When one is young, one is oblivious to the harsh realities of life. The imperfect human nature, suffering, and trauma can influence a child’s view of the world and the people in it. In her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee tells a story about the coming of age of Scout, a young girl living in the post Civil War South, in a context of racism, violence and aggression. As Scout faces these new experiences, she relies upon her African-American nanny, Calpurnia, her reclusive neighbor, Arthur Radley, and her father, Atticus Finch to help her through it all. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the characterization of Scout to illustrate that when a naive child is exposed to traumatic, adult situations, they may develop a deeper and a more mature understanding of the people who influence them in their life. Scout initially lacks an understanding of her nanny Calpurnia; but after enduring a difficult experience, Scout learns who Calpurnia is and how she has helped her by being both a mother figure and a role model . Early in the novel, Calpurnia witnesses Scout criticizing the way her peer ate his lunch, and Calpurnia attempts to correct Scout’s poor behavior. Scout defends herself leading to a heated argument. After the fight, Scout vows that, “when [Calpurnia] wasn 't With the violence and racism of her community as a backdrop, Scout is forced to develop an understanding of the roles played by the influential people in her life: Calpurnia, Arthur Radley, and Atticus. Although these traumatic, adult experiences were difficult for young Scout to endure, she gains a deeper and more mature understanding of those important to her that will serve her for the rest of her life. Even though the most difficult challenges, one can perservre and
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.
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.
Scout is a young girl growing up in the south, she is intelligent, thoughtful, and good natured. Her identity is somewhat uncommon during the time she lives in. She is characterized as a tomboy, who doesn’t always act “lady like” or proper by southern standards. Scout most likely became the type of person she is by the care of her father, Atticus. He shapes her mind, while trying to protect her from a dangerous world and preserving her childhood.
However, Scout acknowledges her mistakes and uses them as learning experiences that helps her grow and mature. An example that shows this very well in the novel, “I remember the distant disastrous occasion when I rushed to young Walter Cunningham's defense. Now, I was glad I done it. “Soon’s school starts I’m gonna ask Walter Cunningham to dinner,” I planned have forgotten my private resolve to beat him up.” (Lee, Ch.23). This significant taught her a big lesson. That you shouldn’t judge others based on their differences. In the beginning of the book, Scout picks on Walter Cunningham, a classmate, for getting her in trouble with Miss. Caroline. She doesn’t stop to think about her words or Cunningham’s perspective of the situation. In short, she was being insensitive. Walter is from a poor family of farmers their eating habits aren’t like Scout’s. So naturally, Scout, being a child, picks on him for that. Now, later in the novel, Scout understands her mistake and tries invite him for dinner again as a way of apologizing. This quote shows that her innocence views is the bridge that lead her realize her
In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee utilizes the significant symbol of a mockingbird to convey the coming of age theme of knowing someone’s background before forming opinions. When Scout and Jem get airsoft guns for Christmas, Atticus knows they will go “after birds,” so he allows them to “shoot all the bluejays” as long as they do not “kill a mockingbird” because it is “a sin” (Lee 119). Through close analysis, the advice Atticus presents has a much deeper meaning to it than originally perceived. The “mockingbird” is a symbol for all of the innocent people that are portrayed unjustly and the “bluejays” represent the malevolent individuals. Also, Lee’s decision to use the word “sin” suggests that killing a mockingbird is absolutely iniquitous,
Through one's lifetime, many events occur that have an effect on their innocence and how they develop through their coming of age moments. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, the author demonstrates the coming of age moments through the character's life as a child. Lee uses both charazation and conflict to establish the overall injustice of the justice system which influences to the coming of age moments.
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.
She tells the story with much curiosity of the era she is in, unable to understand the world she lives in and why the black were inferior to the white people. Her soft childlike sense brings comfort to the readers. As we come to the end of the book Scout is older but still gives us a kids perspective.
Atticus Finch has become a role model to many throughout the years. He has become revered throughout generations for being so progressive ahead of his time. What most don’t tend to realize, though, is that Atticus is not always steadfast in his character. In fact, he is very dynamic throughout the book and begins to show subtle flaws as the story progresses. This renowned story, Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. is unique in its narrator: a young girl called Scout. She narrates the whole novel over the course of many years of her young life and we can see her grow throughout, thus becoming a very dynamic character. We can see even more her descriptions and perceptions of her father, the man many have looked up to throughout the years. These
In conclusion, Scout is a renowned character in the book of To Kill a Mockingbird for her characteristics. She the perfect narrator due to her innocence, which guides the reader to understand more through Scouts own experiences. She could also be classified as a rebel due to her unwillingness to dress and act like a lady, which was expected of her in those times. Lastly, she is vastly curious about life and the trial, which leads to her maturity and experience. All of these attributes build onto the momentum of this realistic character, Harper Lee’s greatest achievement.
