What kind of person was Scout before the end of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

Scout changes a great deal all throughout Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.

In the beginning of the novel, Scout has a very hot temper and is prone to violence. Anytime she feels she or one of her family members has been insulted, she is quick to lash out physically, such as when she rubs Walter Cunningham's nose in the dirt or when she punches her cousin Francis in the face. However, her father is resolved to teach her to remain calm in the face of adversity, especially since she'll be facing a great deal of ridicule as a result of his determination to defend Tom Robinson. We see Atticus warn her about the need to stay calm in the following:

You might hear some ugly talk about [the case] at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don't you let 'em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change ... it's a good one, even if it does resist learning. (Ch. 9)

As a result of her lesson in keeping her head, Scout remains calm when Mrs. Dubose insults them by calling their father trash, whereas Jem, who is usually very calm, flies off the handle and seeks revenge by whacking the camellias off of every bush in Mrs. Dubose's garden.

Part of what contributes to Scout's ability to remain calm is her lesson in being able to see from others' perspectives. When Scout feels offended by her first-grade teacher, Atticus teaches her one of the most famous lessons in the book:

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-- ... --until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. (Ch. 3)

Prior to this lesson, Scout was primarily only able to see situations from her own young, self-serving perspective. Scout practices her lesson by trying to see many things from Jem's perspective, as well as from the perspectives of other characters. By the end of the book, Scout has let go of all previous prejudices she had as she stands on Arthur Radley's porch, after having escorted him home, and visualizes him looking out at the neighborhood, watching "his children," meaning Scout and Jem, play, grow, and struggle with sorrows and problems (Ch. 31). By being able to see things from Arthur's perspective, she is finally able to see him as the kind and caring man he truly is.

Prior to these lessons, though a generally good person, we can see that Scout was a young, aggressive, and somewhat selfish person.