How Does Atticus Finch Change

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Jean Louise (Scout) Finch undergoes vast character change. Her views and perspective went through drastic alterations due to the events that ripped through Maycomb in rapid succession and the part her father, Atticus Finch, played in those events. She was selfish and somewhat self-absorbed in the beginning of the book, as expected for a child almost six years old but as she grew older and life threw its curve balls at her, she matured and became more compassionate and empathetic. In this essay Scout’s attitudes, values, and traits will be evaluated, as will her changes throughout the novel.

As a young child, Scout has a view of the adults in her life that is typical of young children: that of someone tyrannical or that of someone who lets her get …show more content…
Towards the beginning of the book, Scout felt was rambunctious and reckless, constantly getting into fights. She had little ability to convey her intentions without erring . Her small town environment penetrated her mind, and despite the effort Atticus made to ensure his children would not be prejudiced, the way she thought about certain things such as Boo Radley, negroes, and her family showed the effect her environment had on her. As the book progressed, her negative behavior slowly but surely improved. Scout’s reckless fighting went down because she did not wish to disappoint Atticus. She started being more understanding and empathetic as the book went on, as a result of the trial and tribulations she went through. Growing up in Maycomb with things the way they were, made Scout maturer as time went on. She was proven time and time again that she should reserve judgement and that first appearances could be horribly false. This was seen with Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose, Calpurnia, Judge Taylor, the Cunninghams, Mr. Raymond, and countless other examples. The gossipy and hypocritical nature of the town was broken in Scout by the events in the