To Kill a MockingBird

Essay by ThisBrightnessHigh School, 10th gradeA+, April 2004

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In To Kill a MockingBird by Harper Lee, the author shows that people change and more importantly, people's judgements of other people change as they learn to accept one another's differences and grow mature.

Aunt Alexandria and Scout learn from one another and learn accept one another's ideas and differences. Jem and Scout are on their way home from the Pageant, when they are attacked. Scouts clothes are torn and battered from the wire and Aunt Alexandria brings her something to change into:

"She brought me something to put on, and had I thought about it then, I would have never let her forget it: and in her distraction, aunty brought me overalls."

"Put these on, darling," she said, handing me the garments she most despised (264)."

Throughout the entire novel, Aunt Alexandria is constantly nagging Scout to be more like a lady. This is quite opposite from Scout since she works hard not to "act like a girl" by wearing overalls instead of dresses and beating up those who antagonize her.

The change in judgement is clear in this quotation; Alexandria is beginning to accept Scout the way she is. When Aunt Alexandria hands Scout the overalls it also shows that Alexandria is looking at Scout as more of an adult. When people's opinions of one another change, there has to be some reason behind it, and perhaps she feels that Scout is mature enough to " act however she wants", in some sense, of course. Not only is it ironic that Alexandria gave Scout the overalls, but several pages before this, Scout was saying that she wanted to act ladylike. After Alexandria discovers that Tom was dead, she is very shaken up and at the end of chapter 24, Scout says this, "After all, if Aunty could...