Since Harper Lee's To Kill a
Mockingbird is designed as a bildungsroman, the motif of
the novel is the maturation of the children, especially Scout. As such, therefore,
Scout's perspective moves from one of childish superstitions and selfish notions to one
that is more objective and broader in scope. From her father's strong example, Scout
learns to respect people's perogatives on how they want to live, to learn to understand
people better by considering things from their point of view by "climb[ing] into [their]
skin and walk[ing] around in it." In addition, Scout learns how people have mindsets
that are irrational. In the courtroom, Scout learns the detrimental aspects of such
ignorance. In fact, she learns the evil that men do without regard to the individual.
At the jailhouse scene, Scout realizes how powerful it can be to individualize in one's
perspective.
Thus, as Scout matures, the world grows
larger for her and more different; she stands on the porch of the Radleys and looks at
the neighborhood as though perceiving it for the first time. She
remarks,
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.
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