Scout Finch: Sins Versus Sincerity
Hypocritical characters, such as Alexandra and Mrs. Gates, are exceedingly present in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Lee also uses characters of utmost integrity to foil these hypocrites. The polarity of these themes can prove confusing and upsetting to immature youth. Therefore Scout Finch’s development of maturity was a result of her untimely comprehension of the variations between hypocrisy and integrity.
Scout Finch learned an important lesson in hypocrisy from her Aunt Alexandra who overlooked their family’s flaws to criticize the flaws of the other Maycomb townspeople. Scout believed that "fine folks" were characterized by the way that they played the cards they were dealt while her aunt interpreted …show more content…
Although Mrs. Dubose consistently belittled Atticus for being a “negro lover” Atticus responded to her like a gentleman and treated her with respect. Scout thought highly of her father’s actions because they were far beyond her capability of acting rationally. After being yelled at by Dubose for passing her house on the way to town, Atticus swung his hat off and bowed to her in a kind manner. Scout commented on her father’s actions with “It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived” (Lee 134). Respect is not a new character trait for Atticus. He always taught his kids to respect their elders and to respond calmly in the face of rudeness. This was a difficult idea for Scout to grasp because she wanted to respond to adversity violently, like when she attacked Francis for speaking harshly of her father. Scout thought that respect for all people was often pointless because not everyone was worthy of it. Atticus did not approve of Scout’s lack of respect for the human race because he knew that knowing his place was the right thing to do. Atticus tried, fervently, to instill his wisdom into his children. Contrary to her father’s wishes, Scout responded to this difference of opinion with tears. Her tears were yet another demonstration of how childish she started out as. Scout’s statement about her father being brave showed that she approved of his actions, thus exhibiting a new development of rational thinking. This rational thinking was quite a contrast to the tears she shed when she first heard her father’s ideas about respect for all. Scout knew that her father’s actions displayed the moral thing to do which allowed her to understand how childish her acts of unforeseen rage were. The reader can tell from personal experience that it is not always an
Hypocritical characters, such as Alexandra and Mrs. Gates, are exceedingly present in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Lee also uses characters of utmost integrity to foil these hypocrites. The polarity of these themes can prove confusing and upsetting to immature youth. Therefore Scout Finch’s development of maturity was a result of her untimely comprehension of the variations between hypocrisy and integrity.
Scout Finch learned an important lesson in hypocrisy from her Aunt Alexandra who overlooked their family’s flaws to criticize the flaws of the other Maycomb townspeople. Scout believed that "fine folks" were characterized by the way that they played the cards they were dealt while her aunt interpreted …show more content…
Although Mrs. Dubose consistently belittled Atticus for being a “negro lover” Atticus responded to her like a gentleman and treated her with respect. Scout thought highly of her father’s actions because they were far beyond her capability of acting rationally. After being yelled at by Dubose for passing her house on the way to town, Atticus swung his hat off and bowed to her in a kind manner. Scout commented on her father’s actions with “It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived” (Lee 134). Respect is not a new character trait for Atticus. He always taught his kids to respect their elders and to respond calmly in the face of rudeness. This was a difficult idea for Scout to grasp because she wanted to respond to adversity violently, like when she attacked Francis for speaking harshly of her father. Scout thought that respect for all people was often pointless because not everyone was worthy of it. Atticus did not approve of Scout’s lack of respect for the human race because he knew that knowing his place was the right thing to do. Atticus tried, fervently, to instill his wisdom into his children. Contrary to her father’s wishes, Scout responded to this difference of opinion with tears. Her tears were yet another demonstration of how childish she started out as. Scout’s statement about her father being brave showed that she approved of his actions, thus exhibiting a new development of rational thinking. This rational thinking was quite a contrast to the tears she shed when she first heard her father’s ideas about respect for all. Scout knew that her father’s actions displayed the moral thing to do which allowed her to understand how childish her acts of unforeseen rage were. The reader can tell from personal experience that it is not always an