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Essay To Kill a Mockingbird - Scout's Maturity

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As people grow in life, they mature and change. In the novel , To Kill a Mockingbird ,by Harper Lee, Scout, the main character, matures as the book continues. Slowly but surely, Scout learns to control her explosive temper, to refrain from fistfights, and to respect Calpurnia, their maid, and to really learn her value to the family. Scout simply changes because she matures, and she also changes because Atticus, her father, asks her to.

In the early chapters of the book, Scout picks fights at the slightest provocation. One example of this is when Scout beats up Walter Cunningham, one of her classmates, for "not having his lunch", which isn't a very good reason at all. "Catching Walter Cunningham in the schoolyard gave me some …show more content…

‘She likes Jem better'n she likes me, anyway,' I concluded, and suggested that Atticus lose no time in packing her off. .. ‘Have you ever considered that Jem doesn't worry her half as much?' Atticus's voice was flinty. ‘I've no intention of getting rid of her, now or ever'" (27-30).

Later in the book, however, Scout changes. She now tries to control her temper, and is somewhat successful. One example of this is when Cecil Jacobs, another of Scout's classmates, insults Atticus by saying that Atticus defended Niggers. Scout remembers that she shouldn't fight, and walks away. "Cecil Jacobs made me forget. He had announced in the schoolyard the day before that Scout Finch's daddy defended niggers… ‘You gonna take that back boy?' ‘You gotta make me first!' he yelled… ‘I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped my fists and walked away, ‘Scout's a cow-ward!' ringing in my ears" (80-81). Scout also learns to respect and value

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