To Kill a Mockingbird

The novel To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, is a story centered around two children and the experiences they have growing up. The novel contains several dynamic characters who ma- ture in their actions and beliefs. These individuals grow during the course of the novel through the relationships they have, the difficult lessons they learn, and the events that are happening in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. Over the three years in which To Kill a Mockingbird takes place, Scout and Jem learn im- portant life lessons as they are influenced by prejudice, injus- tice, and revenge, all the while guided by the consistent role model of their father, Atticus Finch.

Throughout the novel Scout learns many valuable lessons as she begins to mature into a young lady. In the beginning of the story, Scout is a tomboy, preferring to be outside playing with her brother and their friend Dill than to be inside acting like a lady. For example, during recess Scout shows off her temper and boyish qualities when she is beating up Walter Cunningham: “Catching Walter Cunningham in the schoolyard gave me some plea- sure, but when I was rubbing his nose in the dirt Jem came by and told me to stop” (Lee 30). Early on, Scout has trouble getting along with others and therefore she often times resorts to using her fists instead of her words.

However, Scout is greatly influ-enced by their father, Atticus, as a role model, and his parent- ing style of leading by example and being honest with the chil- dren. Atticus acts the same way in the house as he does in public and he teaches Scout and Jem justice, in a world full of injus- tice. After Scout has a bad day at school, Atticus spreads his always positive attitude as he instills important life lessons: “‘You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view’… ‘until you climb into his skin and walk around in it'” (Lee 39). Atticus is teaching Scout to see the world from others’ perspectives and therefore to be able to un- derstand what other people are going through.

An example of this for Scout is when Bob Ewell attempts revenge on Atticus by harm- ing his children. When Atticus is trying to explain to Scout why he and Heck Tate don’t want to turn in Boo Radley after he kills Bob Ewell in the defense of Scout and Jem, Scout shows that she understands: ”Well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird wouldn’t it'” (Lee 370)? Scout expresses her comprehension by say- ing that convicting Boo Radley as the real killer would be like taking a mockingbird that never harmed anyone, and killing it. Throughout Lee’s novel, Scout greatly grows through her experi- ences and through the influence of her father Atticus, allowing her at the end of the story.

As the novel progresses, Scout’s older brother, Jem also be- gins to mature and grow into a young man as he is affected by the prejudice and injustice that exists in Maycomb. In the early stages of the novel, Jem is simply a young boy who likes to play outside and obsess about his mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley, but as he grows and matures he begins to act more manly and be more protective of his family. Jem is a huge believer in justice and as he grows and sees that quite often justice is not met due to the racial and economic divide that exists in the community. Af- ter Jem watches Tom falsely accused and convicted of rape, he breaks down into tears, unable to contemplate the reason for his unjust conviction, he talks to Atticus: “‘How could they do it, how could they?’

‘I don’t know, but they did it. They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it– seems that only children weep’ (Lee 285). He has learned by the example of his father to treat everyone equally and with respect, but he sees prejudice everywhere in his community, and through Tom Robinson’s case he is forced to accept the jury’s decision, learning to live with injustice. Through the novel, Jem wrestles with injustice, but he eventually does see the good that is in- side many when his mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley, saves their lives. Jem sees first hand the injustice and prejudice that ex-ists in abundance in his community and this changes him and his faith in humanity.

Scout and Jem both go through significant changes throughout the novel as they learn life lessons, allowing them to greatly mature. They are both affected by the prejudice and injustice that is present in their community and they are guided through their feelings and beliefs by their father, Atticus, who is an exemplary role model for the children. Today, many youth are growing up with similar influences of injustice and prejudice around them. Although times have evolved, as youth struggle with harsh lessons today, if they have a steady guide and mentor like Atticus, in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, they have a much better chance of maturing well, learning positively from these lessons.

