The Theme Of Growing Up In TKAM, By Harper Lee

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As a kid just about everything is confusing, life tricks you and leaves you feeling hopeless and constantly wishing to just be older and grow up. In the 1930’s Scout Finch was seen as a strange but powerful little girl. She was a strong lawyers daughter and enjoyed playing with her brother. However, when Jem became older and started growing up Scout was jealous and wished she could. She then started wishing to be in adult conversations and tried her best to lose her innocence. In TKAM, by Harper Lee, mood and tone are used to develop the theme that growing up is confusing.
Observation plays a large part in TKAM. Scout always seems to be seeing how Jem is doing and how he seems to be growing up before her eyes. The novel states, “Jem stayed …show more content…

It is difficult and when you grow up you realize that the world is far from perfect. People are mean and sometimes nothing will go your way. The author states, “Atticus had promised me he would wear me out if he ever heard of me fighting any more; I was far too old and too big for such childish things, and the sooner I learned to hold in, the better off everybody would be” (Lee 85). This quote tells us that Scout is seen as a grown child to her father but is taking her anger out on other people. Scout hears her father get called terrible names at her school and in the town of Maycomb. She gets angry many times and has grown up into a somewhat violent young lady. She gets into trouble but is just trying to defend her father. The mood of this event is extremely serious and makes this quote needed in the novel. Atticus is extremely angry and worried of what will happen with his daughter if she continues to get into …show more content…

The novel says, “‘Whatcha going to be when you grow up, Jean Louise? A lawyer? Nome, I hadn’t thought about it…’” (Lee 263). This quote shows that Scout is confused by what she is growing up to be. She hasn’t yet discovered the pressure of choosing your entire future. When she does she becomes worried and very overwhelmed. This is vital to the novel because it shows how innocent and naive children are when they are young. It shows that wishing to grow up may be regretted if you always rush