English 9
Breyne
Period #4
5/30/13
Scouts Change Over Time Kids these days will believe anything they hear, whether it is through social networks or through their friends. Words are twisted, rumors are made, and then innocent people are punished for crimes and actions they didn’t commit. That is exactly what happened in To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird is a story about a worn out town named Maycomb, Alabama, that has a lot of racism and equality issues. There are many different types of people including the farmers, the townspeople (people who have better jobs) and teachers. Everybody knows everybody in this town, which really reminds me of West Linn. As we go through life, there are moments where we all have to learn how to stand up for what we believe in, even if we feel embarrassed or shy. Scouts role in To Kill a Mockingbird is a great representation of intelligence; the willing to fight for what is right, and bravery. Scout is said to have learned reading all by herself: “I never deliberately learned to read, but … now that I was compelled to think about it, reading was something that just came to me” (p. 23). Since not many children can read at that age, and particularly don’t learn it without help, this shows that she is an intelligent girl. By fighting boys who are older than her (p. 30) and resisting her father’s orders (p. 204), it shows everyone that Scout is very self-confident and brave: “Catching Walter Cunningham in the school yard game me some pleasure, but when I was rubbing his nose in the dirt Jem came by …” (p. 30). Given that she never wants to harm anybody, she is a good-natured person. Scout behaves curious and fascinated concerning Boo Radley.
The trial of Tom Robinson deeply affects Scout. First of all, she is annoyed that citizens of Maycomb, and Mrs. Dubose, call Atticus repeatedly a “nigger-lover”. Even members of her own family, especially the grandkid of her aunt Alexandria, don’t like Atticus’ commitment in the trial and let her feel it (p. 110). When she tries to defend her father, she starts fights with the people mocking her until Atticus asks her to ignore the insults, but she can hardly stay calm. This clearly shows that she is a short-tempered character, willing to fight for her dignity, even though she doesn’t really know what “nigger-lover” means (p. 114).
The result of the trial, Tom Robinson being convicted although Atticus could prove his innocence, shocks her belief in the goodness of mankind. She questioned the attitude of her teacher that was completely against Hitler’s actions against Jews, but had prejudices against black people anyway. Scout understands that there is a lot of evil in the world despite her generally positive view of things. She learns how to find positivity and to deal with racism. Even though it will never go away, you can always do your best to try and make everyone aware of how bad it actually is.
Scout is a generally round, but very dynamic character that is never to shy to surprise the reader. She shows so many characteristics in a person that I think we could all learn from. To Kill a Mockingbird has taught me many things more than just how to stand up to racism, and a few being, to stand up for what you believe in, own up to when you’re wrong, and to find positivity in depressing situations.
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