To Kill A Mockingbird Reading Response

        Growing up as a girl in the South may not have been easy for young women with a thirst for adventure, similar to Scout

 in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. In the novel, readers follow Scout Finch as she grows up in a small town plagued by racism and prejudice. Scout does not have a mother figure in her life for the majority of the story, and looks to her older brother and father as role models. In this setting, Scout represents the innocent hero because of her growing leadership and maturity throughout the  story, and her courage displayed at the conclusion of the novel.

“Proper Southern women,” listen to the men of a house hold, and their place is at home. However, Scout defies these standards as she grows throughout the story. In the beginning of the text, Scout did not possess a very free will. On page nine, Scout narrates, “Jem was a born hero.” This quotation illustrates how Scout was sometimes blind to how much she was barred from more daring parts because her admiration for her brother was so strong. While she and her brother and their friend played games, Scout was often forced to play a boring role that was consequentially a woman. Yet, as the novel progresses, Scout grows to be more self-possessed. When an uninformed school teacher crosses the Cunningham family rules, Scout stands up for Walter Cunningham and tells the teacher why Walter cannot borrow money. This illustrates how, because Scout stood up for her peers, she is becoming more mature. Earlier in the story, when presented with conflict, Scout responded with violence. But she is now capable of arguing her position. Southern women in that day may have not liked it when girls are headstrong, but Scout transitions from a loose cannon to an intelligent young lady, one of the many qualities of a hero.

Another attribute of a hero is bravery. An attribute, that Scout Finch possesses in spades. Bob Ewell, provoked by Atticus Finch’s defense of a black man in court, follows Jem and Scout home from a Christmas Pageant. This chase would be an occasion terrifying for anyone young, but Scout is courageous in the midst of chaos. After the chase, a body is in front of Scout. “A prickly stubble on the face told me it was not Jem’s.” This quote, on page 263, demonstrates how Scout was able to keep calm and use her senses in the face of danger. Murderers cannot be stopped if the hero is freaking out during the crime. In addition, after the chase and eventual death of Ewell, Scout protests that she wasn't scared. This claim demonstrates how Scout is still a little childishly defensive. However, she tells this to her father, who she is honest with. Atticus is her role model and Scout wanted to prove her fearlessness to him. To continue, after the entire ordeal, Scout meets the shadow of the book; Boo Radley. Radley was rumored to be insane, hurting his own family, eating live animals and other barbaric activities. Despite these whispers, Scout still treats him with kindness and respect, walking him home after the investigation. A hero is not someone who heartlessly defeats villains, it is someone that treats strangers with kindness and respect. A girl worthy of the title hero, Scout Finch developed from a submissive child to a daring adolescent.

        In today’s ravaged world, innocent children are forced to turn into heroes for themselves and their families. Acts of terror and violence force children to mature quickly in order to adapt to a rapid change in life style. Scout did not experience these traumas, but does exude maturity and courage in the face of prejudice-based conflict . Lee may have written Scout as the heroine she did to show how children can be as wise and possess the same valor as adults.