Coming of Age

885 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How does harper lee use coming of age in to kill a mockingbird

“You’re becoming a man (or woman),” is a phrase that is often used by parents. Although it sounds weird, it’s a great feeling. How does that feeling come about? It isn’t necessarily just given out to each and every person in the world. Even though it may seem free, nothing is ever free. Fortunately, it doesn’t always come with a negative cost. In the story, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the author uses imagery in order to portray the theme that coming of age happens through events that involve a conflict and resolution.
Nearly everybody in the United States has gone to school due to the fact that it is required by law. The first day is always big. At that age, it seems to be the best day in the world. Little kids feel like big kids who have more freedom. School is obviously a contribution to one’s coming of age. As Scout is narrating the story nearing the first day of her school career, she remarks, “Jem condescended to take me to school the first day, a job usually done by one’s parents, but Atticus had said Jem would be delighted to show me where my room was” (Lee 20). The painted image of the sarcastic face of Atticus towards Jem in their conflict with each other and confused young Scout allows the reader to understand that Atticus clearly does not want to witness his little girl growing up like most dads and their daughters. Due to the fact that Scout is not being taken to school by her father, the process of coming of age is accelerated. Normally, it is a smaller step but in the way that she willingly accepts the fact that Jem is taking her it allows her independence and womanhood to shine. Next, while Jem explains the new rules of school to Scout, she questions, “’You mean we can’t play any more?’” (Lee 21). After J...

... middle of paper ...

...t the right ones but whatever happens, happens. This contributes to their coming of age because they grow up through experiencing this conflict.
The truth about the world that we live in is that the fictional world that Scout, Jem, and Dill is not that different. When we experience different things, we learn from them whether it is in a positive way or a negative way. Although learning it can sometimes be harsh, it always gives us insight on what will happen if the same thing or a similar thing occurs again. As we go through life and receive this insight, we grow in knowledge and begin to act more “adult-like”. Everyday holds something new to learn after experiencing some sort of conflict, and through imagery in Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, the author is able to show the reader that the resolution is a learning experience for the next time something happens.

Show More
Related

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Lessons Analysis

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird" shows and teaches many lessons throughout the passage. Some characters that learn lessons in this passage are Scout, Jem, and Dill. Scout and Jems father Atticus, is taking a case that affects their lives in so many ways. They all learn new things throughout the story and it impacts their lives greatly. There are lots of things including the trial mostly that change the perspective of the world they live in. The kids are living in the Great Depression and it shows just how bad things really where. Scout, Jem, and Dill have experiences that force them to mature and gain new insight.

    Read More

  • Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

    1141 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Scout And Jem Mature In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1119 Words  | 3 Pages

    When something serious happens that would normally not happen until adulthood, it forces a child to “grow up” such as going through a loss or another difficult time. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, numerous situations occur which cause Scout and Jem to mature and “come of age”. Throughout the book, Scout and Jem face several complicated situations, for example, there are many cases in which people verbally attack Scout and her family. Scout has to learn to control her anger and to not get in fights with those who provoke her. In the novel, Scout and Jem encounter numerous circumstances which cause them to mature and “grow” such as reading for their neighbor, the trial for which their father is a lawyer, and having to defend their dad while controlling their anger.

    Read More

  • Growth and Maturity in To Kill a Mockingbird

    1005 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Atticus' Lessons

    701 Words  | 2 Pages

    The unforgettable, Anne Frank, wrote long ago, “Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands” (Goodreads). In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the novel revolves around three children named, Scout, Jem, and Dill. It follows them through their years of growing up and coming to understand the importance of lessons, Atticus, Scout and Jem’s father, advises them. Furthermore, Lee shows often the best lessons are learned outside the classroom.

    Read More

  • Jem Finch Maturity

    1203 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Maturation: Once a Child, No More in To Killing a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    1104 Words  | 3 Pages

    A five year old is the epitome of innocence and naiveté. But as time progresses, this fragility is lost and children must learn gradually cope with the outside world and mature via gaining new experiences that grant them wisdom and knowledge. Three characters, Jem, Scout, and Dill in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee living during the Depression-era in Maycomb County, deal with the harsh reality of Maycomb’s racism and prejudice while maturing through gaining knowledge, experience, and courage. The kids grow up learning many lessons from Atticus or from their own experiences. In her depiction of Jem, Scout, and Dill, Lee reveals their maturation from being the children they are to having a thorough understanding of their society and the people within it.

