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In Chapter 16 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, what passages provide examples of character development, conflict between characters, setting,...

In Chapter 16 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, just after the mob scene, Scout develops as a character in two places.

First, the chapter opens with her crying in bed because, as she phrases it, "The full meaning of the night's events hit me and and I began crying." In other words, she realized for the first time just how much danger Atticus had been in as he faced the mob. Up to this point in the novel, Scout has faced antagonism and ridicule for her father's decision to defend Tom Robinson, but that night was the first time Scout realized the seriousness of Atticus's decision, a decision that put him in danger, and the realization made her cry. Hence, Scout develops as a character at the start of Chapter 16 by realizing the full importance of Atticus's decision and its consequences.

Scout develops further as a character once the children enter the courthouse. Once inside the courthouse doors, Scout becomes separated from Dill and Jem due to the size of the crowd and finds herself among what Maycomb calls the "Idlers' Club," a group of elderly, retired men who are doing nothing more with their lives than hanging around the town square and attending trials. One man of the club makes a comment that serves as an awakening to Scout:


Lemme tell you something' now, Billy, ... you know the court appointed him to defend this nigger. (Ch. 16)



Scout considers the information that Judge Taylor appointed Atticus as Robinson's defense lawyer to be worthwhile news shedding new light on exactly why Atticus took the case. Scout phrases her revelation in the following:



This was news, news that put a different light on things: Atticus had to, whether he wanted to or not. I thought it odd that he hadn't said anything to us about it--we could have used it many times in defending him and ourselves. He had to, that's why he was doing it, equaled fewer fights and less fussing. (Ch. 16)



Hence, Scout is further developing as  a character because she now realizes that Atticus had no choice but to accept the case and defend Robinson. Yet, since she is young, she still has quite a ways to go to understand that Atticus was obligated to take the case, not just because Judge Taylor made him take it, but because he was bound ethically and morally to defend Robinson for several reasons: (1) it is his job as a defense lawyer to give the best defense possible to all charged with a crime; (2) it is his job as a defense lawyer to uphold the legal principle that all are innocent until proven guilty; (3) he knows that no concrete evidence exists to prove Robinson's guilt; and (4) he knows through Calpurnia that the Robinsons are upstanding, Christian citizens.


Therefore, Scout develops as a character in Chapter 16 by realizing the importance of her father's actions--how much danger his decision places him in--and by realizing he had no choice but to defend Robinson. Yet, she still must progress further to reach the point at which she fully understands all of the reasons why her father must defend Robinson.

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