Throughout the course of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Scout learns several lessons from different characters. Scout gains several experiences by losing her innocence and matures to face different problems as she interacts with adults. The story is filled with a series of life lessons that enable her mature. She grows from a naïve young girl into a more mature empathetic girl. This essay discusses several lessons Scout learns through the loss of innocence from various Mrs. Dubose, Boo Radley, and Atticus.
One of the most important lessons come from the neighbor Mrs. Dubose. Mrs. Dubose had infuriated Scout’s brother by saying that their father was no better than the niggers and the trash he works for (Lee, 2006). Jem later destroyed Mrs. Dubose’s flower and this came with a creative punishment. Scout and Jem were sentenced to read to Mrs. Dubose during the afternoon for a month. As months passed, Scout noticed that she behaved strangely and the reading sessions stretched longer and longer. They did not know that Mrs. Dubose was making use of the reading sessions to fight her addictions and going for a longer period without taking morphine.
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The interaction with Mrs. Dubose teaches Scout and Jem how to deal with difficult people. They suffered from Mrs. Dubose’s verbal abuse aimed at themselves and their father but learned how to tolerate it and maintain their civility and self-control. Scout is no longer the innocent person that retaliates through the use of fists when provoked. Scout was able to notice how Jem reacted to Mrs. Dubose’s cruel remarks about her father. She noticed that Jem’s chin would come up and he would gaze at Mrs. Dubose with a face of resentment. Throughout their stay, they had cultivated an expression of politeness and detached interest (Lee, 2006). They learned to adopt her father’s philosophy of treating people respectfully and kindly in every situation.
Scout learns from Boo Radley how to show empathy in dealing with people. When she was young and innocent, Boo Radley was a scary person and was the monster in the neighborhood. She had great difficulty to see Boo Radley as a person but was only concerned with how things affected her. When Boo put a blanket on Scout’s shoulders at the fire, Scout was still afraid of Boo and Jem was concerned that it would get them in troubled. Scout failed to recognize the act of kindness and appreciate it (Murphy, 2015).
Scout changed her view of Boo Radley when he risked his life to save Jem and Scout on Halloween. Scout comes to understand that Boo is a shy and fragile creature. She admires how he stepped up and then treats him with respect and dignity. At the end of the book, she walks home with him. This is a great development on her part and she learns about looking at things from the other person’s view. It demonstrates that she has truly grown up as she comes to a powerful realization.
Scout learns what it means to have the courage and stand up for social justice from her father, Atticus. She had a very difficult time to do that when she was young. She had a tunnel view when it came to other people and this often got her into trouble. She does not have much empathy for her father when she learns that he is taking Tom Robinson’s case. She is concerned because he made himself, her, and Jem a target. She does not understand why Atticus would take on a case which they are not going to win.
Scout later understands about social justice from her father. During Christmas, she turns out to defend her father and her family honor to her cousin. While this could be a matter of personal pride, she is ready to stand up and defend Atticus. Scout manages to turn back the mob that has come to lynch Tom Robinson herself. She talks to Mr. Cunningham and reminds him that he is a father just like Atticus. She is able to calm Cunningham and other men by making them realize that they are residents of Maycomb. Scout has learned about social justice and standing up for the rights of an individual as she defends Tom Robinson (Dare, 2001).
In conclusion, Scout learns several lessons as she moves from an innocent young girl to one that empathizes, looks at the perspective of others, and stands up to social justice. She learns from the interaction with Mrs. Dubose how to be polite and deal with people that are difficult. She transforms from looking at Boo Radley as a scary person and is able to empathize with him and looks at life from his perspective. She learns about courage and social from her father and later stands up to defend Tom Robinson.
References
Dare, T. (2001). Lawyers, ethics, and To Kill a Mockingbird. Philosophy and Literature , 25 (1), 127-141.
Lee, H. (2006). To Kill a Mockingbird. Litigation , 68-58.
Murphy, M. M. (2015). Scout, Atticus, and Boo: A Celebration of Fifty Years of To Kill a Mockingbird . Random House.
