Maturity often goes hand in hand with change. Whether it is just growing up or learning from one’s mistakes, change brings new perspective that helps people for the better. The main characters in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird go through a series of such changes throughout the story such as losing their innocence, growing up, and coming to the realization of their town’s unfair prejudices. The transition from being innocent and oblivious to more mature and aware is extremely evident in several identities in the novel. The novel approaches the question of whether or not the people of Maycomb need some change and new perspective by dramatizing Scout, Jem, and Dill’s transition from a perspective of childhood innocence. The protagonist, …show more content…
Jem's definition of valor changes as he matures; he gains insight in the world. At the beginning of the novel, he only thinks of bravery as simply touching the Radley’s house, because "in all his life, [he] had never declined a dare”(Lee 13). Jem is quite intrigued and curious about Boo’s life throughout the novel and often finds himself risking everything just to get a better understanding of the complex character. At first, like any young boy, Jem tends to judge a book by its cover, but after months of growing into an understanding young man, he comes to the realization that Boo is not the monster everyone thinks he is. Jem comes to the conclusion that maybe Boo is just as scared of what's outside as the kids are of whats inside the Radley house; “Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time. It's because he wants to stay inside”( Lee 227). Also throughout the trial, Jem shows his interest in the Tom Robinson case. He feels sympathy for the Robinson family and grows to truly understand the extent of how wrong it was for Tom to be found guilty. He shows a lot of emotion when he cries after the verdict was revealed, "It was Jem's turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. It ain't right,' he muttered It ain't right, Atticus,' said Jem. No son, it's …show more content…
Even though most readers would agree that Dill is the least mature out of all the characters, He still shows small signs of growing up throughout the story. Dill is the essence of innocence in the novel and even though he does not mature as dramatically as Scout and Jem, the change in him is still evident. Dill shows his ability to cope with the trial by telling people he wishes to be a clown when he grows up because,“There ain’t one thing in this world I can do about folks except laugh, so I’m gonna join the circus and laugh my head off”(Lee 220). There is a beauty behind that; Dill believes that the only way to avoid dealing with one’s personal heartbreak is to laugh. That in itself is a sign of faint maturity. The fact that Dill goes from fooling around in the backyard of the Finches’ and messing with Boo to being emotionally involved in such a grown up case shows the advancement in his mentality. As the book states, Dill used to get caught up in frivolous white lies as most kids do. He fills Scout and Jem's head with ridiculous stories of his life. Some may even argue that Dill tells these fibs in order to escape the harsh reality that is Maycomb society. According to Scout, "Dill Harris could tell the biggest ones I ever heard. Among other things, he had been up in a mail plane seventeen times, he had been to Nova Scotia, he had seen an elephant, and his granddaddy was Brigadier General Joe
As children grow up, they open their eyes to the harsh truths in the world around them that they once did not understand or question. This is experienced by the main characters of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The story is of a girl called Scout and her older brother, Jem, who go through the trials of growing up in the fictional small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. Racism is rampant in the mindset of the townspeople, shown when the children’s lawyer father, Atticus, takes the case of an obviously innocent African-American man and they convict him in their hearts before the trial even starts. Through this all, we can see the theme of loss of innocence in the children. Lee uses characterization to portray
Jem also examines Walter’s well-being based on his appearance, notices that Walter “looked as if he had been raised on fish food”, and feels as if it’s his moral obligation to have him for dinner. Jem is showing empathy by stepping in Walter’s shoes and realizing that the poor child did not mean to get Scout into trouble. Another instance when Jem displays empathetic thoughts is when he uncovers what could be a reason for Boo Radley staying inside for so long. In chapter 23, Jem has doubts about Maycomb’s society, and its views, values, and beliefs. He is starting to realize how much he is opposed to the way his society works, and in doing so comes up with why he thinks Boo Radley stays inside.
When real life problems are seen from the perspective of a child, they often change the child in dramatic ways. Such is the case in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, a story narrated by a young girl living in Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. The young girl, Scout, lives with her brother and father, a lawyer who is defending a black man accused of raping a woman from town. In the beginning of the story Scout spends her time playing silly games around the house and yard with her brother Jem and neighbor Dill. As she becomes more aware of the social bias and racial tensions that are building in the small town, Scout and her world begin to change. Although Scout may not fully understand the ins and outs of the real world, she
Everyone goes through a gradual change from youth to adult hood; growing up is an essential part of life. There comes a time in everyone’s life when this transition occurs. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout Finch’s experiences lead her to the realization that she needs to mature and consider others prior to making a decision and acting upon it. Evidently, in the course of two and a half years, the 6-year-old transforms from an unruly and wild girl to a proper Southern lady of Maycomb. It is clear that Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming of age novel by looking at Scout’s innocence and immaturity at the beginning of the novel, her challenges and struggles, and her eventual maturity toward the end of the novel.
