During the Great Depression, the South of the United States was unfair to its citizens. Those who were treated unfairly or fairly was based on their skin colour, gender, or economic standpoint. Harper Lee displays what was like to live in the South in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Like children in reality, children in To Kill a Mockingbird have to learn what society was in order to survive. In order to reach maturity, children must learn difficult truths about the world around them, thus losing their innocence. First, Jem realizes that not all people are treated fairly. Second, Scout sees situations through other characters’ perspectives. Finally, Dill understands the unfairness of society.
To begin, Jem realizes that all people are not
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treated fairly in order to reach maturity. Jem learns about racism in the courtroom of the verdict of Tom Robinson. During the trial, believes that Atticus will win the case because Tom Robinson is physically unable to the damage that was given to Mayella Ewell. But, the verdict finds Tom Robinson guilty, and Jem cries “It ain’t right, Atticus.” (Lee 284). Before the verdict, Jem firmly believes that Atticus will win because Tom, in reality, is not guilty. After the verdict he learns that the jury’s hatred to black people is what made Tom guilty and sentenced him to death, and he cries because of it, since it is unfair morally, and thus loses his innocence. Likewise, Jem gains empathy towards all living beings when Scout tries to kill a bug. One day, after Tom Robinson’s trial, Jem tells Scout to set a bug that she caught outside and leave it alone. Scout tries to kill it but Jem refuses. When asked why, Jem says “because they don’t bother you.” (Lee 320). Jem matures and realizes that one should not hurt something that does not bother him/her. When Jem was younger, he would of killed that bug but Jem is maturing and realizes that the bug has not bothered Scout, so she should not kill it. Thus, Jem realizes that not all people are treated fairly as he cries for the oppression of all living beings. Not only does Jem mature by realizing that some people are treated unfairly, but Scout matures as well as she sees situations through other character’s shoes.
One way that Scout sees situations through other’s shoes is when she stops fighting other children. One day, Scout fights Cecil Jacobs in the schoolyard because Atticus defends black people. Scout asks Atticus why he does, and Atticus reminds Scout that Cecil is still her friend. With that in mind, Scout walks away from Cecil the next day and gets called a coward. “It was the first time I ever walked away from a fight.” (Lee 102). Scout for the first time in her life, puts herself in Cecil’s shoes and she reminds herself that he is a friend. She matures because it is the first time she walked away from a fight. Similarly, Scout matures as she sees what Boo Radley is like in his shoes. After the Bob Ewell encounter after the pageant, she walks Boo Radley home. He goes into his house and Scout stands on his porch, where she sees what Boo Radley actually is. “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 374). Standing on Arthur’s porch was enough for Scout to realize what Arthur really is. Arthur is not a mysterious ghost from their childhood fantasies, but more of an guardian of Jem and Scout from the mature reality. Therefore, Scout matures by learning truths about Boo and Cecil via seeing …show more content…
situations through their perspectives. In contrast to Jem maturing by realizing that not everybody is not treated fairly in society and Scout seeing situations through others’ shoes, Dill also matures as he understands the unfairness of society.
Dill learns that his parents do not love him and stops telling his childhood fables. One day, Jem and Scout find Dill under Scout’s bed. Dill says in a fable that he ran away from his parents’ house as he was chained in their basement and came back to Maycomb. At night, Dill tells Scout that he ran away because his parents do not love him anymore, not in his normal fiction-format. “They do get on a lot better without me, I can’t help them any.” (Lee 191). In summers before, Dill was filled with exaggerations of stories of what actually happened. Dill matures and understands that his parents do not truly love him, and he stops exaggerating to Scout and Jem as there is no point to it. Also, Dill matures as she cries at the cross-examination of Tom Robinson during his trial. During Tom’s cross-examination, Dill cries. Scout and Dill are sent outside to compose themselves. When outside, they meet Mr. Dolphus Raymond,who explains to Scout why Dill is crying. “Cry about the simple hell people give other people- without even thinking. Cry about the hell white people give coloured folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people, too” (Lee 269). Dill cries because Tom’s cross-examination is too harsh and unfair. This is the first time in his life that he’s experienced
something like this to a black person. He cries because he understands that a man/woman should not be so harsh and crude to another, despite what his/her skin colour, economic standpoint, or gender is, but it is just like that in his society. Hence, Dill matures as he stops telling tales and cries at the trial because he realizes how unfair society can be to its citizens. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, children lose their innocence as they learn hard-to-swallow veracities about the world around them. First, Jem realizes that some living beings are oppressed through the bug and Tom Robinson’s verdict. Second, Scout sees situations like Cecil Jacobs and Boo Radley through their perspectives. Finally, Dill matures because he understands the unfairness of Tom’s trial and his own life. During the Great Depression in the South of the US, people were definately treated unfairly. Innocent people’s lives were ruined based off of their economical standpoint, skin colour, and gender. Although children matured from learning these difficult truths, these children were then able to make change in the world, and eventually prevent more oppression from happening.
