To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
To Kill a Mocking bird by Harper Lee is about the journey of Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch, an innocent good hearted five year old child with no experiences with the evils of the world. Through out the novel Scout grows and learns as she encounters the world in new light as she grows up during the depression in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama in the USA. Harper Lee intentionally directs the reader to take the point of view of Scout so they can experience the unbiased perspective of her. Lee manipulates the readers to see the truth and develop with Scout as she journeys from ignorance to enlightenment. A novel that depicts personal growth such as Scouts is called a bildungs roman, Lee present this growth in various ways through conventions and techniques throughout the entire novel.
It is clear from the start of the novel that Scout is who she is because of how Atticus has raised her. Atticus has nurtured Scouts mind, conscience and individuality without bogging her down with social hypocrisies and propriety. Atticus’s hands off parenting style has lead Scout to be wearing overalls and climbing trees with Jem, her brother and Dill their neighbour. Instead of wearing dresses and learning manners like any other girl in her same position, she has been able to grow up freely and with out much baggage. Despite being very intelligent (she could read before she started school), she does not grasp social niceties, this is shown when Scout goes to school and bluntly tell her teacher Ms Caroline that one of her class mates Walter Cunningham is too poor to pay her back for lunch. “You’re shamin’ him, Miss Caroline. Walter hasn’t got a quarter at home to bring you” pg 24 Scout upset from being told off at school starts to fight Walter Cunningham but Jem intervenes and invites Walter for dinner. During dinner it is revealed to her that Walter’s family may be poor but doesn’t mean that they are bad people and should be treated with respect. Scout realises not to be judgemental and should treat all people, big or small, poor or rich with kindness.
Atticus guides Scout to understand why people act like they do and what their perspectives are. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” pg 33
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