Influence of Many Mothers

A good mother is one of the few prized people in our lives. We depend on them from the start of our existence and latch on to them as they become a part of us. They influence our first words, tastes in food, and tastes music. They teach us girls how to use make-up properly and shop for the deals. A mother isn’t always the being who gave us life, but could be the one who proves herself a role model on how to live. A maternal presence can be made up of many women filling the gaps of a dead or absentee birth mother. We saw an ideal example of this very definition of a maternal presence in action in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. The narrator Scout lost her mother long before she was old enough to feel her absence. In spite of this tragedy Scout had not one, not two, but three wonderful women step up and influence her childhood in a feminine way. Despite the fact that her mother is dead Scout receives the love, support, and nurturing she needs to become an independent young woman.
One of Scout’s three main influences is Mrs. Maudie. She may have only had a subtle affect on the young women Scout was soon to become but she did make an impact. First, Mrs. Maudie seemed to be a feminine double of Atticus mimicking his sense of justice and his way of leading by example. Scout always looked up to her father and the fact that Mrs. Maudie and Atticus have so much in common causes Scout cling to her from what seems like to be the beginning of the story. In spite of this, Mrs. Maudie was not a maternal figure at first. As Jem and Dill grow closer, and Scout began to feel left out of their friendship. As a result, she started spending much of her time with Mrs. Maudie. As the time passed their friendship began to evolve and Mrs. Maudie became Scout’s closest friend and confidante among the local women. She also offered Scout understanding instead of criticizing her for wearing pants and not being ladylike like many other townsfolk. Lastly, as a maternal figure, Mrs.