Childhood innocence is never lost, it simply plants the seed for the flower of maturity to blossom. It seems that almost every adult chooses to forget or ignore this childhood vulnerability. But ironically, it was this very quality that propelled them into adulthood. At the height of their childhood, their post-climactic innocence leaves room for the foundations of maturity to begin to grow. In the sleepy southern town of Maycomb that's exactly what happens to eight-year-old Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. In To Kill a Mockingbird the character Scout is forced to surround herself with a very adult situation when a trial comes to the small town of Maycomb. The trial raises the question that shakes the entire city: what prevails, racism or the truth? And throughout the novel the author shows how such events influence the way Scout grows throughout the story. In the timeless novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses Scout's purity incentives and search for parental approval to highlight the novel's central thesis, the process of growing up. Scout's innocence and naivety drive her to act as she does, and also allow her to begin her journey along the path to adulthood. His immaturity becomes exceptionally clear in the midst of a neighborhood crisis. When her neighbor's house catches fire, the only thing Scout is worried about is retrieving a book because she's afraid her friend, Dill, will get angry if it burns in the fire. When he feels like his house might be on fire, his only words are, “That Tom Swift book, it's not mine, it's Dill's” (Lee 93). This quote shows her youth because when her entire house is threatened by a dangerous fire she only says that she has to get Dill's book. He is so… halfway… capable of exploiting ideas that not even all adults can apply, as long as he has enough motivation. As a result, Atticus' attention is enough of a push for Scout to take a huge step forward. Just by trying to impress her father, Scout learns an important lesson that allows her to mature. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the moral of the novel, the growth process, is staged by connecting it to Scout's infantile motivations and the need for parental consent. Scout's case is normal for a child on the verge of adolescence. By observing the example of a growing child there is a lot to learn. Unfortunately, most adults try to forget their stage of innocence, acting as if they were never as vulnerable as they were as a child. But the truth is, everyone can improve their outlook on life simply by looking at someone like Scout, a child whose petals are starting to open...