Examples Of Adulthood In To Kill A Mockingbird

The Journey to Adulthood

Kids learn about the world around them through conflict and the actions of others. In Harper Lee's classic novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird," we see the tale of Scout Finch's journey from childhood innocence to a deeper understanding of society's injustices. Set in the racist setting of 1930s Alabama, the novel shows the theme of coming of age and exploring the issues of prejudice. Through the eyes of Scout and Jem we experience encounters with people in the community and we are constantly reminded of the theme of prejudice, one example is Mr Raymond. Mr Raymond is a man who pretends to be the town’s drunk as his wife and children are colored, and he is aware of how people will think of him if he was serious about his

author Harper Lee uses metaphor and allegory to help develop the theme that prejudice is a thing and can affect people in many ways. Prejudice is something Scout learns about over the span of the novel. One example is when Tom robinson is falsey accused of raping and beating Mayella Ewell, Tom Robinson is defended by Atticus in court. He is one of the story's “mockingbirds’' that we see, he is also another example of prejudice in court when the people of the town believe the terrible things he is accused of due to the color of his skin. When Scout questions why Tom is being unjustly accused, her neighbor, Miss Maudie, provides an essential insight, "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy... they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us" (Lee, 90). This quote symbolizes the innocence of those who are wrongly judged and harmed by societal prejudices. Before and after the court case where Atticus defends Tom Robinson, a large group of men is against Atticus and wants to stop him in any means necessary. They try to kill Tom but Atticus sits outside of the prison and talks to the men when they show up. Although if Atticus’s children Scout, Jem, and their friend Dill had not been there, Atticus and or Tom Robinson would have most likely have gotten

One of these men is Bob Ewell, He pursues Jem and Scout and tries to kill them after Atticus defends Tom in court. Bob Ewell attacks Scout and Jem, and Boo Radley rescues them, killing Bob in the process. Boo Radley is a character that is introduced immediately with heavy prejudice against him, Jem implants this prejudice into Scouts and Dill's heads making them afraid of a man they have not even met before. When Boo saves Scout and her brother Jem from an attack by Bob Ewell, Scout experiences a transformation in her perception of Boo. Reflecting on the incident, Scout states, "Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough" (Lee, 279). Another literary device shown in the novel is imagery. Some parts of the novel require you to imagine things and provide details for these things in order to help you imagine them. The parts with imagery are mostly the structures being described from Scout and Jems perspective. A great example of imagery is "Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the