How Do Children Mature In To Kill A Mockingbird

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.

Children are utmost naive during the times when they are not soiled by the darkness that society

has to offer. This was seen through the first-person perspective with Scout. During one summer, Scout and Jem found entertainment through the "Radley Game" in which the kids act out the daily routine of their mysterious neighbor. Although this game is harmless, it does not change the fact that the children poked fun out of their neighbors, and it shows the readers that children are not aware of the consequences and often make bad choices. Moreover, Scout was found to be immature when she was insensitive to Walter Cunningham's feelings, and bluntly told her teacher that Walter is too poor to pay lunch. She is revealed to be incapable of sharing feelings with others, in order words, she cannot empathize with other people. Additionally, due to her incapability, Scout ends up superficially believing that Walter is the reason to why her teacher is angry with her. Therefore, children are naive and innocent, and oftentimes, they do something without considering the consequences.
Without a doubt, children are considered to be simple minded, and they are yet to engage with a complex way of thinking.

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

others.
Society's norms are often inflexible and children are eventually influenced by such restrictions, losing parts of their innocence along with the norms. Similarly, Maycomb, a small town in Alabama displays such rigidness in racial segregation and its system of classification. The town stands as the harsh reality of the world, and this allowed Jem and Scout to really see the inequality of race during a court case about a African American man called Tom Robinson. In spite of the fact that Atticus provides adequate amount of evidence that proved Robinson innocent, the people of Maycomb still closed their eyes and gave Robinson a guilty verdict. The unfairness in situation shatters Jem's innocence and forced him to accept that the world is not as perfect as he once has thought, "...streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. "It ain't right," he muttered..." As a result, times of terror causes children to lose their innocence, and enable them to understand that the world contains both good and bad qualities.
Overall, once a person loses his/her innocence, it is impossible for him/her to get it back.

They lose some parts of themselves, as they are forced to accept the bitterness of reality. However, this is how the world works and one has to adapt and accept the truth. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem demonstrate this loss when they discovered that Boo is a good-natured person, and gradually, they were able to empathize with others. Additionally they found how prejudiced the town of Maycomb is during the court case of Tom Robinson. Unfortunately, there was nothing that they can do about it; therefore, it is imperative for them to appreciate the goodness in people while forgiving the

evil.