To Kill a Mockingbird Jem, Scout and Dill are all young people who learn from people and events around them. How does Harper Lee show them learning and developing?

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Natasha Williams 10E

Jem, Scout and Dill are all young people who learn from people and events around them. How does Harper Lee show them learning and developing?

The children all learn from Atticus throughout the novel, but they also obtain their knowledge through events and other adults. Scout and Jem are separated by age while Dill is separated through family lie, though he returns each summer to Maycomb, where he stays with his Aunt Rachel but spends most of his time with the Finches. The lessons learned by the three of them, however, are all in the first part (chapters 1-11) while they have the chance to put them into practise in the second half. This is one way in which Harper Lee allows the children to develop, as her manipulation of structure is important and effectual in this way.  

        Scout, as the youngest, usually learns her lessons from Atticus and Jem but, although he is older, Jem learns from Scout’s mistakes and actions. She is fascinated by the Radleys and the ‘legend’ of Boo and Harper Lee shows this at the beginning of the novel through Scout’s thoughts and feelings, which are illustrated via her narration. Dill fuels this fascination and the investigation into the Radleys continues. However, she is susceptible to the acceptance of the rumours and gossip in Maycomb, which lead to her belief and portrayal of Arthur Radley (aka Boo) as an entity, lacking feelings and personality. Atticus tries to teach her, at various stages of the novel not to prejudge people and to try and empathise with them. He tells her to put herself in their shoes, but she’s too young and naïve to understand such things initially. Though, as the events of the novel unravel, Scout makes her most major development as a character when she realises Atticus’ teachings. This is made most clear to the reader when she walks home with Arthur Radley, stands on the porch of his house and says, “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough”. Prior to this she walks home with Boo, however she allows him to escort her rather than the other way round. This certainly portrays to the reader her respect for the fact that people have different ways of life and also that it is important not to listen to rumours and gossip, as it is unreliable and unfair.

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        Scout also learns her lessons from minor characters in the novel, including Miss Maudie, Calpurnia, Boo Radley and others. Calpurnia takes the children on a visit to the black church “First Purchase” where Lula illustrates her views to Scout. It is then that she realises that racism can work both ways, as Lula feels that all white people are prejudiced and narrow-minded. Atticus and Cal both ensure that Scout does not mock people, as is exemplified when Walter Cunningham comes to dinner at the Finches’ house. Furthermore, Miss Caroline shows her (involuntarily) that not everyone is familiar with or understands ...

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