“It is a sin to kill a mockingbird.” This famous quote derives from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and leaves an imprint on the minds of those who read it. In high school, teachers create the curriculum which usually consists of the famous works of historical authors and their classics. “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee provides insightful life lessons and opportunities to study writing making it the perfect required for All American high school students to read. The ideas and thoughts expressed in To Kill a Mockingbird relate to real life lessons that all students must come across in their lifetime.

First, the book provides morals and life lessons that students should learn about the real world. By reading this book, students will gain knowledge of what the real world is like and discover the unfairness and injustice that roams through the world every day. Additionally, To Kill a Mockingbird teaches students about literary devices and gives teachers a chance to teach and examine different writing styles. To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic and this great piece of work cannot pass by teenagers’ high school learning.

To begin with, by reading this book, students learn important morals and lessons that relate to the real world. One of the main ideals that is expressed through this book is life is not always fair. In this story, many events occur which lead to the downfall of the main character. A great example of this would be the waiting in the courtroom for hours on the decision of the trial of Tom Robinson. Scout, an adolescent, waits with her family and dad, Atticus, on the outcome of the case. Harper Lee describes and writes about this scenario as if all the evidence points toward the innocence of Tom Robinson.

Scout and Atticus hope exactly for his but when the decision is released, the jury decides to charge Tom Robinson of the murder. This was a major turning point in the novel, and in the end of the book, the main characters know the truth of his innocence yet he dies due to being shot. Fairness and justice are not always shown in the real world and this provides a major lesson that many teenagers in American should know. Furthermore, this classic teaches the lesson about education and necessity of it. In the novel, the father, Atticus, teaches Scout prior to starting school and for sharing her wealth of knowledge in class, the teacher punishes her for not knowing better and informing her that what she has learned is wrong. Atticus answers any questions that Scout may have and does not hold anything back from her.

On the other side, the teacher wishes and believes that students and children should not be informed of certain things and withholds the information. This shows that the education system does have its flaws and students should not be withheld from information. Additionally, this book shows the social inequalities of people and how it resembles their actions and behaviors. The Ewells in the book are dirt poor and are not associated with for their actions. Scout is not allowed to talk to a boy who she was friends with because of their social level differences. Scout yet treats everyone as equals but this books shows social inequality and teenagers must learn more about this.

In addition, this book provides teachers with a great opportunity to teach students about literary devices, writing style, and grammar. Harper Lee writes this book with a different style than most books are written and this gives students a chance to examine their skills and study the writing. To Kill a Mockingbird consists of a complicated plot and story line with many literary devices present. Teachers are able to incorporate this into their curriculum of writing and have a great book to learn and read along with. A great example of literary device that is prominent and used greatly in To Kill a Mocking Bird would be foreshadowing. Harper Lee uses foreshadowing greatly in his writing because it makes for a great plot line. Also, Harper Lee uses hyperboles, metaphors, similes, and alliterations all simple literary devices but necessary to learn about.

Teachers may teach their students how to determine the tone, main idea, and argument in this book. Not only does this book itself provide writing style examining capabilities, but great ways to create questions for essay prompts. By reading this book, teachers can create essay prompts relating not directly to the prompt but also to the story behind it all to measure the comprehension and understanding of the students. The potential and opportunities of using and incorporating To Kill a Mockingbird are endless which make it a great candidate to be a required text for all American high school students.

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird provides the essentials that all books require. Some people may say that this book may be inappropriate due to swear words and racism for children, but teenagers in high school are old enough to know and be familiar with the terminology used in the novel. To Kill a Mockingbird provides people, especially teenagers, an opportunity to learn about morality and ethics along with writing styles and literary devices. The interesting and twisting plot of To Kill a Mockingbird keeps students entertained and concentrated on the book. No other book stands close to To Kill a Mockingbird which is why it needs to be required for reading in all American high schools.

Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the protagonist Jem Finch changes by maturing and growing up. By making these changes, Jem became responsible, understood what was happening with the trial, and how it affected others. At the beginning, Jem does childish things with Dill and Scout. As the novel progressed, Jem realized how immature these activities were and stopped playing with them.

