Importance Of Childhood In To Kill A Mockingbird

“You have to make choices even when there is nothing to choose from” – Péter Zilahy. Every day brings new choices and we either learn to make them, or let someone else make them for us. Maturity plays a part in the decisions we make and whether we take the role of the maker or the follower. Being afraid, but acting anyways is a true sign of courage and maturity, a topic which both Scout and I faced in our younger years. Scout goes through a journey to bravery from carelessness, while I go through the same journey through the context of kindergarten. Through the character of Scout, in the text To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee suggests that everybody goes through their own unique journey to maturity, and with that courage comes in different

There are some people that treat Scout bad because how she dresses and acts. For example, Aunt Alexandra, she doesn’t like the way that Scout dresses or she doesn’t act the way she should. Scout gets into a lot of fights with boys at her school and girls back then don’t fight.“You aren’t a nigger lover then, are you”? This quote doesn’t really mean anything but for the person who’s saying is trying to make it sound trashy. (Made up word). In this book it showed a lot of racism and gender role. For scout she always tried to push through all the negativity around her. “But around here once you have a drop of negro blood that makes you all black”. With this quote Scout and jem was trying to figure out how to divide society and racism. “Scout I’m telling you for the last time shut your trap or go home. I declare to the lord your getting more like a girl everyday.” From this quote Scout does not like being called a girl. She refuses to be called a girl or that she acts like a

Scout was carefree; a tomboy; the only care in the world being whether she had to go to school the next day or not. She spent her days with her brother Jem and their friend Dill, running through the yards, parading around as neighbors, or anything she

Sure, good books have a moral or life lesson at the end of them, but great books have many. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Scout, the main character, learns many lessons. In a nutshell, Scout and her brother, Jem, are growing up in a world of inequality and prejudice. In the mix of all of this Scout learns many important and valuable life lessons. A few of these are: Everyone should be treated equally, to fight with your head, and not to judge people so quickly.

She runs and plays with boys and hates it when she is not included in Jem and Dill’s adventures. She is fast to resolve her issues with her fists. It does not help that her mother died when she was very young. Although she does not miss her nor remember her, she has lacked a motherly figure to guide her in the right direction and has relied on Atticus to show her the way. Within the context of the novel’s setting, this quotes shows that Scout uses words and phrases that could be considered to be inappropriate for young ladies. Scout’s tomboyism illustrates one of many instances, where Lee characterizes characters who fall in the middle of masculinity and femininity stereotypes, rather than only belonging and taking part of feminineness methods and ways. Another example of gender discrimination was in chapter 11 when Jem bought a “miniature steam engine for himself and a twirling baton” for Scout (Lee, page 134). As they were walking past Mrs. Dubose’s house, she accused them of making trouble and disapproved of Scout’s wardrobe by bellowing and saying“...‘And you—’ she pointed an arthritic finger at [her]—’what are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress and camisole, young lady!’ ” (Lee,

Atticus Finch said “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”(Lee 39). As a result of this quote out main character will change. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee uses the character and characterization of Scout to show how empathy can change someone’s life for the better. Throughout the book Scout changes quite a bit. In the beginning she was very tomboyish choosing to wear overalls instead of dresses, she also liked to beat other kids up. During the middle of the story she began to have a change of heart. She started to hang out with her aunt more and realized it takes a lot of effort. During this time of self discovery she noticed small details about her friends and family. But by the end of the book she starts to see things from others views to give her insight to how others might see things.

At the beginning of the story, Scout was just a young girl not yet even in school. She spent her days playing with her older brother, Jem, and later on with Dill. Time was sometimes spend with her father reading. Jem helped guide her along the way so she wouldn’t make so many mistakes. She didn’t understand many of the things that went on around her. Her biggest fear was of the Radley house and the people inside. She was scared of it because of the stories she had heard but she didn’t understand why it was like this. Scout was a little bit of a Tomboy by playing in the dirt wearing overalls and not acting very ladylike. Atticus raised her how he wanted to even though he was criticized for it sometimes.

Jean Louise Finch ‘Scout’ is a headstrong young girl who narrates the novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, set in the fictitious County Maycomb over the span of three years. She is often found sporting dirty overalls or breeches and possesses a rather tomboyish personality, much to her aunt’s dismay. It says, “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire... When I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn’t supposed to be doing things that required pants.”(Page 90)

Scout lost her innocence when she was exposed to all the racism and hate most people of Maycomb had for her father like when all the kids at school were being mean and saying the racist things they heard they’re parents say about atticus defending Tom and her asking the question “do you defend n-word?” and Atticus explaining why he did and teaching her it isn’t okay to refer to people like that even tho she was eqivocate on the meaning of it. The next reason I have for Scout losing her innocence is when she is at the trial and she wants atticus to win “ I shut my eyes. Judge Taylor was polling the jury: guilty.... guilty.... guilty….” (pg. 282) and it turns out he loses because Tom is black and that’s when she realizes that it isn’t fair and a black person not getting a fair trial is a sham and it’s pretty reprehensible for white people to treat black people that way. These three characters show you that losing your innocence can be pretty hard living in this unfair world.

When you are younger, you are innocent and believe that the world is good and no harm can come to you or the people you know. That is false. The world is a cruel place where innocence is something that can be taken away easily through bad deeds and the witnessing of them. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the book takes place in Maycomb County, a town where racial injustice and poverty exist. The main characters are Scout and Jem, both of which are fairly innocent to the world. When their father decides to take a court case about a black man who raped a white woman, they are exposed to the true nature of people. The loss of innocence is one of the central themes in Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird. As the book progresses

Courage is not strength or skill, it’s simply standing up for what you believe in and what is right. This is the theme that was enrolled after Jem destroys Mrs.Dubose’s camellias and after she died in chapter 11. This passage also reveals Jem’s coming of age moment. After using conflict, symbolism, and point of view, Harper Lee was able to connect the theme with Jems coming of age moment.

“To Kill a Mockingbird “is a coming of age novel. Discuss this statement, with reference to at least two characters.

Growing up is part of life. Whether you realize it or not with age comes knowledge and with knowledge comes maturity. For Scout losing her innocence is inevitable. From dealing with bad teachers, going to an old lady's house everyday for month, to seeing a man be wrongfully accused of rape, to realizing you’re childhood villain is your guardian angle. Growing up for Scout means learning courage, racism and empathy.

Maturing is something everyone goes through in life whether you go through it early or a little later in life. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows a lot about maturing. Growing up in a small town in Maycomb, Alabama where life was a lot more different from today, you mature much different and in different ways. Jem is one person who matures through the whole story and makes realizations about people around him, including his dad, Tom Robinson, and Mrs. Dubose.

People are influenced by the ones around them; these people can have positive or negative influences. Mentors are role models for you look up to and learn from. The only way for mentors to have a positive influence is if they are heard. Listening is the key. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee creates mentors for Scout to show listening to the advice of those before you can lead to strong morals and an understanding of others.