Have you ever thought about who your favorite fictional character would be? Have you thought about how much alike you are with that character?
Scout, a young child in Lee Harper’s To Kill a Mockingbird, is my favorite fictional character. This book is one of my Top Five favorite novels so it’s natural that I picked a character from this book as my favorite character.
Even though Scout is a young child in this book, I can still relate to her, both as a young child from long ago and as an adult. She has similar characteristics to me.
She is an intelligent girl.
Scout loves to learn. She learns to read before she starts school. She’s innocent as the story begins, but matures the more she learns. She asks questions of the adults in her life to learn outside of school.
Not that I want this to sound like I’m conceited, but I consider myself intelligent as well. I started reading when I was young, and I was a big bookworm. My mom says I always had my nose stuck in a book. I loved doing research papers in school so I could research new topics.
Even now as a writer, I still enjoy reading about new topics as crazy as that might sound. And people do look at me funny when I say I love researching. Google is my best friend at times.
She is a tomboy.
Scout is definitely a tomboy. She wears overalls and climbs trees with her brother Jim and their friend Dill. She fights with the boys, which is an unladylike thing to do. Her Aunt Alexandra doesn’t like the fact that Scout dresses like a boy. Scout’s father Atticus has raised her this way.
When I was younger, probably her age or maybe a little older, I was a tomboy as well. I didn’t have any girls in the neighborhoods where we lived as I was growing up. Instead, I played baseball, basketball, or football with my brother and his friends. Once in awhile, I would have a female neighbor play sports with us but not very often. I rode bikes and didn’t take much of an interest in doing many girl things once I got rid of Barbies and dolls.
Unlike Scout, though, I did occasionally I did dress more like a girl when I was going to school. But I didn’t wear dresses and skirts unless it was a very special occasion. I still don’t wear those even as an adult unless I’m required.
She is thoughtful.
Scout cares about others. She worries about them and tries to see the good in people even during the time described in the novel.
When they’re talking about Hitler and the Jews in school, Scout still tries to see the good in people. She tries to rise above the others by knowing the difference between good and evil.
While I am a thoughtful person as well, sometimes this gets me in trouble. People take advantage of my kindness and my thoughtfulness. When I was younger, I trusted people too much. I let people take advantage of my kindness. As an adult, I sometimes trust people too much.
I try to see the good in people and give them the benefit of the doubt. However, I’m not quite like Scout. I can’t always see the good in people now as I’ve gotten older. I have learned over the past few years not to trust them until I’ve gotten to know them.