To Kill A Mockingbird Coming Of Age Essay

Latin poet Phaedrus once said, “Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many”. American novelist, Harper Lee was the famous author of a best-selling book, To Kill A Mockingbird. This award winning book, published in the 1960’s, explores the 1930’s as two children, named Jem and Scout, come of age as they are introduced to the idea of racism and discrimination within their community. Throughout the novel, Jem and Scout encounter multiple situations where racism and discrimination was brought up and how it affected their community. In chapter 12, the literary elements, setting, conflict, and character develop the theme that coming of age involves people who may not always be as they seem. First, the setting of this

This shows how the setting of the church seemed happy and nice, although it was different from the white church. Scout also described the setting of the church when she says, “The warm bittersweet smell of clean negro welcomed us as we entered the churchyard” (Lee 135). This shows how as Calpurnia and the kids were going through the church, it seemed nice despite the difference to the white churches. Although the church was nice and welcoming, the church was not as resourceful as the white church. There was “no sign of a piano, organ, hymn-books, church programs– the familiar ecclesiastical impediments we see every Sunday” (Lee 136). This shows how the setting of the negro church weren't the same as white churches, even though they were welcoming just all the other churches. Next, the conflict at the church began when Calpurnia and the kids encountered a racist negro woman named Lula as they were entering the negro church. Lula was a tall black woman that seemed as if she already did not like Calpurnia, so when Calpurnia brought Scout and Jem to the church, Lula started a whole controversy over the

This shows how Lula was upset with Calpurnia for bringing white kids to a church, and Lula became contemptuous which started the conflict. When Calpurnia gets fussed at for bringing Scout and Jem to a negro church, Calpurnia snaps back by saying, “They’s my comp’ny” (Lee 135). When Calpurnia got told something by Lula, this made her seem like a different person when her voice changes as if she was one of the other negros. Lula is still upset that Calpurnia was bringing white company and says that Calpurnia “ain't got no business bringin’ white chillun here– they got their church, we got our’n” (Lee 136). This shows how even though Lula was a negro, she was still a racist, especially towards white people. Lastly, the true character of Calpurnia is revealed from this conflict, causing Jem and Scout to see Calpurnia from a different point of view. Scout realizes that Calpurnia was a different person around people like her and she says, “again I thought her voice was strange: she was talking like the rest of them” (Lee 135). This shows how once Calpurnia was with people that were like her, she changed her