7 March 2011
The True Colors of Scout Finch
Frank Barron, a professor in Psychology once said, “Never take a person's dignity: it is worth everything to them, and nothing to you.” Scout Finch is a wise, young and respectful girl who lives in a little town in Alabama called Maycomb. Scout lives with her older brother Jem Finch and her father Atticus Finch. Scout has a fuse when it comes to her temper, so when something sets her off she shows it. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the character of Scout Finch is revealed to the reader as a respectful character through standing up for her father, and respecting her Uncle Jack in forgiving him for what he had done wrong to her.
Scout is respectful and also loyal to her father Atticus. By standing up for her father to whoever has a negative opinion about him, Scout shows how loyal and courteous she really is to her father. Scout may not be too fond with the fact …show more content…
that Atticus is helping out an African American man, but she does respect his decision and intends on supporting her father regardless. Scout will always support Atticus if she has to and shows every person in the town of Maycomb just who really is the bigger person in the entire situation. Scout shows respect for her father when she declares to her immature cousin “he is not! I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about but you better cut it out this red hot minute” (Lee 110). Just as Scouts respect is seen toward her father Atticus, it can also be seen towards her Uncle Jack.
Scout is reverential and also forgiving of her Uncle Jack. By giving her Uncle Jack a second chance after he decided to give Scout a beating for a crime that she did not commit against her cousin, Scout is being a merciful person. Scout is also considerate about the situation because she is aware that her uncle does not know the entire story or the truth of what actually happened between Scout and her cousin. After Scouts uncle attempts to reason with Scout about the situation and Scout tells her uncle the truth, the problem gets resolved. Scout shows real character and how respectful, forgiving, and how fair of a person she really is when she admits to her Uncle Jack “I reckon I love you even after what you did” (Lee 112). Because of Scouts reaction to this incident and how she was able to resolve it, Lee created Scouts character in this book to show how forgiving, understanding, and respectful someone could be.
Harper Lee once said “I'm no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and in the jury system -- that is no ideal to me, it is a living, working reality.
Gentlemen, a court is no better than each man of you sitting before me on this jury. A court is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up.” Lee portrayed the character of Scout Finch as the way she did to demonstrate to the readers of To Kill a Mockingbird that all people in this world are different, yet the same, and it does not matter if a person is black, white, tall, short, fat, skinny, old, young, redneck or hillbilly, no matter who the person is because that person is a human being and has all of the same rights as everyone else in this world. Scout Finch shows the readers that she may not be sure about a lot of different things but she does understand that no two people are alike and Scout demonstrates that throughout the entire book with the different ways she deals with different challenges which may come her
way.
In Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout Finch is portrayed as a young girl of morals and mature wisdom in her life and her surroundings. A girl like scout in today’s society may be seen as a rebel for speaking her mind and standing up for what she believes in. Though family loyalty still exists in today’s society, it has become less and less of a forgiving and compassionate society toward others. Scouts compassion for loyalty, truth and forgiveness help her to stay grounded and work through life which are strong characteristics for anyone. In today’s society, these characteristics are more important than ever because today’s standards are good, better, and the best.