Actions will always have a great impact on society whether they are morally right or wrong. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Lee uses unforgettable characters to explore Civil Rights and racism in the segregated southern United States of the 1930’s. The novel is told through the eyes of Scout Finch as she develops into a young woman. As she matures by learning from her father Atticus Finch, the actions of how racism are detrimental to society. Atticus defends the innocence of a black man who is accused of raping a young white woman. Another factor that helps her to mature is by the example of Boo Radley’s determination. Boo Radley who is a bizarre neighbor saves Scout and her brother, Jem, from being killed. …show more content…
Scout’s maturity is warmhearted when she claims, “You’re real nice Uncle Jack, an I Reckon I love you…but you don’t understand Children much,”(Lee,113). Scout is becoming more cautious when she is expressing her emotions to her loved ones as she is frustrated with the way her Uncle Jack has treated her at the family dinner with the involvement of her cousin Francis. This explains Uncle Jack’s comprehension of the situation between Scout and Francis, as he sees the differences of right and wrongs of the fight. Scout also begins to see the way her Aunt Alexandra has always been trying to stay positive as she ruminates, “After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I,” (318). This reveals the side of Scout after something terrible has happened to the family and also affected the town of Maycomb with the announcement of Tom Robinson’s death. It gives Scout the capability to keep her feelings to herself of the loss of innocence of Tom Robinson as the ladies in the town gathered to talk and gossip about how they feel about Tom being dead. In Scout’s experiences throughout the novel, it has shown she has become a young lady with good morals from her family and has given her strength in the difficult
The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set in Alabama in the 1930s, and concerns itself primarily with the interrelated themes of prejudice and empathy. These themes are explored as the story follows Scout Finch as she learns lessons in empathy, ultimately rejecting prejudice. While all characters in Lee’s novel learn from their experiences, not all are able to grow in the same manner as Scout. The idea of a positive role model, typified by the character of Atticus Finch, and the ramifications of its absence, is a concept that Lee places much emphasis on. The isolated setting is also pivotal in the development of characters. Lee uses the contrast between characters that learn lessons in empathy and compassion, and characters that cling to the ideals of a small town, to explore factors that nurture or diminish prejudice.
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.
Sometimes, people discriminate one thing, but strongly oppose the discrimination of another thing. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, this issue is very much expressed throughout the story. This thought-provoking story takes place in Maycomb, Alabama during a time when there’s a rape trial against a falsely accused African American named Tom Robinson. There is also a discrimination, of sorts, towards a man named Boo Radley, by three young children named Jeremy “Jem” Finch, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, and Charles “Dill” Baker Harris. Both Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are similar in their own ways through their inherent goodness.
How does a child's views of the world affect their future maturity? In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout, a seven year old girl, grows up in a very troubled time, with large amounts of segregation between white people and people of color. So, when Scout’s father defends a black man falsely accused of rape charges; events start unfolding making her life go in a completely different direction than she expected. We see how she handles these mature topics around her as she is morphing from childhood to maturity. More importantly, Scout’s innocent views on reality start helping her understand events from the novel more clearly.
Miss. Maudie was a sweet little old lady that tells Scout lessons, that it’s not nice to talk about people, and that you have to be sweet and support your father even if other people don't support him. Also when Miss.Maudie's house burned down she was very calm and she didn't freak out like they thought she would have so it taught Scout that you can't show your feelings all the time. “Grieving, Child? Why, I hated that old cow barn. Thought of settin’ fire to it a hundred times myself, except they’d lock me up.”(73). That she took something so awful and made it into something happy and that now she can have small house and a bigger garden now. Scout Aunt Alexandria always wanted Scout to act more like a lady and Scout never really liked her Aunt in the beginning. Now in the middle of the book she was really upset and then she got her act together and Scout saw that and she admired it and then she did the same this is showing matured happening. “We decided that it would be best for you to have some feminine influences.”(). That her Aunt doesn’t think that Atticus is raising them right so she is there to take over while the trail is going on. Scout went to school and her teacher Miss.Caroline is really mean to Scout because she doesn't like it how Scout already knows how to read and write. Miss.Caroline doesn't really scout anything because, she already knows what to do. “If i didn’t have to stay I’d leave, Jem, that damn lady says Atticus’s been teaching me to read and for him to stop it-.”(18). Scout doesn’t like that her teacher is punishing her for knowing stuff and she doesn't understand why she does this. That these lady have somehow impacted Scout life of her growing up and moving on to new and better things in
To Kill A Mockingbird is a heroic tale of leadership and courage during racial times. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Atticus, To, Jem and Scout are unfortunately exposed to a really racist and prejudiced society and town. Which ends up causing them to lose a case and really confuse Jem and Scout when they are young. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird, it uses characterization to help show a theme of loss of innocence when people are exposed to surprising and unfair situations.
