To Kill A Mockingbird A Timeless Classic Essay

In order for a novel to be considered a timeless classic, the use of symbolism must be present, to display a deeper meaning within the story and the lead characters must be dynamic, as they grow throughout the story. The novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee takes place in the 1930s and shows the life of the young protagonist named Scout. Scout and her elder brother, Jem, navigate through their lives as they discover how life is really like in the south. Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is undeniably considered a timeless classic, as it uses symbolism to reveal a deeper meaning within the story and incorporates dynamic lead characters that allows the reader to witness their growth throughout the story. Part of the reason why To Kill

The protagonist of the story, Scout, is a great example of a character that matures and grows throughout the story. After Atticus comes back home from work, Scout immediately goes up to him to tell him all the misfortunes of the first day of school. After listening and analyzing the situation Atticus tells Scout “‘You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view’”(30). This quote by Atticus makes an impact in Scout’s life because she does not just use it to put up with Ms. Caroline, but she uses it with Mrs. Dubose. Scout did not “understand” why Mrs. Dubose acts the way she does. Whenever Scout greets her with a “hey” Mrs. Dubose replies with only insults. She only insults the children, but after the incident with the camellias, she wants them to read to her. After learning about her morphine addiction, Scout figures out that each time Mrs. Dubose hurls insults at them, it was due to withdrawal symptoms, not because of hatred towards them. When Scout analyzes the situation “from her point of view” she realizes that Mrs. Dubose likes her and Jem. Scout’s growth is exemplified when she uses a lesson her father teaches her, to reveal the true feelings Mrs. Dubose has for Jem and Scout. Using the quote from Atticus, through Mrs. Dubose’s “point of view” Scout “understands” that she did not hate her and Jem, she, in fact, likes her and Jem. Nevertheless, Scout is not the only dynamic lead character in the novel. Jem is also a dynamic lead character in To Kill A Mockingbird. Jem is the older brother of Scout, whose growth is demonstrated along with Scout’s in the novel. In Jem’s room, Scout and Jem contemplate all the people in Maycomb. They try to classify everybody into groups. After a moment of realization, Jem says “‘I’ve got it all figured out. There’s four types of folks in the world’”(226). Throughout the