Growing up is something that everyone experiences in their life. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout is teased by a boy at school named Cecil Jacobs about Atticus defending Tom Robinson in his court case. Scout has to remember her father’s words about kindness to walk away from the fight and by doing this, Scout matures as a person. As Scout grows up she learns to understand and respect everyone’s opinion no matter what her own opinion is. Through this understanding and careful insight, Harper Lee conveys the maturity of Scout by walking away from this fight and respecting others perspectives. Through the literary elements of tone and characterization, Scout’s growing maturity in this passage shows that in order to mature one must respect others …show more content…
perspectives and views. Through the tone of Scout as she walks away from a fight, Scout matures through respecting others perspectives. Cecil Jacobs shouts for Scout to fight but she remembers Atticus’s words and she thinks to herself “ I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped my fists and walked away,” (102). This tone of Scout shows how much she has matured as a person and how she understands to respect others opinion. Scout understands that violence is not the answer and through this tone, Harper Lee conveys the maturity of Scout as she recognizes that though she disagrees with Cecil Jacobs, she has to respect his opinion and not resolve any conflicts in violence. Scout used to be the kind of girl who was always ready to put up her fist and fight but as she gets older and wiser she learns to respect others perspectives and therefore grow and mature as a person. This is shown by Scout thinking to herself, “ Somehow if I fought Cecil I would let Atticus down. Atticus so rarely asked Jem and me to do something for him, I could take being called a coward for him” (102). Harper Lee shows Scout’s tone on this subject as doing a kindness by not fighting Cecil. She believes she has done the right thing not only for herself but to respect Atticus and through this she matures as a person. Through tone, Harper Lee conveys the immense maturity of Scout through this passage. After recognizing that there is no use in fighting Cecil Jacobs, Scout matures even more as Harper Lee uses characterization as a way to show Scout’s maturity. She is curious about why Atticus would defend Tom and why others disagree with his decision to do so. Scout asks “Do all lawyers defend N-Negroes, Atticus?” (100). She is curious about the judicial system and African Americans. Scout is young and by doing this, she shows interest in an adult concept and matures in a way that most people in Maycomb will never experience. This characterization shows that Scout learns to treat every race equally and to respect others who disagree with her opinions even if she believes her opinions to be morally right. After Scout recognizes the cruelty that society has placed upon African Americans, she matures even further to ask Atticus why he would defend Tom Robinson when he knows that it will upset others. He replies that “ If I didn't I couldn't hold my up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again” (100). Scout is growing, maturing and wanting to know more. She starts to ask question and contemplate the moral dilemmas of Atticus’ case. This evidence shows the characterization of Scout as she matures and learns more about the case. In this novel, tone and characterization presents the maturity needed to respect everyone's opinions and perspectives in other places in the novel.
Scout’s maturity is shown through what she says and how it affects others. When a mob appears for Atticus, Scout,Dill and Jem defend Atticus. After speaking to Mr. Cunningham about the kind things that he had done for her family, Scout says “ I slowly awoke to the fact that I was addressing the entire aggregation. The men were all looking at me, some had their mouths half-open. Atticus had stopped poking at Jem: they were standing together beside Dill. Their attention amounted to fascination. Atticus’s mouth,even, was half-open, an attitude he had once described as uncouth. Our mouths met and he shut it” (205). This shows how Scout’s tone when addressing Mr. Cunningham really had an effect on the mob. Scout’s tone showed how she knew that what she had said was meaningful and had an impact on the mob. This comes with great maturity from Scout to understand that her tone had an impact to be firm on her stance about Tom but not to disrespect anybody's opinions. Harper Lee also shows Scout’s maturity through characterization. Throughout the novel she learns that all races should be treated equally but also every opinion should be respected. After a lunch party with many women who don't have the same opinions as Scout she thinks to herself “Well, neither of us was the Mayor of Birmingham, but I wished I was governor of Alabama for one day: I’d let Tom Robinson go so quick the Missionary Society wouldn't have to catch its breath” (313). Scout understands that she must respect all opinions even though she doesn't agree with them. In the town of Maycomb, almost everyone hates Tom Robinson except for Scout and her family and because of this Scout matures to respect every
perspective. Maturing is an essential part of growing up and understanding others views is part of maturing. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout had to experience this with her towns varying views on racism. Scout learns that what seems like the obvious and moral perspective is not always the most common. She learns how to respect these views while keeping her own during her father’s case with Tom Robinson. This shows how though she disagrees she cannot disrespect others view on the case and through this Scout immensely matures. It is through this growth and maturity, that readers should be able to understand that when differing opinions arise, the answer is to not debate back and forth about who is and isn't right but to understand that people will have different perspectives on tough subjects and that the only way to work through those differing opinions to openly respect and understand the others view while firmly establishing your own belief respectfully.
