Bartlett1

PaxtonBartlett
Ingram
EnglishHonors
15February2016
TKAMEssay
ThroughoutScoutslifein
ToKillaMockingbird
,sheisverystronglyaffectedinmany
waysandbymanypeople.ThreemaininfluencesinScoutslifeincludeherfriends,family,and
theinterestingsocietyofMaycombinwhichshelivesandgrowsupin.Thesefactorscreatethe
smart,civilized,andacceptingcharacterScoutbecomes.
ThefriendshipsScoutmakesdetermineherdecisionsandshapeherthroughouther
childhood.OneofhermostimportantfriendshipsisbetweenherandtheFinchesfaithfulaid,
Calpurnia.Inherearlydaysofchildhood,ScoutneverreallyenjoysCalpurniaspresenceintheir
household.AllScoutseesisanangryladywithahandaswideasabedslatandtwiceas
hard(Lee7).Butasshegrowsup,sherealizeshowimportantCalpurniaistoherandtothe
Finchfamily.Calpurniaistheonlywomaninthehouseforquitesometimeandbecomesa
motherlyinfluencetoScout.SheteachesScoutmanyimportantlifeskillsandlessons,including
basicreadingandwritingskills.HerinfluenceteachesScouttobemorecaringandacceptingto
everyone.WithoutCalpurnia,Scoutwouldnotbethesame.AswellasCalpurnia,Scouts
strongestfriendshipiswithhercurious,imaginativefriend,Dill.ScoutandDillgoonmany
adventuresthroughouttheirsummerstogether.Dillisaverykindheartedandfulloflaughable
momentstobehold.HeinfluencesScouttobemoreadventurousandimaginative.Healsoshows
Scouthowbeingsensitivetowardsothersdoesntmeanyouareweak.Thisismostprevalent


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duringthetrial,afterthedefenseattorneyquestionsTomRobinson.Hementionshowthe
defenseattorneytreatsTompoorlyandsayshowhe[doesnt]careonespeck.Itaintright,
somehowitaintrighttodoemthatway.Hasntanybodygotanybusinesstalkinlikethatit
justmakes[Dill]sick(266).DillsinnocenceandempathyforothersinfluencesScouttosee
thingsfromanotherperson'sview.Insucharaciallytensionfillederalikethe1930s,itisvery
importanttounderstandhowotherpeopleliveandtoseewhattheyhavegonethroughbefore
judgingthem.ScoutmaynothaveaverystrongorongoingfriendshipwiththemysticalArthur
Radley,buthedoesinfluenceScoutslifeverystronglythroughoutherchildhood.Arthuror
BooRadleyisthemainsourceofScout,JemandDillsadventuresinthesummers.Arthurs
lifecreatesanongoingcuriosityinthekidsandtheyfantasizeaboutwhatArthurisreallylike.
WhentheBobEwellmishaparisesaftertheplayatthehighschool,Arthurfinallycomesout
fromtheRadleyhousetosavebothScoutandJemslives.Scoutfinallyseeshowhislifeisand
thisteachesherthemostprevalentthemetaughttoher:Empathy.Itmaynotbeasdirectas
Atticuslessons,butisjustaspowerful.AfterallthistimewonderingwhyArthurstayedinside,
ScoutisabletoseethingsfromawholenewpointofviewandstepinArthursshoes.This
singleencounterwithArthurisoneofthemostimportantinfluencesonScoutslifeandher
consciencetoseerightandwrong.
JustasScoutsfriendshipsinfluenceherandteachhermanylessons,Scoutsfamily
becomesthemostimportantandpowerfulinfluenceasshegrows.Scoutsbiggestinfluencein
herlifeisherfather,Atticus.Atticusisaparent,teacher,guide,andfriendtohischildren,Scout
andJem.Heteachesmanylifelessonstothem,thebiggestonebeing,Youneverreally
understandpersonuntilyouconsiderthingsfromhispointofviewuntilyouclimbintohisskin


