Scout's journey to womenhood

Some people experience a loss of innocence in their understanding of human nature and the complexity of all people, yet gain wisdom in understanding that no matter social status or  color, we are all people. Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird the theme of loss of innocence is portrayed in Scout Finch. Over the course of two years Scout faces tragic situations, perplexing encounters, and overall realization of reality. This novel is a bildungroman showing Scout’s growth from a innocent minded child to a mature young adult. In the beginning, we are overwhelmed by Scout’s incredible childlike imagination, and we realize how oblivious she is to the harsh world around her. Considering Maycomb doesn’t seem to be a very childlike place to grow up because it ” was a tired old town”( ) where ” there was nowhere to go.” ( )The children always had to find a way to entertain themselves; for example by playing the Boo Radley game, strip poker down by the fish pool, or just going to school; except Scout disliked school. On the playground one day Cecil Jacob picked a fight with Scout by saying, ” Scout Finch’s daddy defends negros…”( ), which made Scout clinch her fist in rage instead of actually provoking a fight which showed her maturing. After the encounter with Cecil, Scout questioned her father. She consequently started to understand the impact the Tom Robinson case was going to have on her life. Scout was no longer oblivious to the effects of being Atticus Finch’s daughter, a girl whose father was on the negative end of a unfair court case. As the court case grew nearer, she was being drawn out of childhood and brought into adolescence without even knowing it. Scout eventually shows the reader she had matured when she dresses like a lady. She had let go of her tomboy look and finally listened to Aunt Alexandra and Mrs. Maudie for the sake of her father during court. When Jem and Scout attended the court case they were shocked at how the jury and judge believed Mr. Ewell over Atticus, even after proving he couldn’t have beaten her with his left hand. After Tom Robinson was ruled guilty and sentenced, Scout realized how unfair and racially based life was. She and Jem both were then mature enough to know that in reality at the time it didn’t matter if you had committed the crime or not, everything was based on your social class and race. In conclusion, as people grow in life, they mature and change. Slowly, throughout To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout learn to contain her explosive temper, realize the racism in society, and learned to become lady like. Many wondered how she went from innocence to adolescence over a period of two year. She did this because she made the choice for her father; he needed her to. The novel exemplifies the term bildungsroman by showing Scouts maturity from the beginning to end.