ipl-logo

Examples Of Coming Of Age In To Kill A Mockingbird

674 Words3 Pages

Coming of age is a process that many people learn from, as they grow older. Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” gives many examples of how coming of age can change one person completely. Especially when a young boy leaves his home in Meridian to go to Maycomb. Lee uses the character Dill, to introduce a subplot, to show an external conflict, and to create imagery about running away; allowing him to come of age. Dill running away added an extra story to the novel, which allowed him to become independent, and learn how to survive on his own. When Dill finally crawls out from underneath the bed, and is feed “[he] recited [his] narrative” of how he escaped (186). Before he ran away it seemed like he had a perfect life, nothing could possibly go wrong. But here he is coming from underneath Scout’s bed, a visit that was very unexpected, since he only comes during the summer. He lived in miserable conditions “bond in chains and left to die in the basement” without anyone to care for him (186). Although Jem and Scout had Atticus who cared deeply for them, all Dill had was a new father who was …show more content…

After Dill’s summary of events, he thinks people are searching for him since “all the picture shows [he is] in Meridian” (187). However the people who are searching for him think he is still in Meridian, actually he is in Maycomb. By going to the Finch house, it allows him to be in an safe, comfortable, and open environment to tell his tale. But Jem believes that he should “let [his] mother know where [he is]”, but Dill does not want anyone to know (187). The purpose of them telling someone would be so they know where he is, but in this case he does not want to be found. Thus creating one of his coming of age moments where he starts to push himself away from his loved ones. Overall, Dill’s conflict with Jem is just Dill learning how actions have consequences, that we do not want to deal

Show More
Related
956 Words | 4 Pages

He lives in Mississippi for most of the year, except for in the summer, where he lives with his Aunt Rachel in Maycomb. Jem respected Dill because he had done things that Jem wanted to do, such as watching Dracula the movie, or touching the Radley Place. 5. Dill was fascinated by the Radley place because of its mystery and intrigue. He always heard all the rumors about the Radley Place and Boo Radley, and this resulted in him wanting to learn more.

Read More
419 Words | 2 Pages

Jem directly says Dill has to tell his parents where he is. Maturity comes in different ways either expressly or physical. Therefore, Jem is a caring old brother and son. Jem is an imaginative, courageous and curious young adult who is also bossy and stubborn at the same time. Being able to want to take care of his sister while in his teenage years and wanting to be lawyer just like his father “I thought I wanted to be a lawyer…”

Read More
702 Words | 3 Pages

Although this occupied his seven year old imagination, he still held strong to his mind 's pledge to be needed and appreciated. Although this is a highly strong and unlikely inference this could be debated, by the textual evidence of Dill going back to mississippi because through his experiences in Maycomb and through Jem he begins to think and act more like this ten year old boy. As the saying goes’ “Respect your elders.” Although this refers to obeying them Dill kicks it up a notch and follows in Jem’s footsteps through “peer pressure” and social class. Dill feels unwanted as his biological father isn’t in the picture but in the middle of the novel he regains his idea of a family unit when he gets a new dad.

Read More
728 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem and Scouts changing perspective of Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley represents a coming of age moment because it demonstrates a breaking away from the childlike imagination that had previously explained all of their questions and superstitions about the Radley’s. A coming-of-age moment is the transition of thinking that occurs when someone learns empathy. At the start of the novel, in many situations, Scout and Jem demonstrate childish behavior and thinking when Jem is taunted into touching the side of the Radley home by Scout and Dill. The book reads, “Jem threw open the gate and sped to the side of the house, slapped it with his palm and ran back past us” (18). From this portion of the novel we can tell that Jem and Scout clearly regarded the Radley home and its occupants with novelty and even fear.

Read More
735 Words | 3 Pages

Maturation, is a process which displays how a person has evolved in to something more as they grow up in life. To kill a Mocking bird, written by Harper Lee, is a novel about two siblings that live in a cynical town that have an unforgettable childhood full of adventure and life lessons set in the late 1930s. Precocious at the beginning of the novel, but by the end of the book scout has matured and has gained a more clear understanding of thing that occur around her, even though she may still be a young girl she has the mature understanding of a young adult. Her interaction with neighbors and friends and family, her experience with the Tom Robinson trial and her unforeseen meeting with Boo Radley all abetted her maturation.