She has many people who have influenced her and got her to think the way she does now. Scout is being brought up by her father, Atticus and their housemaid Calpurnia. The mid 1930’s was a time of civil racial prejudice and closed segregated views especially against Afro-Americans. Scout gets bullied by Walter Cunningham because they find out her father is defending Tom Robinson who was an African-American. “Scout,” said Atticus, “nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don’t mean anything-like snot-nose. It’s hard to explain-ignorant, trashy people uses it when they think somebody’s favoring Negroes over and above themselves. It slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody” (Lee 108). Scout has a hard time trying to understand and process the meaning of what a Negro-lover is. Her father has brought her up protecting her from hate and racism. He has taught her to think, to question and to make her own choices and decisions. However he can’t completely protect her from the upcoming events or reality of the life. On the other hand, her relationship with Calpurnia, she saved from racial discrimination and she has well given Scout a perspective of the true value of a human being, whatever their color may be. A great given example is when Calpurnia brings Scout and Jem to the local Afro-American Church. While being at the church they are being approached by an Afro-American woman who states that they aren’t welcome there. Calpurnia reacted by defending them aggressively, showing the true value of a human being. Scout begins to learn that there are bad people and good people regardless of their skin color. As it says in the book, “Mister Jem,” he said, “we’re mighty glad to have you all here. Don’t pay ‘tention to Lula, she’s contentious because Reverend Sykes threatened to church here. She’s a troublemaker from way back, got fancy ideas
Individual’s without life experience possess a greater urge to reveal the harsh realities of life and understand the rights and wrongs of prejudice. Harper Lee demonstrates this in To Kill a Mockingbird through Scout and her journey of self discovery and understanding her life. The environment that someone grows up and develops in highly influences the way they will think, act and their own opinions. Lee utilises the character of ‘Scout’ as a guide into her own self discovery. She leads us through her examination of society's opinions and her journey to finding her own. The symbolism of the name ‘Scout’ demonstrates her personality as adventurous and willing to discover new ideas, similar to what a scout does. Further, Lee demonstrates Scouts journey to finding her opinions by introducing her to Walter Cunningham. As he is from a poorer family than Scout, he does things differently which is strange and confronting to her. The colloquial language presented in “Theres some folks that don't eat like us… but you ain’t called on to contradict em” demonstrates Calpurnia's life lesson given to Scout offering her advice to not repudiate Walter. Scout is quick to judge anything different from her own way of life. Calpurnia insists that Walter, as someone who is different, deserves respect and in extension teaching Scout that not everyone is the same. Lee continues developing Scouts personality
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper, society’s darker aspects are drawn out on the form of racism and violence forced on two small children in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s who are going through great change in their lives and their country. As the story develops, Scout, the main character, has perceptions that change as time passes. Calpurnia, the family’s black maid, seen as mean and unfair in the beginning, and is seen in the end as someone with considerable skill and intellect. Atticus, her father is introduced as someone who seems old and simple and is later seen as very skillful and wise.
In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the author, Harper Lee, uses many examples to demonstrate growing up and maturity as major themes of the story, impressing that they are not only significant to the plot, but also underlying aspects of human nature. To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930’s when racism was still a hot controversy in the United States. The story centers around the life of a girl named Scout who is young and naïve enough to believe that all people are equal; she cannot comprehend the extent of the heinous discrimination that permeates her town. As Scout matures and becomes aware of societal expectations like the difference in men and women’s dress codes, to greater milestones like the Tom Robinson
As a child grows, many people influence their development as a person. Some people impact more than others, and a select few really leave their mark. In Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” several characters play this role. Among them, Miss Maudie Atkinson, a woman who proves herself a strong character, prevails as the one who has the greatest impact on Scout Finch, the protagonist of this novel. As Scout matures and grows up, her views on the world around her change. Through subtle yet effective ways, Miss Maudie teaches Scout many life lessons about being humble, judging, and attitude, all of which ultimately have a great effect on the kind of person Scout develops into and her outlook on the world.