Scout Finch Hero's Journey Analysis

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout Finch completes the hero’s journey, beginning with her mundane world in Maycomb County. Unlike Nick Carraway, her ordinary world does not hold much significance considering Scout wasn’t prepared for her call to adventure, nor was it voluntary. Her life changes when her father, Atticus, takes on a case to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of rape. Moreover, this is a pivotal moment in Scout’s life, she will begin to understand the society she lives in and separate from the life she is comfortable with. As she continues on this journey, she will learn about the tendencies of humanity and the unethical side of her town. Ultimately, this stage in her passage carries on as she faces Cecil Jacob at school, when she took “being called a coward for [Atticus],” (Lee 79) before entering the unknown. In several cases, before crossing the threshold a hero receives guidance from a helper or advisor. For Scout Finch, this is her father Atticus. As she is venturing into the unknown, a world of prejudice and hatred, she requires forewarning from her father. In order to prevent Scout from being judgmental alike the others in their society, he makes sure to remind her, “you never really …show more content…
Scout Finch enters this world after Tom Robinson’s trial ends, and he is found guilty. She is directly exposed to the critical and racist views of the jury, and how unfair the world can be. This is a substantial shift in mentality for Scout, especially for a rather optimistic person. When the verdict is revealed, Scout was “reluctant to take [her] eyes from the people below [them], and from the image of Atticus’s lonely walk down the aisle,” (Lee 215) for she was so dismayed. This immediate manifestation of the immoral world was difficult for her to comprehend, as well as Jem. As a result, Scout’s unconscious mind had room to explore and initiate her journey as a