Maturation is when develops physically and mentally, having the appropriate attitude and behaviour. Maturation is growing from a kid to an adult step by step and learning from your mistakes. When matured, one has a better view of the world and everything is more clear and understandable. Maturity also leads to one revising their actions and words before speaking and it completely changes a person. Maturing is key because one can have better communication skills and gain more trust. Several characters mature through the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and the author makes the characters go through different stages and show them maturing in various ways. The majority of the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird had matured throughout …show more content…
the novel but the three characters that matured most effectively were Scout Finch, Jem Finch and Arthur “Boo” Radley. All three characters demonstrate great maturity throughout the novel as letting go of old habits is not easy. To begin with, Scout Finch has matured throughout this novel in various ways.
Scout improves her behaviour and overall as a person by the end of the novel. A significant change occurred of Scout in chapter 9 as a student named Cecil Jacobs had told her Atticus, Scout’s father, defends “negroes”. She went home that night and had asked Atticus if that was true and Atticus says all lawyers defend them. The next morning Scout said “My fists were clenched and I was ready to let fly. Atticus had promised me he would wear me out if he ever heard of me fighting anymore; I was far too old and too big for such childish things…” (Lee, 99). This quote symbolizes that she has grown up from a child. A comparison would be in the beginning of the book Scout fights Walter because standing up for him caused her to look bad as she had a new teacher and it was a bad first impression. Scout is now grown up as she would not fight Cecil for accusing her father of defending Negroes and if this were to happen earlier in the book she would have fought him. Another example of Scout maturing would be when Jem and she had to walk past Mrs. Dubose’s house as that lady talked in a rude way to the children. Scout would eventually not take detour home as it is an extra mile to get home. “When we were small, Jem and I confined our activities to the southern neighbourhood, but when I was well into the second grade at school and tormenting Boo Radley became passé, the business section of Maycomb drew us …show more content…
frequently up the street past the real property of Mrs. Henry Layfette Dubose. It was impossible to go to town without passing her house unless we wished to walk a mile out of the way. Previous encounters with her left me no desire for more, but Jem said I have to grow up some time” (Lee, 134). This quote proves that Scout has learned to face her problems instead of avoiding them. This also shows her maturity and how she does not want to walk an extra mile home just because of Mrs. Dubose yelling at her and Jem. To conclude with, Scout matures effectively throughout To Kill a Mockingbird and learns how to deal with other people. Furthermore, Jem Finch has matured throughout this novel in various ways and he is the brother of Scout and son of Atticus Finch.
Jem gains maturity and respect since the story starts as he tells Scout not to hit Walter Cunningham anymore and invites him to dinner at the Finches place. “Come on home to dinner with us, Walter, he said. We’d be glad to have you.” (Lee, 30). This shows Jem being nice enough to invite the poor Walter over and not fighting him but treating him with respect and the same way equally. This also shows Jem’s sudden maturity right from the get go. Another way, Jem shows maturation is when the kids are in the courthouse and Atticus gets alerted that they are here so Atticus wants them to leave but Jem denies and insists on staying with Atticus. “Go home, I said. Jem shook his head. As Atticus’s fists went to his hips so did Jem’s, and as they faced each other I could see little resemblance between them: Jem’s soft brown hair and eyes, his oval face and snug-fitting ears were our mother’s, contrasting oddly with Atticus’s graying black hair and square-cut features, but they were somehow alike. Mutual defiance made them alike. Son, I said go home. Jem shook his head” (Lee, 203). Jem matures because he realizes how important this is to his father and the danger of being here but he still wants to be alongside his father and support him with the kids. To summarize, Jem matures significantly in this
novel. Last but not least, Boo Radley matures throughout To Kill a Mockingbird. In the beginning of the book, Boo was accused of something and rumored to not come outside for his life and he was very antisocial. Randomly Jem and Scout had started receiving presents from Arthur in the Radley’s tree for an unknown reason. “Jem you reckon that’s somebody’s hidden place? Naw, don’t anybody much but us pass by there”, (Lee, 84). This shows that Arthur actually has the ability of socializing with someone but he did not due to him always staying inside. Another way Arthur matures is by saving and helping Jem and Scout. He helps them in a needy situation, “Thank you for my children Arthur”, (Lee, 374). This was said by Atticus to appreciate Boo’s help and his sacrifice for coming out. The town of Maycomb has made negative theories about Boo but this declares he is not a dangerous person but instead a very sacrificial person and humble. Therefore, Arthur has developed from being antisocial to a communicative and helping person. In conclusion, the majority of the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird had matured throughout the novel but the three characters that matured most effectively were Scout Finch, Jem Finch and Atticus Finch. To Kill a Mockingbird showed various different characters maturing and facing tough obstacles. Maturity can lead to many benefits in life such as being successful and make a positive impact as one learns a lot. A wise and mature person would have an advantage over an immature person. Therefore, maturity can bring many ups in life for one and create success.
