Scout Finch Influences

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird Jean “Scout” Louise Finch is greatly influenced by the world around her. The novel is written in the 1930’s in a time period of injustice, segregation, and the Great Depression. In Maycomb County, Scout lives with her brother, Jem, her father, Atticus, and their maid, Calpurnia. Atticus is a lawyer who is assigned a case to defend Tom Robinson, an African-American man, accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a 19 year old girl. Scout’s character traits are greatly influenced because of the trial and everything she learns from it. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee, tells the story of Tom Robinson’s trial; from the point of view of Scout, an intelligent, innocent, and friendly girl. One of Scouts greatest character

People talked a lot during this time. They talked bad about other people and made up things that were not true even if they don't truly know the person. Most of the time they would make up random things. In the novel Mr. Raymond “the town drunk,” so people said, was outside of the trial as Dill and Scout were. He called both of them over to him but they were not sure what to do. “As Mr. Dolphus Raymond was an evil man I accepted his invitation reluctantly, but I followed Dill” (Lee 267). When they began to talk they found out that what he was drinking was coke and not alcohol, like people assumed he was and that he was a really nice man who just didn’t want to deal wiht the world around him. Scout’s neighbor Boo Radley had never gone outside before and shown his face. This made the town talk and they made up stories about why he never came out. Scout heard these stories but her friendliness persisted her on finding out what he was really like. “Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, her older brother, Jem, and their friend, Dill- spend most of their summer holidays trying to learn more about their reclusive neighbor Arthur “Boo” Radley…” (Flynt). At the end of the novel Boo reveals himself by saving Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell, who was going after them in the middle of the night. Scout then realizes that he was a nice man and all the things said about him were not true. Scout’s friendliness helped her to see people for who they really are. This was really important during this time because of all the racism and judgment going on.
Scouts intelligence, innocence, and friendliness shaped her view of the events in To Kill a Mockingbird. Just because someone is intelligent doesn’t mean that they will always be respected. Scout was often put down for her intelligence. Her innocence was also used against her sometimes and her friendliness allowed her to not judge people until she got to know