The Effects Of Growing Up In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

Growing up can be deeply impacted by the experiences that you face as a child and these events can increase the likelihood of facing mental health problems in the future.

When we were first introduced to Jem and Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, they had a very set idea of what is good and what is bad. Jem seems to believe that good will always win no matter what. However, as the story progresses, they come to a more realistic conclusion about the world and how people don’t always do what’s best.

In particular, Scout was able to narrate the story allowing the reader to see how her innocence was changed throughout the novel. As Scout faces the harsh realities of the world, the reader realizes that these effects may affect her and Jem deeply

According to the article, “Beliefs about themselves, others, and the world diminish their sense of competency. Their negative expectations interfere with positive problem-solving and foreclose on opportunities to make a difference in their own lives”(“The National Child Traumatic Stress Network”). A child who has been through a traumatic event may believe that he is powerless or damaged and may feel like their world is meaningless and positive action is futile. Jem may have felt that the world was hopeless, too, after Tom Robinson was proven guilty and he was forced to grow up and see the world's prejudice.

(https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/trauma-types/complex-trauma/effects#:~:text=They%20may%20struggle%20with%20sustaining,support%20in%20the%20academic%20environment.

Jem always struggled to understand how Tom could have possibly been found guilty when the evidence was so clear. Jem has more understanding than Scout about how the events of the case unfolded, which makes it even harder for him to deal with. This could affect his previously positive outlook on life from a young age and it can make it harder to deal with when he grows up.

The novel shows the children growing up in various ways through the events they were forced to face as children. Although the novel doesn’t resolve Jem’s inability to wrap his head around what happened, it does offer hope that they can keep the morals Atticus taught them, despite all the horrible things that happened, as they cross into adulthood. Scout’s major growing-up moment happens as she stands on the Radley porch and "climbs into Boo Radley's skin.” She’s able to understand, through this, that Boo may be very different from her in a variety of ways, but he’s still a caring and self-sacrificial neighbor who is worthy of kindness. This complete change in understanding suggests that Scout will be able to grow and keep her morals as she continues to grow up. However, the children still may face issues in the future and feel powerless in certain