The More Things Change, the More they Stay the Same.

Throughout it's history, America as a whole has undertaken many courses of action, in the name of both equality, freedom, and justice; from our very revolution which separated us from tyranny, to the abolition of the slave trade and civil rights movement, to wars fought with the outspoken purpose to uphold those standards we hold. Scout begins the book as innocent of the hardships and gritty truths of the world as any child is at that point in their lives, and through her eyes for those three years it is seen how fervently Atticus attempts to uphold those idealistic principles of equality, freedom, and justice laid down by the founding fathers; the same principles that every generation of Americans has since made a tradition of trying to prove that they can fight for them as well as their forefathers could. It is in this fashion that by the end of the novel, one is left with the overwhelming feeling that what Scout experienced, through that time was simply teaching her what every American child is supposed to learn; one can not rest until one has done everything in one's power to enhance the equality of those around them, if one is to truly be considered an American.

Every generation of Americans has followed in it's predecessors footsteps by trying to uphold their conceptual ideals, and yet at the same time, every new generation has strived to prove that it wasn't the same, and that it could make improvements to it's society. America has never been accepted the status quo. Each new generation strives to show that it is different then those before them, and that they can do things in a better way. Where Scout can never accept her Aunt Alexandra's insistance that she act more "Lady like", America as a whole begins to alter it's stance on a womans need to be stereotypicly feminine. Where Atticus refuses to let a man be condemed even though his skin color denotes society wouldn't find a problem with his wrongful incarceration, America as a whole begins to alter it's stance on the supposed inferiority of other races. America has no fear, and has the need to, in actuality, alter the status quo, whenever it see's fit.

America was established with the hope of creating a land of equality, freedom, and justice, and to attain those goals it's society was given permission to, and expected to do away with, and create anything neccesary. To be an American is to do everything in your power to help that American Dream become more of a reality. The American Dream, therefore, isn't about anything one american can achieve, but what can be achieved when every American is working towards it; and that effort, that need to help attain that Dream, is what it means to be an American. In that regard, Harper Lee has created the Quintessential American, in not a single character, but a combination of two. Atticus, and Scout represent the generation split that propels America so consistantly. Where Scout questions the need for some of what Atticus' generation have dubbed the status qou, she also learns from him the need to fight for the same conceptual ideals as he, and his forefathers have. The pair of them create a representation of everything it is to be American; strive for change, yet always keep the same end goal in mind. In short, change, but stay the same. America is one large, cohesive contradiction.