In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Scout grows up from innocence to maturity. She learns something important that cannot be learnt inside the classroom. Through the many events happening to her during Tom Robinson’s trial and the gossips about Boo Radley, she gains new insights to the society in the small town of Maycomb.
In the beginning of the story, we know that Scout is a tomboy. She never wears dresses nor behaves like a lady. Instead, she likes to wear overalls and behaves like a boy. It is probably because there are no other little girls around her neighborhood, therefore she is always mixing with the boys especially her brother, Jem. She also engages herself in playing games that only boys played like being wheeled in a tyre. Towards the end of the story, she starts to become more ladylike and she wears dresses. Her more lady side of her emerges when she must have tea with the neighbourhood ladies. She offers Mrs. Merriweather whether she would like to have some cookies in her very best manner. Although Scout does not like Aunt Alexandra’s influence to some extent, she picks up some of the good habits that a girl should have and to be admired.
Young for her age, Scout is literate at the age of six, much to the surprise of her school teacher, Miss Caroline. She is able to read “My First Reader” and the stock market quotations from “The Mobile Register” like any adults. Besides that, she is also interested in books like Tarzan and Ant Men that not many six-years-old are able to grasp the content of it. As she is well read, she is brave to voice out her opinions to adults if she feels that what they are doing is wrong. For example, she sounds Uncle Jack that he is unfair to her when he punishes her straightaway and he does not give her time to explain what had happened between her and Francis during Christmas. After learning the truth, Uncle Jack is dumbfounded. He tells Atticus that Scout has given him his first lesson that is he does not understand children much and why.
Also, Scout also transforms from an innocent girl to a mature girl. Before the trial scene, Scout used to think that all men are good. After that, she chooses to think otherwise. She can see the clear cut discrimination and prejudice against the Blacks in Maycomb. Although all the evidence has proven Tom innocent, the jury still decides that he is guilty because of his colour. No matter how much prejudice the Whites have for Blacks, Scout still believes in equality for everyone. When Jem says that there are four kinds of folks in their society, she begs to differ from him. She says there is just one kind of folks that is folks. When Aunt Alexandra calls Walter Cunningham trash, Scout stands up for him and says that they are good folks.
Another apparent transformation that Scout goes through is when she is able to put herself in other people’s shoes and understand them from their point view. In the beginning of the story, she has the difficulty to understand people like Walter Cunningham. When Jem first invited Walter over for dinner, she could not understand why Walter is drowning his dinner in syrup. It never crosses her mind that Walter is not able to eat syrup as often as she does because his family cannot afford it. The big moment that shows Scout is growing up is that she comes to the conclusion that Mayella must be lonelier than Boo Radley. White people won't have anything to do with her because of her family and poverty. Black people wouldn't have anything to do with her either because she is a white. Scout and Dill have already come to the conclusion that Boo Radley perhaps wants to stay in his house but Mayella seems wants to be a part of a society that won't have anything to do with her. Scout is able to put herself in Mayella's shoes and understand what it must feel like to be Mayella. Scout is able to see that there are different parts to everyone's personality.
In conclusion, Scout’s growing up can be seen throughout the novel from an innocent young girl to a mature young lady. Scout has certainly learns a lot by putting herself into other people’s shoes and the knowledge that she gained has certainly enriched her understanding on the people around her.
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