“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.
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.
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.
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. In the early chapters of the book, Scout picks fights at the slightest provocation.
Scout is the main character in this book, everything happens from her point of view. But, what happens with her, how does she change and develop? Throughout the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout develops by becoming less aggressive, more independent, and more able to see things from other people's points of view.
On several occasions, Scout gets into a fight with people who make unpleasant comments about her father. Atticus continuously tells her that this is wrong and that she needs to learn to control her anger, “You might hear some ugly talk about it 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” (Lee 101). The day after this discussion with Atticus, Scout is approached by a fellow student who had previously made a mean comment about her father. “I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped my fists and walked away...it was the first time I ever walked away from a fight” (Lee 102). Although she struggles at first, Scout develops a higher level of maturity which allows her to control her temper and simply defend her father with her words, without being rude. Jem is also faced with these type of situations and struggles with his anger, for instance when he attacks Mrs. Dubose’s flowers. Atticus goes to great lengths to teach his children that in life, they must learn to stay calm and be kind to everyone, despite how cruel those people may be. Scout and Jem face several situations in which their control is tested, which leads them to “come of age”
As a child grows, many people influence their development as a person. Some people impact more than others, and a select few really leave their mark. In Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” several characters play this role. Among them, Miss Maudie Atkinson, a woman who proves herself a strong character, prevails as the one who has the greatest impact on Scout Finch, the protagonist of this novel. As Scout matures and grows up, her views on the world around her change. Through subtle yet effective ways, Miss Maudie teaches Scout many life lessons about being humble, judging, and attitude, all of which ultimately have a great effect on the kind of person Scout develops into and her outlook on the world.
When Scout goes to the courtroom to hear Atticus speak and fight for Tom’s freedom, she realizes that Atticus is trying his hardest to defend an innocent man. Finally, Scout grows through her interest in school by learning about Hitler and the horrible historical events that have happened in the world. Her maturity is expressed by what she has learned about the world around her and can apply those things to her everyday life. Moreover, Scout has matured greatly in the novel and she has learned many lessons about life, family, and womanhood.
Harper Lee’s timeless novel To Kill a Mockingbird is told by Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch, a fiery young girl from the quiet town of Maycomb, Alabama. In defiance of the traditionally passive role of Southern women, Scout grew up as a tomboy and, like her older brother Jem, was unafraid to engage other children in physical confrontations. At the onset of the novel, Scout displayed these aggressive tendencies, fighting classmates whom she believed had wronged her or her family. However, Scout developed as a character in the first half of To Kill a Mockingbird to the extent that she was willing to walk away from fights that weren’t worth fighting. Scout’s willingness to engage in combat with other children early on in the novel was evident in the description of her treatment of Walter Cunningham after being punished for explaining his financial situation to her teacher. Scout described this fight, saying, “Catching Walter Cunningham in the schoolyard gave me some pleasure, but when I was rubbing his nose in the dirt Jem came by and told me to stop...Jem said, ‘…Scout here…she won’t fight you anymore.’ ‘I wouldn’t be too certain of that,’ I said” (Lee 30-31). As evidenced by this description, Scout had a quick temper and was just as willing as many of her male classmates to fight others, reflecting the combative sense of justice common to the children of her day. A key tenant of her aggressive morality was an unwillingness to turn away from a fight for fear of being called a coward. Scout held these beliefs throughout the beginning of the novel and fought many other children to defend her reputation. However, through moral instruction from her father, Atticus Finch, Scout was able to abandon much of her aggression. She grew to recognize...
In ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’ written by Harper Lee, there is a precise sense of maturity that is shown by Jem and Finch Scout as the novel progresses. Jem and Scout Finch start to mature considerably throughout the novel once they realize what horrid things adults are capable of, get their moral strengths tested and become familiar with distinguishing right from wrong. Shaping them into the young adults they are. Growing up can mean taking on many tasks and responsibilities, being able to distinguish right from wrong, just like Scout had done on her first day of grade one when she was asked to read in front of the class but came across as showing off. “I knew I had annoyed Miss Caroline, so I let well enough alone and stared out the window until recess when Jem cut me from the covey of first-graders in the schoolyard.
As children we are oblivious to the influence of those who surround us . We chose to see the greater good in humanity rather than the obvious truth. We are influenced by our environment and choose to abide to the morals presented to us. This applies directly to the novel to Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, which moves along with the lives of two young children ;Scout and Jem. Along with the obstacles they face and the exposure they have to the ideas of racism, gender roles, and degenerate morals. Throughout the novel it is evident that Scout and Jem go from naïveté to maturity due to their surroundings, influence of family members, and the arising controversy of the Tom Robinson case. They both develop
Scout stands up for her beliefs and rights when Francis calls Atticus rude and offensive names. She gets tells Francis, “He is not!... I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, but you better cut it out this red hot minute” (83). The argument had started when Francis called Atticus a “n*****-lover”. Scout became defensive and stood up for Atticus because she knew that Atticus was a fair man who didn’t believe in racism. He stood up for black people because he believed that everyone was equal regardless of race. Scout, along with her father believed that black people should be treated fairly as well so when Francis called Atticus rude names she stood up for him because she knew that Atticus was a fair and equal man. This shows that you do not need to be an adult to understand the world because most of the people in Maycomb were racist such as Bob Ewell. Despite her young age, Scout stood up for her father and her beliefs and knew that not all black people were bad people. Additionally, Jem stands up for his rights and his father when Mrs. Dubose says something rude about black people. Scout describes Jem’s attitude when she thinks, “Jem had probably stood as much gruff about Atticus lawing for n***** as much as I, and I took it for granted that he kept his temper” (102). This shows that although Jem had a pretty steady temper, he lost it when Mrs. Dubose said that Atticus was “no better than the n****** and trash he works for”. Jem, like his father didn’t discriminate against black people unlike the rest of the people in Maycomb. While he did get heated, it was because he stood up for Atticus and his beliefs which were to not judge black people. There was already so much prejudice in Maycomb and Jem regardless of his young age, stood up for what he thought was right and protected black people and his father. This lesson of standing up for what you think
Each and every person will go through a coming of age experience sometime in their life. Those experiences can come in different forms. But, each coming of age experience ends up shaping us to become a mature adult. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee tells a coming of age story through Scout Finch, an aging girl’s point of view. Her brother, Jem Finch who experiences coming of age before Scout, realizes that being an adult was not what he hoped. Jem recognizes a different perspective of bravery from Mrs.Dubose, a vile, elderly woman’s perspective. In chapter 11, Harper Lee uses literary elements such as character, conflict, and setting to establish Jem’s new outlook on life.
Throughout the novel, Atticus’ assistance to Jem and Scout’s development becomes evident. Atticus takes every opportunity to attempt to teach his children the importance of having an open-mind. For instance, when Scout queries Atticus about Maycomb’s prejudice perspective, he tells her, “You never really understand a person until…you climb in their skin and walk around in it.” (Lee 30) Even during the early stages of the novel, it is apparent that Atticus endeavors to instill the values of empathy and tolerance within Jem and Scout by teaching them how to have multiple perspectives on a situation. In addition, Atticus also attempts to enlighten his children about peaceful resolution in society. For example, when Atticus is chosen to defend Tom Robinson, Atticus tells Scout, you might hear some ugly talk about it at school but…you just hold your head high and keep those fists down.”...
Tracy McMillian, a author who is a relationship expert once said, “Caring - about people, about things, about life - is an act of maturity.” In the book To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee, Scout Finch matures throughout the story. In the begging Scout seems to be on stage one in Kohlberg’s moral development. Kohlberg’s moral development is a theory made by a psychologist named Lawrence Kohlberg. Compared to the end of the book level six seems to best describe Scout’s current level of moral development. Throughout the book Scout learns many lesson’s about life, and realizes the world is not always how it seems, and sometimes Scout has to put herself in someone else’s shoes to understand them, and the choice’s they make.