Jem had changed throughout the story from acting like a child and doing things that children do to becoming more mature and taking part in the community. When Dill had ran away from his mom and stepdad during the summer Jem and Scout had found him under the bed in Scout’s room. Scout was planning to hide him in her room: however, Jem had other plans. “Dill’s eyes flickered at Jem and Jem looked at the floor. Then he rose and broke the remaining code of our childhood. He went out of the room and down the hall. “Atticus, can you come here a minute, sir?” (pg. 74) For years, Jem and Dill had been the best of friends. Dill had found Jem trustworthy, however, Jem was willing to do what was right even if it means losing a friends trust. Towards the end of the summer, when Dill was getting ready to leave Jem felt that it was necessary that Dill should learn to swim. He has spent the next week going to the creek to teach him. "Jem had discovered with angry amazement that nobody had ever bothered to teach Dill how to swim, a skill Jem considered necessary as walking. They had spent two afternoons at the creek, they said they were going in ...
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.
By providing a precise example of the times it is set in, To Kill a Mockingbird effects the readers opinions on today's society making them think of ways to better it. For example, in the novel, Lee describes what life in Maycomb, a southern town in Alabama, was like during the 1930's: “ a day was twenty-four hours long but seemed longer. There was no hurry, for there was no where to go, nothing to buy, and no money to buy it with...” ( Lee 6). People have a hard time imagining what life in a big depression was like, and this provides them with a description that not only helps the reader think about living during those times but broadens their knowledge about the history in general. This new insight helps them to see how far today's society has come and how many obstacles mankind has faced and overcome on their journey to today. In addition, Catherine Bernard explains through her book, Understanding To Kill A Mockingbird, that: “ While Lee's novel is set in the 1930's, the themes of discrimination and toleranc...
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee discusses that children are forced to mature in times of crisis, as their innocence is stripped away from their naive ways of thinking. At the beginning, children are characterized as innocent little beings that think carelessly, without considering the consequences, and often see things superficially. However, this situation changes when the evils of this world was revealed openly, and it was inevitable that the children would lost some parts of themselves. They would no longer see the world as perfect and fair, rather they would come to understand that the world is actually judgmental and unjust.
Dill is dreamy, enigmatic and insecure. Unlike the Finch children he feels unwanted until they welcome him under their wing. Dill talks of his stepfather and mother as well off people who show him the sights of the urbanised area that they live in. In reality this is not what the picture is with Dill and his parents. They don't want him and he is passed from relative to relative in an attempt to be rid of him for some time. He is moved on from his one relative to the next when they get tired making Dill feels unwanted although he doesn't show it. As a result of this when Dill comes to Maycomb and meets Jem and Scout, he feels comforted and contented to be with people who have time for him and who enjoy his company.
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
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
Jem Finch demonstrates growing maturity throughout the novel. After Tom Robinson’s trial, Scout reveals Jem’s feelings. “It was Jem’s turn to cry.” Scout uncovers, “His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd,” (TKAM 284). Jem understands the trial is not fair because of race. He is mature enough to realize this while Scout is not. Another example of Jem’s maturity is exemplified when he is fulfilling his obligation to read to Mrs. Dubose. Scout describes, “ ‘So you brought that dirty little sister of yours did you?’ was her greeting… ‘My sister ain’t dirty and I ain’t scared of you’, although I noticed his knees shaking,” (TKAM 141). Rather than Jem replying to Mrs. Dubose with an insult, he dismisses her comment. Furthermore, this showcases his patience and tolerance, which comes with maturity. Finally, Jem validates his maturity when the Finch children find Dill under Scout’s bed. “You oughta let your mother know where you are.” announced Jem, “You oughta let her know you are here…”(TKAM 187). At this point Jem knows the right way to handle this situation is to let an adult know where Dill is. Even though Scout believes she can keep him under her bed forever, Jem recognizes the reality. When Jem’s maturity is put to the test he demonstrates good judgment and decision-making.
There were a few different themes in To Kill a Mockingbird one of which I believe would be the loss of innocence which I believe Dill represents in a odd way. Dill is a childish little boy who likes to play with Jem and Scout in fact early on in the book when the kids were acting Dill “played the character parts formally thrust upon Scout” (jem pg 8). Along with being a good friend and i nice guy Dill only came during the summer and loved to play with the kids he even ran away from home one summer when he couldn't come just to be with them. Dill never really loses his innocence and, I believe because of that he would make a good comparison to the kids at the end of the book after the attack. Along with being a good comparison Dill points out