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To Kill A Mockingbird Coming Of Age Essay

805 Words4 Pages

Pulitzer Prize winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is a story that portrays the harsh realities of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s. The display of complex themes such as prejudice, social injustice, racism, and coming of age are truly what make this novel unique compared to other novels from this same time period. These themes are heavily developed throughout the novel by the use of literary devices, setting, and dialogue. This novel is written from the point of view of “Scout Finch” as an adult looking back on her childhood. Scout talks readers through a time period in her life where racism was not only tolerated, but expected. It is very important to note that during this time period people in America, especially in the south, had very racist ideas that consumed them. …show more content…

This was shown when Scout and Jem’s father Atticus decided to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, from a rape accusation. During the trial, Jem and Scout begin to realize that the ideas that their community had been feeding them were poisonous. However, the trial was not the only coming of age moment we see from Jem and Scout. On pages 126-128, Scout and Jem’s interactions with Mrs. Dubose represent the harsh realities of prejudice, and further showcases the transition from a child-like perspective to an adult understanding. To elaborate, on pages 126-128, Scout explains a time when Jem had ruined Mrs. Dubose’s camellias, so in order to pay her back, Mrs. Dubose had made Jem read to her for hours. Scout would accompany him to lessen Jem’s dread of going. For reference, Mrs. Dubose had been depicted as a cruel old woman that would sit on her porch and scream obscenities. That being said, Jem and Scout listened to Atticus’ wish and went to her house every day, until one day Mrs. Dubose said, “And that’s all. Good-day to you.” (Lee 126) With those words Jem and Scout took to the streets hollering with

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