preview

Challenges In To Kill A Mockingbird

Decent Essays

Challenges are not meant to be easy. But the strength put into it, can help prepare for adulthood. Overcoming challenges can help a person grow maturely as shown by Scout in “To Kill A Mockingbird” and by Jerry in “Through the Tunnel”. To begin, in “To Kill A Mockingbird”, Scout has always been an outgoing, tomboy, and a person who is not afraid to do anything, especially getting into fights. In the beginning of the book, Scout beats up Walter Cunningham because Walter got Scout in trouble by their teacher. Scout has proven herself to grow wise because when Cecil Jacobs says that Atticus defends “niggers” Scout lost her temper and wanted to beat Cecil Jacobs up but didn’t. “I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus has said, then dropped …show more content…

Jerry first met some older boys at a wild beach and it made Jerry want to go meet them and be friends with them. Jerry watches the boys as they jump off a rock and dives into the water. They all come up gasping for air. Jerry was amazed and wanted to try to go through the tunnel too. This proves that Jerry is maturing because he finally leaves his comfort zone and looks up to the older boys which makes Jerry realize what he has to do to be a man. “He felt he was dying. He was no longer conscious. He struggled on in the darkness cracked with an explosion of green light. His hands, groping forward, met nothing; and his feet, kicking him back, propelled him out into the open sea. (Lessing 5). This shows that Jerry has matured because he went through all of the challenges of going through the tunnel and made it out back alive. He was unconscious and felt like he was dying. Yet, he still made it back alive and proved that he doesn’t need his mother to help him, because he faced this challenge by himself. As a result, overcoming challenges can help a person grow maturely as shown by Scout in “To Kill A Mockingbird” and by Jerry in “Through the Tunnel”. Scout overcame the hardship of Cecil Jacobs calling Atticus a defender of niggers and calling her a coward. She has shown maturity by not fighting Cecil Jacobs. Jerry overcame the hardship of leaving his comfort zone and trying something new. This proves that Jerry has matured because he was able to do something life threatening and scary by himself. In the end, Scout and Jerry both proved that defeating challenges can lead to

Get Access