Section 4: TKAM (Rachel)

The ending of the novel was both expected and unexpected from my point of view. From the beginning I knew that the book would likely culminate in an extreme event impacting an innocent life due to the use of foreshadowing by Harper Lee. However, as I read I never thought the innocent harmed out of hate would be Jem. I always thought it would be Atticus as he seemed to both embody the ideals of liberty and justice, and to be subject to extreme judgment from the Maycomb residents (as they were finely attuned to their own stereotypes, labeling anyone as different, bad). I believe that this particular ending is to show the growth in the two children. Throughout the story both kids worry at certain times over issues that present itself in their lives (Atticus being threatened, Atticus being made fun of, etc.) and yet through all the issues that are circumvented or dealt with Atticus would say, "It ain't time to worry yet." At the end, Atticus acknowledges that Scout would generally have felt scared as her life was being threatened from Mr. Ewell, but she said neither Jem nor her were scared, and that the only scary things were in books. The fact that even after witnessing humanity at its worst Scout is still unafraid of people and the harm they can bring shows that Atticus has taught her well. He had been trying to portray to his kids that people are only people who are lead to make mistakes at times, but they are never to be treated as any less, and this shows in Scout's behavior in the end of the story, not only because she understands why Mr.Ewell was capable of such a crime, but also in her actions regarding Boo Radley. In realizing who he was, she did not let her childish tendencies take over and judge him as his reputation made him out to be, but as he really was. Scout was finally able to actually understand what it meant to "stand in his shoes and walk around in them."