sad" because they don't feel accepted by black people or by white people - though they can be accepted in the North. They see one of the mixed children and Scout thinks he looks black. Scout asks, “ “Well how do you know we ain’t Negroes (164).”Jem refuses by saying “but around here once you have a drop of Negro blood, that makes you all black. Hey, look—(64)” She asks Jem how to determine whether someone is "mixed" or not and Jem says that you can't tell by looking, you have to know their history.
During the Tom Robinson trial, Scout, Jem, and Dill sit on the balcony with the black people of the town. They have been in the courthouse everyday and determined that Atticus is going to win the trial. When the prosecutor starts drilling Tom, Dill's emotions start to take over. “ I don’t care one speck. It ain’t right, somehow it ain’t right to do ‘em that way. Hasn’t anybody got any business talkin’--it just makes me sick” (203) Dill is just a child, and to see that the prosecutor is being mean to Tom, makes Dill feel so sad for Tom. He breaks down into tears by seeing Tom treated so badly. Scout is aware of this change in Dill. Dill understands Tom Robinson and how unfair it is, this part is significant because it shows the innocence that Dill has.
Scout developed more understanding of the trial process and empathy for the Ewell family and Tom Robinson. During the trial, Scout learns about the roles of race and class. Scout wasn't upset enough to cry, but she knew that the jurors were wrong. Scout wasn't old enough to really understand how unfair the verdict was. Jem was the character who reacted to it. Harper Lee used Scout as a lens for us to see what she was learning from the scene. Scout learned that there were people in the community who did what they could to help out. She learned that from Miss Maudie. There was never a lot of reaction from Scout when the verdict or Tom's death was mentioned. But she saw how her family members each reacted, and she learned through them how unfair the world was and maybe still is.