“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.
She has become a better person. At the beginning of the book, Scout was not a nice child. She had hard times controlling herself, and usually she was not able to. She knew Atticus wouldn't like it if he heard of her fighting, but still she fought a lot, like the time she got angry with Cecil Jacobs and fought him (pg. 99. The adage is a slam.
When children grow up, they face difficult problems, and. they learn to cope and take responsibility. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is a flashback about two kids that spans over a few years. Jem ages from ten to thirteen over the course of the novel, and undergoes much change, as his sister describes him. Over the years, he is exposed to issues adults face, and eventually shows an understanding of racism and innocence. As Jem grows up, his view on courage also changes. Jem follows his father's footsteps, and gets much of his knowledge from him.
At the start of Part Two, Jem starts to grow to be a more mature person and develop a want for wisdom and knowledge. “In addition to Jem’s newly developed characteristics, he had acquired a maddening air of wisdom.” (116) In this quote, Calpurnia is speaking to Scout letting her know that the reason for Jem’s sudden changes is that he is growing up and is almost a young man. Jem is beginning to mature mentally. Jem wants to become more ...
In the beginning of the story, Jem enjoys the childish games of fantasizing about Boo Radley, taking any dare, and . Scout tells the reader that Jem becomes more and more moody as the story progresses, due to his aging. He thinks more; he shows more compassion; and he is appalled by the unfairness that rears its ugly head in his hometown. While Scout recounts the events of her childhood, the reader fails to notice that “To Kill a Mockingbird” is not a story about the narrator (Scout) maturing, it is actually about Jem maturing, and becoming an adult.
The first way Scout developed throughout the book was when she became less aggressive. In the beginning, Scout was aggressive when she beats up Walter Cunningham up on the playground on her first day of school. She beats Walter up because he got her in trouble with the teacher. Walter got Scout in trouble because when the teacher asked who had lunch, Walter didn’t raise his hand and when the teacher, Miss Caroline, tried to give
Primarily, in To Kill A Mockingbird, Jem is young. Scout states their age when it supposedly all starts: "When I was almost six and Jem was almost ten..." (10). Here Jem is only nine years old and therefore still a moderately young child; it is assumed he is therefore immature. Jem also spends his time playing with his five year old sister.
The key coming of age scene “ TO KILL A MOKING BIRD’’ is where Jem and the two others were up above in the jury watching their father ( Atticus ) try and win a case were an African American person is trying to be blamed guilty for doing something he did not do. This scene has the following literary elements, p.o.v , or point of view, coming of age and also characteristic and respect.
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”
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.
Scout first learns to show compassion and tolerance by refusing to go to school because she hates Miss Caroline. Atticus tells her that, 'First of all, if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around in it'; (30). When Atticus told her this, she began to accept Miss Caroline as well as other people's differences and opinions.
This passage of the story displays coming of age as an internal force through Jem’s character, conflict, and setting. This event led Jem to see situations in a different perspective. He learns that people might come out as rude. But, as hard as it is he must remain respectful, because he would not know what kind of battles they must be facing. He uses this coming of age experience as a life lesson more throughout the
...heme of maturation in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, is conveyed through the characters of Scout and Jem, in conjunction with the assistance of their virtuous father Atticus Finch. Early in the novel, Atticus ascertains himself as a major facilitator in the maturation process of Scout and Jem by incessantly providing mature solutions to his children’s predicaments. Moreover, Scout, a major benefactor of the Boo Radley incident and Atticus’ wisdom, has helped her develop into a very tolerant and mature individual. Undeniably, Jem’s remarkable development into a broadminded and compassionate character can be directly attributed to Atticus’ kindness and Jem’s exposure to the Tom Robinson trial. In synopsis, it is evident that the individuals and social circumstances that surround an individual play a major role in defining the type of individual one will become.
Maturity is a coming of age when a person is growing emotionally and mentally. Maturity is gained by experiences and decision-making, thus learning from mistakes. This is evident in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Through characterization and symbolism Lee displays maturity.
Another way Scout changed a lot was in the way she treated Boo Radley. At the beginning of the book Jem, Dill, and herself enjoyed playing "Boo Radley" as a game and tormenting him by trying to have a chance to see him or prove their bravery by touching the house. As time went on, Scout's fears and apprehensions regarding the Radley place slowly disappeared. She mentions how "the Radley Place had ceased to terrify me (her)..." As she matures and is more able to take care of herself, she realizes more and more that Boo Radley is a human being, just like herself.