At the beginning of the book , Scout is an innocent, good-hearted five-year-old child who has no experience with the evils of the world. As the novel progresses, Scout has her first contact with evil in the form of racial prejudice, and the basic development of her character is made up by the question of whether she will emerge from that contact with her conscience and optimism intact or whether she will be bruised, hurt, or destroyed like Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.
Atticus raised her a single parent with the help of their maid Miss Maudie. He has influenced her mind, conscience, and individuality without bogging her down in fussy social hypocrisies and notions of propriety. While most girls in Scoutβs position would be wearing dresses and learning manners, thanks to Atticusβs hands-off parenting style, she wears overalls and learns to climb trees with Jem and Dill.
