A person might not really know a person until they live in someone elses shoes. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout a maturing lost young girl learns to see the world by living in someone elses skin. Although Boo Radley is seen as a monster through the eyes of a small town of Maycomb , It is through Scouts maturity and her view of Maycomb that she is able to see Boo as a man and not a monster.
Being different is a sin to some people and especially in the prejudice town of Maycomb especially for Boo Radley a misunderstood boy is seen as weird and different. Hiding from the world or just the strange world of Maycomb county was seen as odd, and many people made up stories about Boo saying he was crazy and strange. Boo hides from the world and does not even go to church a regular activity for this town. Due to this the children feel that Boo Radley is simply a childish game and make up Boo Radley scenarios that they believe are true. In the beginning of the novel Scout is merely a baby only seven years old and follows the views of the town which are views of prejudice and racism towards people that are not clones of the prefect image of Maycomb.
Scouts view of the racist town of Maycomb helps her realize how to treat people including Boo Radley. This step helps her mature drastically throughout this novel. Although Boo Radley does not have a physical connection he certainly has an inner connection with the children. This inner connection is shown through Boo leaving little gifts for the children like a watch, and soap. Although these are not large extravagant gifts they help Scout see Boo as a gentle caring boy not as a ghost or monster. One of the many figures that help Scout slowly mature is Miss Maudie a caring neighbor who is not like everyone in the town, she tells Scout that Boo was always a nice boy and a gentleman. Miss Maudie being one of Scouts key role models in this novel telling her this makes Scout more aware of how she cannot believe everything she hears in this town especially the gossipers like Miss Stephanie. Atticus her father also has a positive effect throughout the novel on Scout he tells her a key lesson You have to walk in somebody elses skin meaning that she has to start looking at other peoples perspective. This is a key lesson for Scout because this applies of her view of Boo and the black people in Maycomb.
People say that one event in your life can change your view of life or just simply your life. The trial was a major turning point for Scout. She learned the important lesson to walk in somebody elses skin. She learned to question the trial and learned to be objective on things. For example, unlike Jem she was more real on the chances of Tom winning. Tom was a black man and she knew that being in a racist town she understood his chances in winning the trial even if he was innocent. She also looks at Miss Mayella and even though she is accusing Tom who is of course innocent she says, She must have been lonelier than Boo Radley. This is significant for her growth as a character because she finally understands that how Boo feels and maybe Boo does not want to come out of his house and is different. Which in a way is how Scout is in comparison to the town of Maycomb being a tomboy and siding with an African American. Boo is slowly becoming real and not just a monster under the bed, she is understanding that people are different. Like Boo, she has her differences with her up tight intolerant Aunt Alexandria who opposes on the way of how Scout should dress and act, but Scout has to accept the fact that Aunt Alexandria is different to Scout. Scouts maturity blossoms throughout the trial and she realizes many new life lessons that can take her far in life.
To kill or not to kill that is the question? Scout learns a major lesson which is not to kill a Mockingbird. She learns that Boo is simply an innocent mockingbird and does not harm just sings and Boo just suffered from his fathers cruel intentions which made the town see him as a harmful creature. The children and Boo never had a physical connection or chemistry but this barrier is soon broken when he saves the children form Bob Ewell. Scout now understands and sees Boo as actually a real creature although she still points at him, which shows her transformation is still in progress she treats Boo like a real person. When Atticus fails to understand that Boo was the one who killed Bob, Scout explains Atticus a lesson which is usually visa versa, that you must never kill a Mockingbird and by exposing and giving him the negative publicity towards Boo it would be like killing him in a way. This is the major turning point in Scouts maturity because she finally sees Boo not as evil but as a gentle creature just stuck in a bad situation. Although Scout matured drastically she still managed to be daddys little girls when she falls asleep on Atticus lap when he reads to her. This is only normal because even though Scout learned so much she is still so young and has a lot more to learn in life
Scout matured drastically in the ways of seeing peoples point of view, she learns to understand Boo and the town and how people can be different but still get along. She is still such a young girl and has miles to go yet with these baby steps she is slowly moving towards adulthood.
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