Theme Of Growing Up In To Kill A Mockingbird

Growing up
In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee creates many underlying conflicts against Scout to create maturity. Harper is strategic in creating these little arguments that will eventually lead up to one big conflict/problem. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Lee uses a significant conflict to help develop the idea that maturing is realizing that you must pick your battles and do what's worth it in the long run. Conflict/Characterization: literary devices that Lee uses a great deal of. Scout is a very strong-willed person and will do anything to protect her family; even if it means hurting people. For example, Scout's classmate, Cecil Jacobs, announced in the schoolyard that

At that very instance, Scout was ready to fight to protect her family; however, she remembered the talk she had with Atticus the day before. “ 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 it in, the better off everyone would be” (85). Nevertheless, Scout did fight Cecil, it showed inner character development. Scout actually listened to her father's advice, and even though she didn't take it, she was well aware of what choice she was making and how her reputation would look afterward. Later that evening Scout went and had another talk with Atticus. Scout asked if Atticus was going to with having to defend Tom Robinson; to which he replied no. Then why are you doing it in the first place, Scout remarked. “ For a number of reasons,” said Atticus. “ the main one is if didn't I couldn’t hold my head up in this town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t

In chapter 9 along with the Cecil Jacobs conflict, Scout also gets in a brawl with Francis; her cousin. Atticus has all their family over for Christmas. Uncle jack finch ( who the kids love ) and on the flip side Aunt Alexandra ( Atticus’s sister) and the brutal Francis ( Aunt Alexandra's Grandson and Atticus’s great nephew, and sadly Scout and Jem's cousin ) Now even though they were all family, there was clear tension about Atticus defending Tom; especially from little 10-year-old Francis. Francis has a lot to say about the fact that his great-uncle is doing what he's doing. During the dinner, Aunt Alexandra has already made comments on how unladylike Scout is. She suggested that she should start wearing dresses and learning basic household chores, for instance, cooking; Instead of being in the trees with Jem & Dill. Scout looked unfazed but has an underlying frustration about the whole thing. Soon after Francis, Jem, Scout, and Dill played in the yard when Francis remarked his opinion on how Atticus raises Jem and Scout. “ If Uncle Atticus lets you run around with stray dogs, that's his business, like grandma says so it aint your fault. I guess it ain't your fault if Uncle Atticus is a [ the n-word ] lover besides, but I'm here to tell you it certainly does mortify the rest of the family -” (94). And Scout and Jem started fuming. Scout ran after him screaming at Francis proving her fathers