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Coming Of Age Issues In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Coming Of Age Issues In To Kill A Mockingbird
Harper Lee’s highly acclaimed novel To Kill A Mockingbird,set in the 1930s, follows Scout Finch as she grows up and experiences all sides of life in her small town; it is a perfect example of a true coming of age story. From the innocence of creating games with her brother and a childhood friend about strange neighbors to the raw truth of a rape trial, it is easy to say that Scout has lived through events that require varying levels of maturity and has emerged a different person. There is a clear timeline that we can follow as we read about a very short period in Scout’s life. She takes great strides to understand and become conscious of events, places, and others around her.

The first time we see Scout attempt to discuss adult issues is when a mob, whose plan is to kill Tom Robinson, shows up at the innocent man’s jail cell, risking the lives of both Tom and his lawyer Atticus (who is also the father of Scout). However, before any damage can truly occur, Scout steps between Atticus and the leader of the mob, Bob Ewell, and strikes up a conversation: “Atticus had said it was the polite thing to talk to people about what they were interested in, not about what you were interested in… I tackled his entailment once more in a …show more content…
We see Scout growing up a certain way, making particular decisions, and holding specific opinions throughout the book as a way to show us that experiences lead to one quickly maturing or slowly maturing. Everyone’s experiences shape who they are and who they ultimately will be, and Scout’s experiences (learning of rape, death, and life in a small town in such a short amount of time) have obviously caused her to mature quickly. She matured because she observed the life bustling around her and, in turn, desperately wanted to know more; she matured because she chose to
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