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, author Harper Lee follows protagonist Scout Finch, who throughout the course of the story is forced to grow and mature as she learns more about both herself and her surroundings. Scout is a curious and courageous 6 year old, still learning about life through the happenings of her 1930’s hometown, Maycomb, Alabama. Over the course of the novel Harper Lee explores a number of themes to progress the plot and Scout’s development as a character, this causes the reader to gain an appreciation for these themes. Three of the most important lessons that Scout learns that help the reader gain this appreciation are; how innocence can change how someone’s surroundings are viewed, the dangers of prejudice a long with
The world challenges the limits of everyone's vision to widen our views. What you see depends on how you look at it, and the angle in which you are looking at it from. In order for the world around us to change; we must ready ourselves for change too. Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is narrated through the eyes of Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch, but has an unexpected component. It is written from Scout's point of view as a child and as an adult. This combination adds tremendously to the novel’s motif of maturity, and challenges the reader to She tells the story as an adult Scout had finally done what Atticus has been urging her to do throughout most of the book. She placed herself in someone else's shoes to see the world through their eyes.-
In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Jems perception of Atticus greatly changes after a particular event. At first, Jem and scout think that their father is old and boring. Scout says, “He did not do the things our schoolmates’ fathers did: he never went hunting, he did not play poker or fish or drink or smoke”(Lee 118). Although scout says this, it also relates to Jem.
Having watched Scout, Jem, and Dill grow during Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” we relies how they aged and matured. Having been raised in a time of racism and Great Depression the children have been through many traumatizing events stripping them of innocence. Harper Lee’s novel is narrated by Scout, she shows a more innocent and curious point of view of these unforgettable events in the novel. The novel study's how Dill manages to change from a young curious boy into a more thoughtful person. Although he only appears during the summer time we can see the great changes in his life. Jem has become a young man, no longer interested in child games and takes charge when Mr. Ewell sends a threat to Atticus. Scout learns that
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Atticus and Aunt Alexandra influence the kids by teaching them and making them feel how others do. They go through tough experiences which causes them to grow. Also, by looking at other’s action and the explanations that Atticus gives Jem and Scout. Alike outside of the book, people go through hard moments and learn from them. For example, on page 294 of the novel TKAM Atticus says “There’s something in our world that makes men lose their head- they couldn’t be fair if they tried.” He is explaining to Jem why the trial went like that. Because of racism. After the explanation of his dad, Jem started to realize that maybe Boo Radley didn’t want to go out because people don’t get along and he didn’t
Atticus is guarding the jailhouse to make sure no one hurts Tom Robinson before his trial, when he is approached by Walter Cunningham and his fellow goons. Atticus shows his bravery by standing his ground for what he believes is right in front of his son. When Scout lashes out to her father’s side, Jem holds onto her and tries to stop her from interfering. Then Jem refuses to go home and stands up for his father’s side although the odds were against them, while trying to protect his sister from harm. In page 152, chapter 15, Scout says, “... but from the way he stood, Jem was not thinking of budging.” This shows us that Jem has matured from the boy who would do anything if dared, to a young man who can barricade his emotions and proceed with reason in difficult situations.
Many ideas change with time. Including, how races interact with each other. Race relations changed between the 20th and 21st century. A couple of prime examples of change are The Scottsboro Trials, Emmett Till Murder Trial, Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird, and The George Zimmerman Trial. Now as the thought of how race interactions happened have changed. The world today and it events prior to it have shaped how people interact. In history, we have always had a problem with race. Race may be a small thing to think of ,but it always can be found right in front of our eyes.
Harper Lee presents the idea that as children grow up, they learn and experience the harsh truths about the world they once did not understand or question. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, encompasses the story of a girl named Scout along with her older brother, Jem, who go through the trials of growing up in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama. Racism is rampant in the mindset of the townspeople, shown when Atticus, both a father and lawyer, takes on the case of an innocent African-American man. Through this, we can see young character development in where main characters Scout, Jem, and Dill undergo the theme of innocence and experience. Lee uses characterization to portray Scout as the embodiment of innocence, and soon after shows the
Unexpected and uncontrollable events have a way of creeping into people’s lives and causing a wave of emotions that will affect the way a person lives the rest of their life. In her award-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee address issues by looking at them through the eyes of a child. The story follows six-year-old Scout Finch as she grows up in Maycomb, Alabama during the great depression. Harper Lee writes for several events throughout the book test Scouts morals in order to call attention to how interactions shape a person. By learning from others, Scout grows to understand the intricacies of the human relationship.
Has there ever been an event that has changed your life? When you’re a kid, you see things through a child's eyes. As you get older, your mindset changes as you gain more experience. Therefore, at some point in your life, you will have a coming of age moment. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem, his younger sister Scout, and Dill, a friend from out of town that visits every summer, share an experience that changes their outlook on the world. Together, they create a new mindset for themselves based on their experience with Dolphus Raymond, the town drunk, when they realized that he was not really what they thought he was. Through these characters’ experience, Harper Lee uses the literary elements of internal conflict, imagery, and characterization to develop the theme that people are not always who you think they might be.
Maycomb is an old town and somewhat tired. The town itself is slow to accept change and has not accepted the 20th centuries modern ways. The town is not invested in paved sidewalks or road. After a fair amount of rainfall there is always the presents of red “slop” and grass growing on the sidewalks. The town is never prepared for any types of emergencies.