Everyone goes through different changes as they grow up. Maturing, coming of age, and doing the right thing are important themes in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. This theme is most often seen in the character Jeremy “Jem” Finch. He portrays this theme when he begins to enter puberty and becomes a young man. Jeremy starts to become more independent, wiser and more able to comprehend adult situations; Jem begins to get a better grasp on things. Other characters that demonstrate this theme are Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, and Arthur “Boo” Radley. Harper Lee shows how Scout comes of age in similar ways to Jem. Scout begins to grow up and become more tolerant of others by “putting herself in another person’s skin”. Boo displays his “coming of age” in a somewhat different way than Jem and Scout. There’s a scene in To Kill A Mockingbird where Boo has the chance to do the right thing by putting himself in harm’s way in order to save lives, and he takes the chance. To Kill A Mockingbird is a book that is overflowing with the theme “coming of age” (whether it is shown through the main character or others). This theme is important to the story because these characters are a small example of the changes that Maycomb needs to undergo. Jeremy Finch is the character in which this theme is most represented in.
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.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, by author Harper Lee, several of the characters in the book share a similar character trait. Atticus Finch, Mrs. Dubose and Boo Radley all show courage throughout the book in their own individual ways. In different events, all three characters were faced with a challenge that they could either turn away from and accept or try to defeat. In Lee’s novel, a few of the main events that occur in the book include Atticus Finch defending a black man, Mrs. Dubose is challenged with overcoming an addiction, and Boo Radley must brave the outdoors to save the Radley children. Throughout the book, the characters change and one begins to understand what life in the small town of Maycomb is like, as the Finch family and friends grow and mature throughout the events happening while encountering social prejudice, courage, and the mockingbirds of life.
Firstly, Scout grows and changes throughout the novel by becoming more open to adopting a feminine persona. Aunt Alexandra’s main goal in her stay was to unfold a feminine influence upon Jem and Scout. After the events of Tom Robinsons court case she had a tea party
Scout was the narrator of the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" (by Harper Lee). At first she didn't know a lot about Maycomb (the town they live in), the people in the town and life. Through the book she had lots of new experiences and learned a lot. This knowledge caused significant changes in her characteristics and perspective. As the novel progressed, she has grown up. She has become a better person.
“Maturity is the ability to think, speak and act your feelings within the bounds of dignity. The measure of your maturity is how spiritual you become during the midst of your frustrations.” is a quote from Samuel Ullman. This describes the struggles that Jem went through by taking part in the community and trial and by also taking the risk of losing some of his friends and family in Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird. Through Jem’s interaction with the racism of Maycomb, he became aware of the things around him. We all learn that it takes a strong person to overcome the barriers of society.
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is a courageous tale of leadership and gallantry. This book voices the story of a young girl, Scout, and the town of Maycomb. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird there are numerous quotes to which you should bring to your attention. By far, the most important quote describes what Boo Radley experienced all those years he was locked away in his house, “A boy trotted down the sidewalk dragging a fishing pole beside him. A man stood waiting with his hands on his hips. Summertime, and his children played in the front yard with their friend, enacting a strange drama of their own invention.…. Fall, and his children trotted to and fro around the corner, the day’s woes and triumphs on their faces. They stopped at an oak tree, delighted, puzzled, and apprehensive. Winter, and his children shivered at the front gate, silhouetted against a blazing house…. Summer, and he watched his children’s heart break. Autumn again, and Boo’s children needed him. Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough” (Lee 236-237). All those years he has watched as Scout and Jem grew up. All those years he imagined they were his own. Characterization is significant for the reason that Scout realized Boo Radley isn’t the irrational murderer, he is portrayed to be; he is pleasant and generally cares for the children.
As people grow in life, they mature and change. In the novel , To Kill a Mockingbird ,by Harper Lee, Scout, the main character, matures as the book continues. Slowly but surely, Scout learns to control her explosive temper, to refrain from fistfights, and to respect Calpurnia, their maid, and to really learn her value to the family. Scout simply changes because she matures, and she also changes because Atticus, her father, asks her to.
Growing up in Maycomb, Southern Alabama in the 1930s was not an easy thing. Amid a town of prejudice and racism, stood a lone house where equality and respect for all gleamed like a shining star amid an empty space. The house of Atticus Finch was that shining star. Jean Louise Finch, also known as “Scout”, is given the opportunity of being raised in this house by her father, Atticus. I stole this essay from the net. As she grows, Atticus passes down his values of equality and righteousness to Scout and her brother Jeremy Atticus Finch, also known as “Jem”. In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, by Harper Lee, we see Scout learns many lessons about dealing with prejudice by observing the behavior of other characters in the story.