At a young age children often lose innocence and gain exposure to the adult world. Jem and Scout, the two protagonists in the novel struggle with certain events in 1930’s Maycomb, Alabama, that open their eyes to the adult world. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Jem and Scout become less naive, shielded children, and more insightful and mature by being exposed to Tom Robinson’s trial. Through events in their community, Scout and Jem become more intuitive and gain insight into how to develop into more mature people. Jem and Scout lose innocence and become more aware of the society they live in by viewing the Tom Robinson trial.
Scout and Jem display their childishness, and obliviousness when they are first exposed to snow and when they interact with Miss Maudie. During one winter in Maycomb, Jem and Scout experience snow for the first time and have astounded reactions: “The world’s endin’, Atticus please do something! […] No it’s not, [Atticus] said, it’s snowing” (Lee 86). Living in rural Alabama, the Finch children are not accustomed to snow, so when they first experience it, they are completely bewildered as to what snow is. Scout thinks the world is ending, but Atticus reassures her it is just a normal weather pattern. The fact that Scout and Jem don’t know what snow is, gives evidence for their status as innocent children. By experiencing snow for the first time it opens her mind up to a new experience. The snow experience for Scout is also a progression in her life to become a more intelligent, mature person. Later in the novel, the idea of gaining maturity and becoming a young adult presents itself, but in a different situation. After the fire at Miss Maudie’s house is put out, she has a pleasant conversation with Je...
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... Jem become more intuitive and gain insight into how to develop into more mature people. Jem and Scout gain exposure to the adult world and lose innocence through the Tom Robinson trial. In today’s society, as in To Kill a Mockingbird, children are often exposed to the adult world at an early age. Today, children are swimming in an endless stream of media, whether it is the 24 hour news cycle, or social networking, or conversing with friends. In today’s world, any child could walk into a room with a television and hear about murder or rape, unspeakable crimes. In the 1930’s it would be much harder for a child to hear about events the way we do today. Gaining maturity at a young age can either work out to be a positive influence in a child’s life or, it can be detrimental to them.
Works Cited
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Grand Central, 1960. Print.
...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.
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.
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.
To Kill A Mockingbird The Maturing of Jem Finch Society is not as innocent to a child as it may appear to be. In fact, when one really understands the society in which he lives he is no longer a child. This is much the same case as found in To Kill A Mockingbird, by Leigh Harper. Although Jem, being a child at the beginning of the novel, is immature and unaware of the society in which he lives, he matures mentally to the point where he sees the evil in society and gains a knowledge of death. Like most children, at the beginning of To Kill A Mockingbird Jem and Scout are both young, play together, and have childhood monsters or fears like other children.
In ‘To Kill a MockingBird’ written by Harper Lee, there is a precise sense of maturity that is shown from Jem and Finch Scout as the novel progresses. Jem and Scout Finch start to mature considerable throughout the novel once they realize what horrid things adults are capable of, get their moral strengths tested and become familiar with distinguishing right from wrong. Shaping them into the young adults they are.
As children we are oblivious to the influence of those who surround us . We chose to see the greater good in humanity rather than the obvious truth. We are influenced by our environment and choose to abide to the morals presented to us. This applies directly to the novel to Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, which moves along with the lives of two young children ;Scout and Jem. Along with the obstacles they face and the exposure they have to the ideas of racism, gender roles, and degenerate morals. Throughout the novel it is evident that Scout and Jem go from naïveté to maturity due to their surroundings, influence of family members, and the arising controversy of the Tom Robinson case. They both develop
In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee tells the story of coming-of-age and the loss of innocence through the character Jem. Through recurring events, Jem is faced with the realization of society’s injustice, and is left questioning the world he lives in. During a time of rampant racial discrimination and prejudice in the south, Jem transforms from naivety to maturity.
The reader acknowledges Jem Finch as Scout’s older brother from the start of this novel. He is brave and strong. “When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow. When it healed, and Jem’s fears of never being able to play football were assuaged, he was seldom self-conscious about his injury.” The reader understands Jem to be the older and wiser one of the two siblings, but also understands Jem to be brave and not confused by life. The reader expects him to understand the ways of life. When the trial took place, Jem is awakened by the fact Tom Robinson was persecuted only because he was black. Jem does not understand this even though he thought he was old enough to understand. The reader starts to realize Jem does not have life figured out and he is still a kid. Jem shows his bravery throughout the book with Cecil, Burris Ewell, Bob Ewell and even Mrs. Dubose. Jem matures throughout the book as well. The reader notices this while he is comforting Scout and when he is comforting to ...
Most would argue that Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird is an uplifting story about hope and youth. In reality, it is a sad story about two children, Jem and Scout, losing their innocence through treacherous life experience. To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming of age story about childhood in the deep south during the great depression. It speaks about the concepts of racism, innocence and justice as the protagonists, Scout and Jem, struggle with coming of age. The Finch children lose their innocence throughout the book in many ways, such as being involved with the trial, the lynch mob, and Bob Ewell's death. At it’s core, TKAM is a story about youth, and the loss thereof. When Scout and Jem are involved in the lynch mob, they lose their
Jem and Scout mature greatly from the start to the end of the novel. By the end of the book they are smarter with decisions and emotional behavior. People will go through maturity in life, and hopefully grow eqmotionally and mentally.
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.
A child’s journey to adulthood will corrupt their innocence. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the two main characters Jem and Scout are forced to grow up and face the realities of their world as their father prepared for one of the most controversial cases in his career. As the trial date gets closer and closer, Jem and Scout witnessed negative and positive things caused by the folks of Maycomb, they were not prepared for. Through all the commotion Jem and Scout learned the importance of benevolence and courage as it influenced their changing perspective on the world. The qualities Jem and Scout learn from benevolence and courage change how they see their world by showing them fairness, kindness and bravery.
First off, the book being narrated by Scout’s point of view shows how her view of innocence matures and changes as the she grows up. In the beginning of the story, Scout and Jem don’t really see injustices and thinks the world is fair and always a happy place. They have the normal false perception of childhood innocence that shape their
The illusion of innocence is deeply instilled in the outlook of children. Reality soon takes its grip as kids begin to grow and mature, and they lose their pure qualities that they have once possessed. Their father Atticus shelters Jem and Scout from the town’s disease, teaching them the act of sympathy and how to distinguish the good aspects over glaring at the imperfections of people. The loss of innocence portrayed in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is exposed as the lives of Jem, Scout, and Dill go through their racist and prejudice society, learning how the worlds dreamlike qualities is nothing more than just a childhood fable. The children’s judgment of people and society quickly sheds as Lee displays the harsh realities to Jem, Dill,
Everyone reaches a point in their life where the sugary pink clouds and brilliant rainbows disappear. It is then that the cruelty of today's world is brought to light. This point is called the loss of innocence. In the classic coming of age novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Lee writes about three children whose names are Jem Finch, Scout Finch, and Dill Harris. Jem and Scout are siblings and live together with their father, Atticus. Dill, a neighbor's nephew, befriends the pair and comes to stay with his aunt every summer. The novel follows the trio and their interactions with Maycomb County’s racism and haughty residents. Through these interactions, Jem, Dill, and Scout mature into adulthood and leave behind them their childhood innocence.