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andwalkaroundinit(39).ThissinglelessonbecomesthebiggestguideinScoutslife.Sheuses
thispowerfullessontoevaluatemanysituationsthatariseinherchildhood,includingtheTom
Robinsoncase,theCunninghams,andmostimportantly,ArthurRadley.Withoutbeingtaught
this,Scoutwouldbelikeanyotherchildinawhitefamilyinthe1930s.Atticusinfluencesherto
thinkdifferentlyfromthecrowdandtoseeeveryoneequally.Hisinfluencepreventsanyspark
fromthesmolderingfireofracismtoigniteinanyman,woman,orchild.Astheolderbrother
figuretoScout,JeminfluencesScoutinherdecisionsandhowsheacts.Jemseesthingsinmany
wayssimilartoAtticus.Sointurn,JemguidesScoutmanyofthelessonsAtticusdoes.Like
manyothers.Jemsinfluenceisnotdirectbutisdefinitelynoticeable.Anothernoticeable
influenceisJemsattituderubbingoffonScout.Foralongtime,Scoutisverymuchatomboy
andactsverysimilartoJem.WithoutScoutsrealmotherbeingaround,sheisveryinfluenced
bybothmaledominancesbyAtticusandJem.InmanycasesJemtellsScoutthatsheisbeinga
girl,thatgirlsalwaysimaginedthings,thatswhyotherpeoplehatedthemso,andif[she]
startedbehavinglikeone[she]couldjustgooffandfindsometoplaywith(54).Thisisoneof
thefewtimesScoutisoffendedbybeingcalledagirlbyJem,whichshowshowmuchJem
suppressesthefullextentofherviewsinherearlychildhood.Jemalmostwasincomplete
controlofhowScoutthoughtbecauseofherage,soheusesheragetohisadvantageincertain
casestosometimesmisguideScout.OneoftheonlyfeminineinfluencesScouthasinherlifeis
herAuntAlexandra.ScoutmaynotbeveryfondofAuntAlexandra,butsheisshowingScout
howtobeginactinglikeagirl.AuntAlexandrashowsherhowtoactasthefemaleroleina
home.LotsofthefemaleetiquetteScoutlearnscomesfromAuntAlexandra.Itmaynotseem
veryimportanttoher,butshewillneeditforwhensheisolder.Withoutthefeminineinfluence


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fromAuntAlexandra,Scoutwouldstillbeactinglikeatomboyandgetintomoretroublethat
sheneedsto.
ThesurroundingsocietyofMaycombbecomesaverydominantinfluencetowardsScout
andtheFinchfamily.Alargesuppressiveauthorityishowsocietyplaceswhitesandblacksin
thesocialandeconomicspectrum.Thispressureisnotpositive,butisconfrontedbyScoutand
friendsmanytimesintheirlives.Scoutconstantlyasksquestionsaboutwhysomepeopleare
treateddifferently,especiallywhyAfricanAmericansaretreatedverypoorlybystandardwhite
Americanfamilies.Thiscanbeclearlyseenandshown,forexample,talkingaboutMayellaand
thetrialwhensomeonementionsthatMayellawaswhite,andshetemptedaNegro.Shedid
somethingthatinoursocietywasunspeakable(272).InaracistsocietyliketheAmericanSouth
inthe1930s,itsveryhardtoavoidracismandthehatecreatedfromit.Itpushesapressure
ontoScoutandmakesherfeelveryconflictedwithhowtheworldtrulyis.HowtheMaycomb
communityreactedtothetrialanditsoutcomeisaverygoodexampleofhowthesocietyin
whichScoutlivesincouldinfluencehertothinkandfeeldifferently.Theraciallybiasedjury
thataccusedTomRobinsonproveshowracistpeoplecanbetoothers.Nomatterthecaseandno
matterhowguiltyamancouldbe,araciallybiasedjurywillalwaysaccusetheblackman.
Theyvedoneitbeforeandtheydidittonightandtheylldoitagainandwhentheydo
itseemsthatonlychildrenweep(285).Thisreactionofjoyandcelebrationfromthe
communityhasaverynegativeinfluenceonScoutandhowsheseeshertownsfolk.Afinal
influencefromsocietyinScoutslifeisthedifferencebetweenpoorandwealthyfamilies.The
Finchesareawealthy,richwhitefamilyandbecauseofthat,theyareexpectedtoactinavery
specificway.Manypeopleinherlifewanthertoactlikeeveryotherrichwhitechild,sosheis


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influencedtothinkdifferentlyandquestionthelifeAtticusraiseshertolive.Sheasksmany
questionsabouteconomicissuesofotherfamiliesandwhytheyactliketheydo.
InScoutschildhood,manyguidescanbeseenthatalterandshapeScoutsconscience
andintents.Somebeingpositives,othersnotsomuch.Thethreemaininfluencesthatare
apparentareScoutsfriends,herfamily,andthesocietyshebelongsto.Theseexamplesshape
Scoutandherintentionstosolvethedifferencesandtheproblemsthatwillbeinlife.


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WorksCited
Lee,Harper.
ToKillaMockingbird
.Philadelphia:Lippincott,1960.Print.