To Kill a Mockingbird: Scout's Maturation

Scout is a six year old girl. She has a brother named Jem and her father, Atticus, is a lawyer. She is the perfect example of a tomboy. She is an innocent girl, but as the story advances, her innocence begins to diminish at the time of Tom Robinson’s trial. She then realizes just how malicious and brutal people can be. She is no longer a little girl who is naïve to the motives of the people of Maycomb. She has matured into a young lady who understands the true nature of man in Maycomb. At the beginning of the novel, Scout is very rude and inconsiderate. ‘She likes Jem better’n she likes me, anyway,’ I concluded, and suggested that Atticus lose no time in packing her off.” (p.33). This quote, spoken by Scout after Calpurnia punished her and got her in trouble with Atticus, shows just how childish and immature she really is. Scout wants to get Cal fired after she tried to set her straight. Also, another sign of her immaturity is how she starts fights whenever she feels someone has done wrong by her. “He made me start off on the wrong foot.”
“He didn’t have any lunch,” I said, and explained my involvement in Walter’s dietary affairs.” (p.30) proves this point. As the book progresses, Scout begins to mature and understand more of what is going on around her. For example, she used to think that Atticus couldn’t do anything because he was older and not like the other dads of Maycomb. Scout, however, changes her tune when her and Jem learn that Atticus is the deadest shot in Maycomb County. “When we went home I told Jem we’d really have something to talk about at school on Monday.” (p.130) exemplifies this. Another sign of Scout’s becoming more mature is when she learns to compromise. “If you’ll concede the necessity of going to school, we’ll go on reading every night just as we always have.” (pg.41). She compromised with Atticus that if she’d keep on going to school, he’d keep on reading to her at home. Scout seems to take the biggest steps in her internal