Read More
520 Words | 3 Pages

In this essay i will be going over the concept of maturing and how the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” dives into the concept. Throughout the story there are many pieces of evidence that supports how characters in the story have matured. A piece of evidence that backs this up is “When we were small, Jem and I confined our activities to the southern neighborhood, but when I was well into the second grade at school and tormenting Boo Radley became passé, the business section of Maycomb drew us frequently up the street past the real property of Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose.” (Lee 114) This quote shows that once upon a time “tormenting” Boo Radley was something fun to do and fill Scout and Jem’s time.

Read More
505 Words | 3 Pages

In Harper Lee’s unforgettable novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird”,she utilizes literary elements to create a coming of age theme. The book is about a young girl named Jean also nicknamed Scout. Her and her older brother, Jem, explored Maycomb ,but had a underlining meaning of coming of age. Harper Lee uses point of view, symbolism, and characterization to empathize the oppression and racism of the time period. Jem comes across as tough and brave and his character acts more mature, but he has a scene that makes him seem soft-hearted.

Read More
621 Words | 3 Pages

After Jem 's arm healed, things around Maycomb started to settle down again. Although there was some talk about Bob Ewell 's death, it quickly died down, just like the talk of Tom Robinson dying. But there was one thing that would never change. It was a Saturday afternoon, in mid-summer.

Read More
260 Words | 2 Pages

Harper Lee develops the coming-of-age theme at the end of the novel through Jem and Scout by finally making them put themselves in other people's shoes. Jem and Scout at first were very terrified of Boo Radley; their thoughts of him were rooted from the rumors surrounding him, and they couldn't understand why he never came out of his house. Now, as they have grown, they have come to be more empathetic and think of him as a real person causing Scout to begin to call him Arthur. Clearly, after learning how Maycomb truly is, Jem put himself in Arthur’s shoes and understood and related to him and his wanting to be separated from Maycomb society. For example, Jem states, “I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the

Read More
807 Words | 4 Pages

Dill is a smart boy who visits Maycomb every summer from Meridian, Mississippi, which he stays up there with his aunt Rachel. Dill is Scouts and Jem closest friend and is pretty much family to them. Dill is connected by isolation and loneliness is by when he runs away from his parents. Dill runs away from home because his parents didn't involve him anything spend time or show they loved him. Dill runs away to Atticus house.

Read More
1216 Words | 5 Pages

One piece of evidence from the novel that shows how Dill was at the beginning of the story is when Scout says “Dill’s father was taller than ours, he had a black beard

Read More
652 Words | 3 Pages

Kids experience coming of age to grasp lessons that will assist them when they are adults. There are countless coming-of-age moments in a child's life, which shape the way they view the world. In the book, Scout experiences various events that alter her viewpoint on the reality of the world, and the injustices in it. In the To Kill a Mockingbird passage in which Scout overhears the trial of Tom Robinson, author Harper Lee utilizes conflicts and plot events to help portray the theme that not everyone is treated equally. Harper Lee uses conflicts to establish the theme that certain individuals are not treated appropriately.

Read More
383 Words | 2 Pages

From the Radley’s collard patch to the courthouse, Charles Baker Harris, known as Dill by Jem and Scout, leads the Finch children in a series of interesting adventures in To Kill a Mockingbird. He first meets them Miss Rachel’s collard patch, but he quickly intrigues them with creative storytelling and improved games. When he first meets them and tells them where he came from, Scout becomes dubious, but Jem accepts him. After all, Dill saw Dracula. The Finch’s new friend is curious, creative, and sensitive.

Read More
428 Words | 2 Pages

These emotions began to impact him a lot, because of his family that didn’t care about him and he felt emtheticness from it. The trail was a big part for Dill. " I know all that, Scout. It was the way he said it made me sick,"(Lee, Pg 99) Dill said. This affection began to shape Dill to the person

Read More
1551 Words | 7 Pages

Dill, Jem and Scout’s best friend, feels the need to run away from the people he loves. His mom gets married to new a man who isn 't Dill 's father. He begins to feel lonesome. Both his Mom and Stepdad pay no attention to him. “ They don 't get around to doin’ what they say they are gonna do half the time….”

Read More

More about Examples Of Coming Of Age In To Kill A Mockingbird

Related Topics

Open Document