Jem becomes responsible throughout the novel. As he gets older, he realizes what his responsibilities are and does what he feels is right. For example, Dill ran away from his home and came to the Finch house. He doesn’t want anyone to know he is there, yet Jem decides to tell Atticus. In the quote, “You oughta let your mother know where you are,’ said Jem. ‘You oughta let her know you’re here….’ Dill’s eyes flickered at Jem, and Jem looked at the floor. Then he rose and broke the remaining code of our childhood. He went out of the room and down the hall. ‘Atticus,’ his voice was distant, ‘can you come here a minute, sir?””(Lee 187, 188) Jem is doing the responsible thing. He felt that it was necessary to tell Atticus, so he did. Becoming responsible showed that Jem had matured.

Another example of Jem’s maturity is when him and Scout were at the Tom Robinson trial and Jem was squirming in his seat. He knew what was happening in the case and listened very carefully to everything. Even when Reverend Sykes questioned their presence at the trial, Jem convinced him that it was alright in order to stay and continue to listen and see what happens throughout the trial. In the quote, “Jem seemed to be having a quiet fit. He was pounding on the balcony rail softly, and once he whispered, ‘We’ve got him.”” (Lee 231-232, 238) shows that Jem understands what is happening in the trial and is interested in what is going on, which is another example of his maturity.

The third example of Jem’s coming of age is when Jem tells Atticus “It ain’t right, Atticus.” (Lee 284) It shows that Jem understands what has been going on in the trials and how it affected everyone. He knows that Tom Robinson is innocent and has been charged with a terrible crime. He doesn’t think that it’s fair of him to be charged for something he didn’t do. This also shows Jem’s maturity. Jem’s coming of age has shown his newfound maturity. He has become more responsible and understanding. He has an idea of what is right and wrong and wishes things could always be right. His maturity has shown to progress throughout the novel.

in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the town of Maycomb contains many people that have different views on how a correct society should run. This brings the main theme of the coexistence of innocence and evil into play. With the evil acts committed by certain individuals, an aura of injustice fills the air and can only be stopped by the justice of the good and the innocent. Justice can be defined as the administration of the law but people like Bob Ewell fails to see this concept. Mr. Ewell brought injustice to the town and in the end, justice got served but it came with a price. In the town of Maycomb, people of different classes have different opinions on other classes The ordinary people like Aunt Alexandra that‘s on the top of society in Maycomb thinks that the blacks or the white trash should not communicate with each otheri.

Other people like Bob Ewell takes this a step further by framing a black man named Tom Robinson for raping his daughter. This case was brought to court and Mr. Ewell lies about the story. Also the jury was forced to obey the unwritten rules insides themselves assuming Tom Robinson is telling lies even if what he said was true. After Tom Robinson was said being guilty, injustice was introduced to the town. This injustice soon disappeared when Mrt Ewell was killed. After the death of Mr. Ewell, justice was sewed but it had many consequences. To obtain this justice, Tom Robinson was killed when he tried to escape the prison.

Tom must have thought that he had no chance to survive and he would rather take his own chances rather than putting his life in a white man’s hands. Also Mrt Ewell had to die in order to achieve justice. With him still in the town, he would not stop until everybody that opposed him began to suffer or diet Mrs Ewell started to stalk his enemies which included Judge Taylor, Helen Robinson, and even Atticus’ children. One night, Mr. Ewell attacks Jem and Scout but Boo Radley comes to save them He stabs Mr. Ewell and justice is finally served but it came with another price.

