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In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the author, Harper Lee, uses many examples to demonstrate growing up and maturity as major themes of the story, impressing that they are not only significant to the plot, but also underlying aspects of human nature. To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930’s when racism was still a hot controversy in the United States. The story centers around the life of a girl named Scout who is young and naïve enough to believe that all people are equal; she cannot comprehend the extent of the heinous discrimination that permeates her town. As Scout matures and becomes aware of societal expectations like the difference in men and women’s dress codes, to greater milestones like the Tom Robinson …show more content…
Jem feels that Scout is acting immaturely by dressing like a boy (being “rough and tumble”) and he reprimands her for doing so, but Scout cannot help this, as she has never had a female, motherly influence in her life. Being young and impressionable, Scout takes Jem’s criticisms hard, begins to cry and then runs to their maid, Calpurnia, for comfort. While this indicates Scout’s immaturity, it also defines the beginning of her maturation “journey” in that she actually cares about what other people think and how they see …show more content…
Radley fills the knot hole in his tree with cement, Scout and Jem no longer receive the gifts Boo Radley has been leaving for them there; thus continuing the end of their childhood innocence as they realize they can no longer believe in a fantasy figure: “… I saw [Jem] go stark white. ‘Scout!’ I ran to him. Someone had filled our knot hole with cement. ‘Don’t you cry, now, Scout… don’t cry now, don’t you worry –’ he muttered…” (Lee 62). Jem and Scout had previously thought that Boo Radley was a myth, so believing he is trying to communicate with them by placing little keepsakes in the knot hole, sparks their imagination. When the hole is filled in they begin to understand that they cannot believe in myths and legends, such as Boo, and they need to start relying more on reality. They also feel as though a part of their childhood is taken away because they believed in Boo more when they were younger, so cutting off that belief forces them to mature. The maturity described in this quote is exemplified through the relinquishing of child-like ways and the realization that there is more to life than fairytales and
The quote by Zora Neale Hurston, “There are years that ask questions and years that answer,” shows that coming of age is a tricky project that takes time and effort. In Harper Lee’s book To Kill a Mockingbird, she writes about Scout Finch, the narrator, reflecting on her past and the challenges she went through in her hometown, Maycomb, with her brother Jem and childhood friend Dill.. Harper Lee uses the young characters in the novel to show experiences, their role models, and conflict help shape a person from child to adult.
Childhood is a continuous time of learning, and of seeing mistakes and using them to change your perspectives. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates how two children learn from people and their actions to respect everyone no matter what they might look like on the outside. To Kill A Mockingbird tells a story about two young kids named Scout and her older brother Jem Finch growing up in their small, racist town of Maycomb, Alabama. As the years go by they learn how their town and a lot of the people in it aren’t as perfect as they may have seemed before. When Jem and Scout’s father Atticus defends a black man in court, the town’s imperfections begin to show. A sour, little man named Bob Ewell even tries to kill Jem and Scout all because of the help Atticus gave to the black man named Tom Robinson. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee illustrates the central theme that it is wrong to judge someone by their appearance on the outside, or belittle someone because they are different.
The book To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, is considered to be a timeless classic that deals with such sensitive themes such as: prejudice, human dignity, social classes, and maturity. Maturity, that word has a different meaning for all of us. Maturity as I see it is an understanding that comes to people with experience and not age but the two usually seem to go together, but not always. Many people talk about the experiences that Scout goes through and the maturity that she achieves in the book but they don’t pay attention to the other characters that “grow up” or mature in the story.
In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, author Harper Lee uses character development to coin social commentary at times concerning bravery. Bravery is a primary topic within the novel., as it is an expressed trait in main characters such as Atticus, Scout and Jem. Whether it may be brave enough to defend a colored man on an all white jury, or enough to wander onto Boo Radley’s property, bravery is the pinnacle to the novel. Also bravery of the characters is accounted into character development, in which each main character has their flash with bravery, and perseveres through times of social commentary within the town of Maycomb Alabama. However, what is an example of one character developing throughout the novel to provide the character 's own commentary during times of bravery?
In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the story is told by a young girl called Jean-Louise Finch but also known as Scout aged five at the start of the book almost turning six who in the book is quite unique as she could read at the age of six and understand her fathers profession as a lawyer. The story is about Scout growing up in the southern state of Alabama in a small town called Maycomb with her brother Jem and her father called Atticus who is the lawyer. The main theme of the book is about Atticus defending a black man called Tom Robinson and he is accused of raping a white girl called Mayella Ewell and how it affects her, in the book she learns about racism and prejudice and the struggle of black men in life and she also learns about the ways of life and family traditions. The book is set in the late 1930’s so racial discrimination is at its peak in the southern states of America.