    Read More

  • Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

    648 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee tells the story of coming-of-age and the loss of innocence through the character Jem. Through recurring events, Jem is faced with the realization of society’s injustice, and is left questioning the world he lives in. During a time of rampant racial discrimination and prejudice in the south, Jem transforms from naivety to maturity.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Coming Of Age Essay

    866 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Life Lessons in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

    778 Words  | 2 Pages

    No matter where or who a person is, they are always learning something, either about themselves or about the environment around them. In Harper Lee's heartwarming novel titled To Kill A Mockingbird, the main characters Jem and Scout grow and mature throughout the story as they learn both more about themselves and the world around them. As the story progresses, they learn many life lessons including those about prejudice, people and how they have been categorized and judged, and, last but not least, gender issues.

    Read More

  • To Kill a Mocking Bird - Maturation

    1082 Words  | 3 Pages

    The way and rate that people mature at can be directly attributed to the values and beliefs of the society that surrounds an individual. It is undeniable that society’s perspective on many controversial issues will generally be adopted by the younger generations in a given society. Moreover, the exposure to significant events, coupled with the major influence of family members, can have an enormous impact on how an individual matures. Additionally, family members greatly help each other develop into moral adults by instilling in each other values that will ultimately determine an individual’s character. In Harper Lee’s timeless classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, the constant reiteration of Atticus Finch’s values, in conjunction with the exposure to significant events, assist in Jem and Scout’s maturation into virtuous adolescents.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1307 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jems naïve views are soon corrupted as he goes through experiences like with Boo Radley, but Jem manages to grow in strength as he sheds his pure qualities and learns to have hope. Jem and Scouts childhood friend Dill represents another killing of a mockingbird, as his innocence is destroyed during his trial experience. Scouts childish views dissipates as she witnesses different events in her life, and she grows in experience and maturity as she encounters racial prejudice, making her learn how to maintain her pure conscience that Atticus has developed without losing hope or becoming cynical. Harper Lee’s novel explores human morality, as she weaves the path from childhood to a more adult perspective, illustrating the evils in a corrupt world how to understand them without losing

    Read More

  • Transition From Childhood to Maturity: Good and Evil

    973 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the story, Jem and Scout experience different people, and grow up in the process, differentiating from the good and the bad. A major character in the lives of the children was Tom Robinson, who was found guilty for no apparent reason. Mrs. Dubose acted very intolerant towards the children, but in the end Jem learned some things very valuable from her. Boo Radley, our “mockingbird”, is revealed to be one of the good guys, like a silent savior. The children learn their lessons, as it can be seen when Scout acts like a lady when Jem is being a teenager, when Dill loses his innocence, and when Jem hits adolescence.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Life Lessons Analysis

    1025 Words  | 3 Pages

    Life is full of lessons. The lessons you learn adjust and fit your character and who you are. In the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, the characters of Jem and Scout are young, and have to figure life as they go. Jem and Scout witness and live through life lessons. They learn these lessons from others around them. Some lessons come from their town itself, while others come from people. Their father, Atticus, teaches them a lot about life and the right and wrong. Jem and Scout learn what it means to have empathy, courage, persistence and personal integrity. Also, the Mockingbirds themselves adjust and appoint life lessons.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Coming Of Age

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the beginning of the book, Scout is worrying about her teacher’s teaching methods. In addition, Scout is worried about getting in trouble. However, towards the end of the book, Scout is tackling serious world issues. She contemplates how not everyone has the same opportunities. Furthermore, she worries about African Americans being treated unjustly on a daily basis. After the Tom Robinson trial, the whole Finch family is upset, but they leave it to young Scout to showcase her maturity. Scout shows maturity when she states, “Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed” (Lee 276). Scout saw the situation from Tom Robinson’s point of view and how he knew that he was a dead man because of the racist white jury. Earlier in the novel, she would not have been mature enough to think about the trial in that way and would not have understood such a challenging concept. After the trial, Scout starts thinking about others and what it would be like to walk a day in their shoes. This is showcased during a conversation with Jem when Scout says, “No, everybody’s gotta learn, nobody’s born knowin’. That Walter’s as smart as he can be, he just gets held back sometimes because he has to stay out

    Read More

More about Coming of Age

Open Document