The murder of Mr. Ewell would expose Boo Radley to the town and would eventually hurt Boo if not prevented Heck Tate makes up a story to cover for B00 and Boo goes back to hide from the town. Justice is sewed but no one would know who help did itt The prejudice of the town and Mr. Ewell brought injustice to Maycomb. Justice was soon served but it was too late for people like Tom Robinson People died and lives were put in danger to achieve justice. This all could have been prevented if the community accepted everyone whether they are poor or black but the evil inside themselves blinded them from choosing on what is right

To Kill A Mockingbird: Coming of Age of Jeremy Finch The coming of age of Jem, Jeremy Finch, is shown in many ways through out the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. He changes socially. He changes mentally. His feelings change emotionally. He also changes to become more of an adult figure. Another way he changes is that he changes physically. Jem changes through out the book socially by the way he starts having better feelings toward other people. There are many times when Jem start feeling bad for other people in the story, like when him and scout get in a fight but even though their mad at each other he still is grow up enough to know that he should say “Night, Scout.” There are also many other incidents, like when he goes out and teaches Dill how to swim. Jem also goes through some bad social change when he turns “twelve. He is difficult to live with, inconsistent, and moody.” These are only a few of the things that Jem does to show that he is growing up in his social ways. Mental change is another type of change that Jem goes through. Jem start to think like an adult as he gets older in the book. He shows it at the trial of Tim Robinson when the jury is in the jury room and he starts to talk to Reverend Sykes. He starts saying thing about the trial and Reverend Sykes ask him not to talk like that in front of Scout. Which shows that he knows what he is talking about. There is also the time when he had to go and read to Mrs. Dubose which he later finds out about her drug addiction which he fully understands. So those are ways he changes mentally. Jem changes physically in many ways in the story. His hair stuck up behind and down in front, and I wondered if it would it would ever look like a man’s-maybe if he shaved it off and started over, his hair would grow back neatly in place. His eyebrows were becoming heavier, and I noticed a new slimness about his body. He was growing taller.

There was also when Jem tried to show Scout his hair on his chest which shows him growing up physically. So these things show how he changes physically to become more of a man as he hits puberty. Another change that Jem goes through is his feeling toward himself and how he starts to feel better about himself. When he gets home one day from school he shows that he is all confident about making the football team and how happy he is to be old enough to play. But even though he doesn’t get to play he still remains happy with just being the waterboy and just being able to be there watching. During the trial “It was Jem’s turn to cry.” which shows that he was not afraid to just let his feeling be show even though most people wouldn’t have. So these show that Jem can feel good about himself and also feel bad but he can still let it out if he has to. One of the most important change that Jem goes through is taking and adult role in Scouts life. He walks her to the school play and he protects her from Bob Ewell when he tries to kill them. This is the main one because if Jem did try and stop Ewell Scout could have died and it would have show that Jem didn’t really have an adult role. Also another reason is when Jem tells Dill that he shouldn’t touch Boo’s house because if Boo kills him no one will be around to keep an eye on Scout. As you can see those where all ways that Jem shows his coming of age in the book To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee. By changing socially he becomes more likable. By changing emotionally with himself he becomes more confident. By changing mentally he starts to under stand more compicated things that before he would have never knew about. By changing physically he becomes more of a man and is more older. And finally by changing to be more of an adult to his sister he becomes more aware of what an adult has to face.

This novel is a southern classic that shows the times since past in American history. The story takes place in the town of Maycomb. Two children named Jem and Scout, who are the children of Atticus Finch grow up and play while gossiping with the locals on a suspicious family. The children meet a friend named Dill with whom they share days of play and adventure with.

The children test the limits behind the stories they have been told about their neighbor Boo Radley. The children have a special relationship with one another. They spend time engrossed in their games and Scout acts out the events of Boo Radley’s life that is gossiped about. Scout, Jem, and Dill have heard numerous stories about Boo Radley and his family.

They all live in fear of him, because of some of the things that he is reported to have done. The children try to get as close as they can to the Radley household, to try to catch a glimpse at its inhabitants. Boo isn’t seen by the children until the end of the book. Jem and Scout change throughout the timeline of the book as they mature from seeing the life that they have always known change because of their new life experience. For example, When Scout talks to the angry mob about trying to harm the man who was up for trial, she displays a maturity that her playful nature at the beginning of the book did not hint at such a development. Jem has changed from being fearful and looking at the world through the lens of ignorance.

