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To Kill A Mockingbird Age Analysis

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“Everybody’s gotta learn. Nobody’s born knowin’” -Harper Lee. Age alters our perspective. Maturity changes our understanding. This sentiment is echoed in Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The timeless novel tells the tale of the Finch family and the residents of their town in the southern county of Maycomb. A tale of racism, sexism, coming of age, and small town prejudice is woven through the youthful perspective of the fiery tomboy, Scout Finch. She lives her life under the wise guidance of her father, Atticus Finch, and the with the wavering companionship of her brother, Jem. As Scout matures and experiences new things in life, her view and her awareness of life issues evolves, specifically her awareness of gender.
In the beginning of the novel, Scout’s view of gender is abstract and she is not yet concretely aware of the societal role she is expected to fulfill. She plays rough, and isn’t concerned with femininity. Her Aunt Alexandra insists on staying with the Finch family in order to teach Scout to …show more content…

There is a lot of tension in Maycomb. Tom has just been shot. Despite the circumstances, Scout stays calm and rational. “After all, if aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I” (318). This is the point at which there is clarity. Scout fully understands and embodies the complexity of being a “lady.” There are definite downsides, customs that are unjust and silly, but there is also an admirable amount of strength that a lady must possess. Scout has finally come to terms with her gender.
Through the slowly maturing eyes of Scout Finch, Lee is able to convey the simultaneous complexity and simplicity of the major issues of our world, such as sexism and gender roles. In childhood, Scout perceives gender in the most innocent manner; she wishes to be who she is, and to do as she pleases. Gender does not affect her. But as she ages, she becomes aware of the inevitable burden of being a

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