Scout's Development in To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Sample

The book To Kill a Mockingbird follows the journey of Scout and her family. Scout isn’t the kind of girl that likes to dress up or “act like a young girl”. Scout likes to be rough like her brother Jem, and this is partially because of the way that Atticus raises her. Scout grew up without a mother, so she lacked that mother figure growing up. As Scout develops as a character through the book, she learns the way Atticus raises her and Jem. Even though it is different from how her friends’ parents raise them, in the end, Scout realizes that Atticus is preparing them for the real world.

Atticus will teach his children no matter what it takes. It doesn’t matter if it’s a harsh lesson, Scout and Jem have to learn one way or another. I believe that Atticus isn’t sugarcoating life for them, and is showing that your actions have consequences no matter who you are, or what you did. Jem and Scout walk by Mrs. Dubose’s house and stop to talk to her.  Mrs. Dubose ends up getting upset and wants Jem to read to her. “‘Atticus,’ he said, ‘she wants me to read to her.’ ‘Read to her?’ ‘Yes sir. She wants me to come every afternoon after school and Saturdays and read to her out loud for two hours. Atticus, do I have to?’ ‘Certainly.’ ‘But she wants me to do it for a month.’ ‘Then you’ll do it for a month.’” (Lee 121) One type of father would say that Mrs. Dubose is overreacting and that Jem isn’t going to read to her, but Atticus makes Jem go over and read to her. The sooner Jem and Scout realize how life works, the sooner they will be able to mature. “‘Easy does it son,’ Atticus would say. ‘She’s an old lady and she’s ill. You just hold your head high and be a gentleman. Whatever she says to you, it’s your job not to let her make you mad.’” (Lee 115). Atticus always has a positive attitude and teaches to not judge based on looks or when you first meet them. You don’t know their story and what they’ve been through. Your actions, whether they are positive or negative, will have consequences and the sooner Jem and Scout acknowledge this, they will approach life differently. 

Atticus has two children, Jem and Scout, and they live in Maycomb. This will never change, no matter who tries to come into their lives. Atticus will stick up for his children, and expose them to the real world. Jem and Scout's Aunt Alexandra comes into town to help Atticus with raising them. They are living life just how they should be without any extra help, and this means that they have a set of rules and a way of doing things for as long as they can remember. Aunt Alexandra comes in and tries to help out with parenting Jem and Scout. When Jem and Scout come home from the trial and Atticus is getting ready for bed, Aunt Alexandra says what she thinks about Atticus’ decisions.  “‘I didn’t think it wise in the first place to let them—’ ‘This is their home, sister,’ said Atticus. ‘We’ve made it this way for them, they might as well learn to cope with it.’ ‘But they don’t have to go to the courthouse and wallow in it—’ ‘It’s just as much Maycomb County as missionary teas.’” (Lee 243) Clearly, Aunt Alexandra doesn’t want Jem and Scout to be exposed to things like that and is shocked that Atticus is letting his children see these kinds of things. “Aunt Alexandra met us and nearly fainted when Calpurnia told her where we were. I guess it hurt her when we told her Atticus said we could go back because she didn’t say a word during supper.” (Lee 237) Atticus, Jem, and Scout have been living in Maycomb for their entire life and haven’t come across any problems because of the way they are doing things. Jem and Scout know their dad and Atticus knows his children, he knows what’s best for them and how he should raise them. No one can tell him differently. 

Taking all these points into consideration, Atticus is a good father to Jem and Scout and knows how to teach life lessons to his children. He doesn’t just help them out of situations they get themselves into, he makes sure they learn their lessons and experience the consequences. The three of them know the rules, and no one is going to jump right in and change things. In the end, Atticus knows how to raise his children, and that’s all that matters.