Atticus is seen to the town of Maycomb as a professional and an honest man. He is a lawyer, and is well known by everyone in the small town. He keeps to his word, and is honest to a fault. The town’s opinion of him shifts however when he chooses to represent a black man as a defendant. He gets threats of violence and even shunned by some. His reputation takes a sharp dive and he is somewhat rejected. People treat Boo Radley terribly and he plays a large role in saving Scout’s life. He is hated and gossiped about by the townspeople. They try to throw him in jail. He never comes out in public. Then, on Halloween, he saves Scout’s life. So, in the end this is a story of love and compassion for everyone in their lives, and accepting everyone as equal.

As people grow in life, they mature and change. The main character matures as the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, continues. Scout is childish and disrespectful at the beginning of the novel.

She is learning from her experiences throughout the novel. By the end of the novel she has come to have a strong concern for the feelings of others, and understanding the world around her. She learns this through her own experiences. Scout matured a lot throughout the novel.

Scout shows childish behavior at the beginning of the novel. She is disrespectful towards Calpurnia her maid. Scout suggests to Atticus to have her fired. ” She likes Jem better’n she likes me, anyway,’ I concluded, and suggested that Atticus lose no time in packing her off.”(25). When Scout says this after Calpurnia punished her, it shows how inconsiderate and rude she was being toward Calpurnia. Also early in the novel Scout, Jem and Dill are afraid of Boo Radley, they think he is a monster and try to play tricks on him. They don’t know Boo Radley and have never seen him but still judge him on stories they have heard. They are threatened by him, and are scared to go on his property. This is very childlike. Scout also had the immature habit of getting into fistfights that started by the slightest provocation. When Jem had told Scout to stop beating on Walter Cunningham, he asked why she was fighting him in the first place all Scout had to say in response was “He didn’t have any lunch❞(22) this shows she did not have good reason to be fighting him. Scout is very immature in these incidents in the novel

Scout is maturing more and learning from her experiences further into the novel. Scout, Jem and Dill are no longer interested in teasing Boo Radley, they have moved on to new interests. This is a sign of growth. Scout views on her father were changing. She used to think her father was different from the other fathers because he was older and couldn’t do anything. Then after Atticus shot the mad dog in one shot and Scout is told that he has the best shot in town, Scout is proud and influenced more by her father. This is a sign of maturity. Scout is forced to understand that Tom Robinson is being treated differently just because he is black, and realizes how people can be prejudice because her father has taken on the trial of an innocent black man. But Scout is still very confused and disappointed in the verdict, and what people did to help. It shows how upset and confused about the issue she was, when Scout says, “Who in this town did anything to help Tom Robinson, just who?” (215), but she still understands that the issue of racism was in existence. Scout is learning more and more about the real world, and walking in somebody else’s shoes.

Scout is matured through and experiences. When Scout has come to realize that she was no longer afraid of Boo Radley and had the courage to stand on the Radley front porch brings her to adult hood. She finally understands him and sees what he really is like. He is nice, now that she has finally seen him, which Atticus tells her later on “Most people are [real nice], Scout, when you finally see them.” (281) She realized through gradual stages of change, that prejudgment of people is generally inaccurate, and that what people thought of Boo was untrue. Also Scout realizes how her teacher was being hypocritical. Her teacher was always telling them “Over here we don’t believe in persecuting anybody. Persecution comes from people who are prejudiced. Prejudice,”(245) which shows her teacher is against persecution, then Scout over hears her teacher saying that it is good thing Tom Robinson was convicted because the blacks were getting too “high and mighty”. This meaning it is ok to persecute blacks and that she was contradicting herself. This prompts Scout to be disturbed and think a lot. Later in the novel Scout learns to restrain herself from fistfights. Which shows a great deal of respect for others, because she puts herself in their shoes. She learned from Atticus that there are other ways to solve your differences and get out your anger. These are many things that have contributed to the development of Scout’s maturation.

Scout matures through the duration of the novel, by watching the events happen around her. Scout is immature at the beginning of the novel, then learns significant life lessons and has finally grown up by the end. Scout learns to examine the institutions around her more closely to except people as they

are.