How Does Calpurnia Grow In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Children are easily affected by the environment they grow up in. These kids learn many things from those around them, love and anger, respect and hate, empathy and prejudice. These positive and negative environments make us who we are and prove that these characteristics are learned. This idea was not lost on Harper Lee, who used this idea in To Kill a Mockingbird to develop Scout’s character. Scout’s growth as a person proves that through accepting others and having the courage to support those whom society judges, one can overcome the prejudice prevalent in one's life. Acceptance and respect make up the foundation of empathy, and they are the first lessons Scout learns on her journey to mature and be a better person. Calpurnia is the first …show more content…
Calpurnia is the first to teach Scouts anything about accepting others and respecting them for who they are. This lesson does not stick with Scout until later in the story, however, this is the inciting incident where she starts her growth as a person. Atticus talks to Scout later about Mrs. Caroline and how to respect her and her views, he tells her that “if Walter and [you] had put ourselves in her shoes [you’d] have seen that it was an honest mistake on her part” (33). Because of her school teacher, Scout is taught these lessons yet again. While she has not grown yet, these lessons compound over time, and she finally learns a basic level of respect and acceptance of others. Scout showcases this base level of respect when she tries to stay out of trouble for Calpurnia’s sake, “On my part, I went to much trouble, sometimes, to not provoke [Calpurnia]” …show more content…
After Jem breaks his arm, Scout walks Arthur Radley home and she realizes that “Atticus” is 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” (321). At the end of the novel, Scout finally learns empathy and views Arthur as a person instead of judging him based on rumors, showing how much she has changed for the better from the beginning of the novel. Scout learning empathy is pivotal to her character development and shows how far she has come in combination with learning respect, acceptance, and courage Scout learns acceptance, courage, respect, and empathy throughout Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, and these characteristics help her defeat prejudice in her life. Prejudice is everywhere in Maycomb County, but it is not just fictional and it comes in many different forms, whether it be race, socioeconomic standing, gender, or a plethora of other things that people judge others on. It is a plague that has insidiously infected our lives and has been there for a very long time because of people who want to elevate themselves by putting others
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