As illustrated in the aforementioned paragraphs, Telemachus grows from an immature man who acts like a boy without principles to a man that has integrity and responsibility. Scout, on the other hand, is still a child that has many years of growth left to experience. Furthermore, the character of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird exhibits maturation by becoming more caring but does not mature as much as Telemachus does in The Odyssey. Scout is caring before she matures because she shows compassion when she asks if Walter Cunningham, a boy who is poor, can spend the night at her house. Scout inquires,“‘He can stay over sometimes after school, too. Atticus could drive him back to Old Sarum. Maybe he could spend the night with us sometime, okay Jem?”’ (Lee 299) Scout asks Jem if Walter Cunningham can stay at their home after school sometimes if Atticus drives him back home. She also suggests that he can even spend the night at the Finch’s home. This shows growth in caring because Scout empathizes with Walter and wants to share her home with him and make a positive difference in his life because he is poor and not as fortunate as she is. Additionally, Scout shows growth in her level of caring when she chooses where Boo Radley should sit while meeting with Atticus and Heck Tate, the town’s policeman, on her porch.
Scout narrates, “I led him to the chair farthest from Atticus and Mr. Tate. It was in deep shadow. Boo would feel more comfortable in the dark” (Lee 364). Scout brings Boo Radley to the chair that is furthest away from Atticus and Mr.Tate because he will feel more at ease there since it is located in the darkness. This stresses Scout’s growth in caring because she is aware that Boo Radley enjoys being in the dark since he sits in his house with all of the lights off and she wants to accommodate him as much as possible. She is willing to make a positive difference in his life by ensuring his comfort while the men speak to him. Lastly, Scout is caring because when Boo Radley asks her to walk him home, she walks him right to the front door of his house and lets him go inside. Scout describes the scene: We came to the streetlight on the corner…. Boo and I walked up the steps to the porch. His fingers found the front door knob. He gently released my hand, opened the door, went inside, shut the door behind him. I never saw him again. (Lee 373) Scout and Boo reach a streetlight and then walk to the porch. His fingers release Scout’s hand and he opens the door. He closes the door and Scout never sees him again. This quote shows that Scout matures in her level of caring because when Boo Radley asks Scout to walk him home she walks him right to the front door of his house and lets him go inside. Also, the whole way there Scout and Boo had locked arms, which is a sign of caring and affection.
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Regardless of the fact that Scout did mature with respect to being more caring, Scout’s level of maturation is less than Telemachus’s in The Odyssey because he becomes a caring adult and makes a positive difference in his father’s life by searching for him. He also shows growth in his level of caring by showing a personal commitment to his mother by protecting her from her suitors. Scout, on the other hand, is a young child that grows in her level of caring, however, she does it at a much lesser extent that Telemachus does because he is an adult. Undoubtedly, in Homer’s The Odyssey, Telemachus demonstrates more maturation than the characters of Scout and Jem do in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird because he displays greater growth in both his principles and his level of caring. Telemachus shows immense growth by becoming more principled and standing up for fairness and appropriateness when he addresses his mother’s suitors about their injustice in ravaging through his home. He also indicates that he is willing to make a positive difference and take action against the suitors’ unacceptable behavior, thereby indicating he can differentiate right from wrong and has learned responsibility as well. Additionally, he undergoes growth in caring by following Athena’s advice and showing his personal commitment to his family and home.
Furthermore, he takes action against the suitors’ disrespect and abuse of his property and also worries about his mother's well-being before he leaves for Pylos. He ensures that his mother does not have to worry about him, which indicates his maturation in caring. In contrast to Telemachus, the character of Jem in To Kill A Mockingbird does not demonstrate as much maturation in caring as Telemachus does. Telemachus shows growth as an adult in defending his own home and making a dangerous journey alone to find his father, which is more significant than Jem, a teenager, learning that destroying someone’s property is wrong or owning up to his actions. Jem still has years of growth ahead of him and his ideas and values can change very easily. Telemachus is an adult who develops principles that affect both his life and those of his family. In spite of the fact that Jem shows growth in caring in To Kill a Mockingbird, his level of growth is less than Telemachus’s in The Odyssey because even though Jem matures, it is to a lesser extent than Telemachus. Telemachus defends his home against multiple suitors that are threats to his home and life. Jem, on the other hand, places both himself and his sister in a dangerous situation as a teenager rather than trying to find help. Scout’s level of maturation is also less than Telemachus’s in The Odyssey because she indicates that she is already principled at the start of the novel, whereas Telemachus is not, hence he experiences more growth. In addition, Telemachus grows from an immature man who acted like a boy without principles to a man that has integrity and responsibility.
Contrarily, Scout is still a child that has many years of growth ahead of her. Also, despite the fact that Scout does mature in her level of caring, it is to a lesser extent than Telemachus in The Odyssey because he becomes a caring adult that makes a positive difference in his father’s life by searching for him. He also shows a personal commitment to his mother when he protects her from her suitors. Scout, on the other hand, is a young child that grows in her level of caring, however, she does it at a much lesser extent that Telemachus does because he is an adult. Although different characters’ journeys towards maturity can be presented in various ways in literature, the transformation of the characters themselves is a similar factor that ties them all together. This transformation mirrors the growth and development that people undergo in their everyday lives and echoes the importance of values and beliefs in determining a person’s true character. People might be much more content with their lives if they realized that it is the fact that it is more than just the change itself, but the fact that making changes is an option that creates satisfaction.
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