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The Theme Of Coming Of Age In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

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Harper Lee's classic book To Kill a Mockingbird focuses on the concept of coming of age through the lives of its two main characters, Jem and Scout. The 1930s were a time of racial injustice and discrimination in the American South, which is the setting in which the novel is set. The characters are made to confront their own beliefs and ideas as a result of the events that take place in the story, which eventually leads to their personal development. Lee uses symbolism and imagery to convey the themes of losing one's innocence and racial injustice.
The first literary device used by Harper Lee in her writing is symbolism. The mockingbird is a great illustration of the symbolism used by Lee in chapter 17. The mockingbird is a representation of …show more content…

Racial disparity in Maycomb is shown vividly. People of color are oppressed and discriminated against in Maycomb, from Lee's portrayal of the town throughout the entire book. The novel's representation of the African American community makes clear use of this imagery. African People are depicted as being ostracized and subject to prejudice on the part of the white community. They are portrayed as being helpless, illiterate, and poor. For instance, the white community instinctively concludes that Tom Robinson is guilty because of the color of his skin, despite the lack of proof against him, when he is accused of raping Mayella Ewell. An example of imagery in chapter 17 is the description of the courtroom. The black people are said to be restricted to the balcony, while the white people are said to be seated in the first seats. The racial segregation that prevails in the South at the time is shown by this imagery. "The Negroes sat upstairs. They crowded each other and peered down into the courtroom." (Lee 210). A second use of imagery from this scene comes from this quote, "The jury box was to the left, under the judge's bench... it was a tight squeeze for twelve men." (Lee 206). The cramped and uncomfortable area where the jury sits throughout the trial is described in this quote using imagery. It reveals how anxious and under pressure the jurors are to reach the best verdict. Lee’s use of imagery helps create an

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In the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee talks about discrimination based on gender role, age, and skin color. The characters in this book all have different personalities that influences others. Maycomb, Alabama in 1930’s is where everything happened with slavery and struggling with being poor. The characters Scout, Jem, and Dill had a strong bond and had lots of courage. Shows that justice means other things to other people.

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Coming of age emphasizes the internal monologue of a young individual experiencing events that impose maturation on such person. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch is introduced to us as the narrator, a woman reflecting on her personal coming of age experience. Beginning entirely naïve at 6-years-old, she, with her older brother Jem, encounters people, places and things that alter her outlook on life. At the end of the book, Scout walks her allegedly horrible neighbor, Boo Radley, back home after he saves her from murder.

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The Jury Room is used

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The fact that Jem feels each “guilty” as a “separate stab” emphasizes the personal impact of this injustice on him and his family. Finally,Lee employs foreshadowing in this passage, hinting at the eventual outcome of the trial and the impact it will have on the children’s understanding of the world. The fact that Jem is experiencing such intense emotions and physical reactions suggests that he will be deeply affected by the trial’s outcome and may struggle to reconcile the injustice he has witnessed with his previous beliefs about the fairness and impartiality of the

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