Maturation In To Kill A Mockingbird

Maturation is the action or process of completing natural growth and development. A

character undergoes maturation by slowly growing up and gaining an understanding of the

environment around them. As people grow up from a child to a teenager, then to an adult, they

mature and learn things during the process. Everyone learns to become more knowledgeable with

their decisions through the events in their lives. The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is

about a girl named Scout, who in the story, illustrates her experiences involving the people

around her. The process of maturation is showcased by the challenging growth of the characters

Scout, Atticus and Jem.

The first character who undergoes the process of maturation is

During that time

they will ask people if it is theirs and if no one comes forth, they will keep them. Scout is

maturing by this because she is gaining an increased understanding of the things around her.

Therefore Scout shows maturation by showing and understanding of the gifts. Also, Scout grows

up by learning to empathize others. In this example Scout is leaving Boo Radley’s porch, but

before she leaves she turns around and thinks,

“I had never seen our neighborhood from this angle. There were Miss Maudie’s, Miss

Stephanie’s—there was our house, I could see the porch swing—Miss Rachel’s house was

beyond us, plainly visible. I could even see Mrs. Dubose’s. I looked behind me. To the left of the

brown door was a long shuttered window. I walked to it, stood in front of it, and turned around.

In daylight, I thought, you could see to the post office corner - 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 373 - 374).

SAWH 4

In this scene, Scout has just finished dropping off Boo Radley and before she leaves his