To Kill a Mockingbird: An Analysis on Growing Up

To Kill a Mockingbird: An Analysis on Growing Up

“Atticus had promised me he would wear me out if he ever heard of me fighting any more; I was far too old and too big for such childish things, and the sooner I learned to hold in, the better off everybody would be. I forgot.” - Scout Finch, Chapter Nine, Page Seventy-Four.

Scout says this to herself after overhearing Cecil Jacobs call her father a “nigger lover”. Scout is remembering how her father told her that there are times when she just needs to keep her anger to herself, and not act out rashly. Of course, the last line implies that she didn’t contain her anger, rather she acted out with her fists, much like a child would do.

There is a sense of innocence being lost in the quotation. Scout herself acknowledges that she is getting older, and that she should not be acting out with violence. There also seems to be a sense of naivety, particularly in the last sentence. Scout knows that she should be keeping her anger anchored at bay, yet she contradicts herself, and acts out. Her ‘forgetting’ seems to be said in tongue in cheek, as if she knows what she is doing is wrong, but she pretends like it does not matter. Her sheltered views on racism, and her lack of understanding, become major plot-lines throughout the rest of the novel.

Hold up two stones to a child; one black and one white. Ask him which is the good rock. Most of the time, the child will point to the white rock. Ask him which rock represents evil. Most of the time, the child will point to the black rock.

If there is one symbol that could truly be recognized as a teaching throughout the entire world, it would be the differentiating of the colours black and white. White embodies goodness, represents light, pur...

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... get her into trouble at times. She needlessly causes more problems with her fists, when utilizing barriers would prove to be much more effective. Scout recognizes this for a moment, after her father has been the subject of a racial slur, remembering her fathers words. She knows that she needs to learn how to keep her emotions inward, instead of acting outward. The fact that she recognizes that as a deficient area, proves that Scout is not somebody who just sees the world as black is bad, and white is good. She is willing to listen to other’s suggestions, while still staying true to herself. Therefore, the theme of growing up, of a loss of innocence, and of developing a sense of moral integrity is developed in Scout’s reflection.

At that moment, she was not a child. Scout Finch was an honest, moral, and open-minded, young woman.

Works Cited

To Kill A Mockingbird