Characters

Scout grows up and matures

At the beginning of the novel, Scout is characterized by her innocence. Even though throughout the story there are still instances when she is too young to fully understand what is happening around her, Scout shows that she matures and learns important lessons from her life experiences. 

For example, while at the beginning of the novel she is scared of Boo Radley and joins Jem and Dill in playing pranks on him, after she witnesses Boo’s kindness towards her and Jem, she stops bothering him: “Dill asked if I’d like to have a poke at Boo Radley. I said I didn’t think it’d be nice to bother him” (p. 163). This shows that she understands her fear of Boo Radley came mostly from her childishness, and she finally listens to Atticus and chooses to leave Boo alone. 

While at the beginning of the novel, she refuses to wear dresses and act in a ladylike manner, she wears a pink dress and acts like a lady during Alexandra’s missionary tea party to be nice. Moreover, once Atticus shares the news of Tom Robinson’s death, Scout, Maudie, and Alexandra all return to the party and act as though nothing had happened. Scout joins them without complaint and understands the importance of behaving. By being complicit with the two ladies in this scene, Scout appears to have matured from a child into someone who understands the complexities of life and society: “After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I” (p. 262).