In the case of Scout and Jem, they believed that Boo Radley, who is an outcast of Maycomb, possesses a horrific appearance, and that he is a savage, "he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hands were bloodstained." However, as the story progresses, it is revealed that Boo is actually a kind-hearted person who has not done anybody wrong, but unfortunately, he was ruined by the hands of his family. Thus, Boo is an example of a mockingbird, as mentioned by Atticus. The disclosing of the character of Boo demonstrates Scout and Jem's loss of innocence. They can no longer see Boo as a mysterious threat in their life, instead they saw Boo as a person. "...he's crazy..but Atticus I swear to God he ain't ever harmed us, he coulda cut my throat...but he mend my pants instead..." In a way, Boo serves as a symbol of the transition of Scout and Jem's maturity, as the kids exhibit their ability to empathize with
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the main character and narrator, Scout Finch, embarks on her own adventure throughout her childhood years to learn more about the world around her as well as herself. As the novel progresses, she continues her process of coming of age as she faces troubles, explore new areas, and interacts with her community. On her journey Scout grows and matures, realizing who she is and how she feels about her place in the world. Harper Lee masterfully represents the challenges in the coming of age process through Scout. Thus, through transformative conflicts, symbolic setting, and a critical first person narration, Lee reveals how as one grows up, one must face the injustices and normalities
The setting affects the character development of Scout as she faces the troubles of acting like a “girl” (4.41) because she dislikes acting in the ladylike manner that is expected of women in the 1950s. Furthermore, Scout fears that acting like a “girl” would lead Dill and Jem to stop interacting with her due to the feeling of the subtle
Scout Finch is the main protagonist of the novel and although a bit slow she does grow overtime. At first Scout is very naive and innocent due to the fact in the beginning of the story she is 6 years old. She can be described as a tomboy, troublemaker, and a rebel since she mostly hung around with her older brother Jem and was raised by her father Atticus who was mostly at work. Scout has not been raised with the proper mannerisms to become a proper lady which which was something well desired especially in the South. The reason for this is because Scout’s mother died before she could even remember. This also accounts for her tomboyish nature. As she gets older however, she starts to lose her rambunctious attitude for more of a proper and lady like demeanor which she learns from her Aunt Alexandria, the definition of a true southern belle. Scout is 6 at the start of the book as is around 9 near the end of it so she does mature slowly but surely unlike her brother Jem. Jem’s development throughout the book goes a bit quicker since he is 10 at the start of the book and becomes 13 by the end. The book shows off Jem’s preteens which is always a drastic change for anyone. Jem is a good, kindhearted kid who always tries to do the right thing but is still at the age where he can be a bit mischievous as well. His misadventures with Scout often put him in a place where he can attempt to be the responsible one. Jem is at the age where he believes he’s an adult but is not mature enough to actually be one. For instance, the scene where Atticus has to shoot a rabid dog Jem tries his best to brave about the entire situation but inside he is still a young boy and is a bit afraid. Towards the end of the novel, Jem gets even more mature and starts becoming more of a splitting image of his father, Atticus Finch. Mr. Finch is probably the most morally just character
The novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is a simplistic view of life in the Deep South of America in the 1930s. An innocent but humorous stance in the story is through the eyes of Scout and Jem Finch. Scout is a young adolescent who is growing up with the controversy that surrounds her fathers lawsuit. Her father, Atticus Finch is a lawyer who is defending a black man, Tom Robinson, with the charge of raping a white girl. The lives of the characters are changed by racism and this is the force that develops during the course of the narrative.
Ageism is shown in both novel by Harper Lee and the article by Scott Wooldridge about millennial’s by stating that because of how young you’re more likely to be less intelligent and have almost to no experience compared to older people therefore making them seem more superior.
The book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel. It is set in the 1930s, a time when racism was very prominent. Harper Lee emphasizes the themes of prejudice and tolerance in her novel through the use of her characters and their interactions within the Maycomb community. The narrator of the story, Scout, comes across many people and situations with prejudice and tolerance, as her father defends a black man.
Finally, the cemented knothole represents the maturity of Jem Finch. “Someone had filled our knot-hole with cement.” Scout explains, “ ‘Don’t you cry, now, Scout…don’t cry now, don’t you worry-’ (TKAM 83). Jem is trying to put on a strong front so Scout does not cry and get upset about the hole. Once more Jem is illustrating maturity by protecting his sister’s feelings.
The book To Kill a Mockingbird has many different events happen in its quaint little town of Maycomb, and these events affect the town's citizens in their own way. However, the major significance of the events are that hey teach life lessons to young Scout, Dill and Jem. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses perspective, compassion, and equality to demonstrate the coming of age of three unique characters. Scout learns perspective after the Tom Robinson trial when she realizes that not everyone is as lucky or has the same opportunities as she. Jem learns compassion when he starts coming of age because he sees the outside world and wants to help those less fortunate than himself. Dill first came to Maycomb as an innocent little
Maturity is one of the most difficult tasks in life. It is hard to achieve and properly attain. Maturity comes with the price of letting go of one’s childhood, mood swings and tantrums in exchange for a more mature version of one’s self. But in the end it is worth it because maturity prepares people for the hardships of life. Jem and Scout Finch are able to exhibit the stages from child to adult in explicit examples.