Examples Of Coming Of Age In To Kill A Mockingbird

Throughout life, humans go through stages of being babies, kids, and adults which are examples of coming of age. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout Finch goes through a process of coming of age that is reflected in her interactions with other people and the lessons she learns. Scout's improvement throughout the narrative is significant to the themes of emotion, social groups, and justice. Scout is a young, silly child at the start of the book who has no concept of her surroundings. She is not aware of the social abuses of power that occur in her neighborhood, but as she gets older, she notices what has been happening in her neighborhood. As Atticus tells her, "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 30). This quote shows Scout's developing understanding of others. That is one of the ways Scout comes of age

First, she fears him, then accepts the tales her neighbors have made about him. As she spends more time with him and gets to know him better, she starts to see him more as a person rather than as a terrifying monster. As Scout reflects on this incident, "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 374). This shows Scout's growth in understanding others. Also, Scout's experiences with the trial of Tom Robinson help her realize the unfairness inside society. She watches how hate and racism seriously harm the lives of innocent people. She writes of the trial, "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, all the way to the corner of the square where we found Atticus waiting" (Lee 284). This quote shows Scout's growing awareness of the unfairness in her