Scout and Jem's Coming-of-Age in To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee wrote the book To Kill a Mockingbird, which she based on people she knew from her hometown in Alabama. During the time this book was written many people were racist towards each other. She wrote this book based on a court case so she could show how hard it was for civil rights in the south for everyone. Scout and Jem finch are siblings that are alike and not alike. When comparing and contrasting Jem and Scout, there is a big difference in their coming of age, while their attitudes towards Atticus are constantly changing. First, Scout is a little girl who is different because she is a tomboy (“I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn't supposed to be doing things that required pants”) (Lee, 108). She is really intelligent for her age because, she has learned how to read even before she started going to school. She is also very confident because, she fights boys without fear(“I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped my fists and walked away, "Scout's a cow- ward!" ringing in my ears. It was the first time I ever walked away from a fight”) (Lee, 31). Scout is also very thoughtful; she worries about the essential good and bad throughout mankind. Scout is a nice person because she always tries to act in the best she can. Scout doesn’t really have any girl friends, so she mostly plays with her brother Jem and her friend Dill. Jem is a character who strongly symbolizes coming of age. First when he finds their tree hole is covered over with cement. Second is Tom Robinson’s trial when he was really depressed at the outcome of Tom losing when he should have won. Third is the roly-poly scene when he stops Scout from stepping on the roly-poly, because after Tom’s trial he wants to protect the weak and harmless. Lastly is when Boo saves him and Scout from Bob Ewell’s attack, which he later figures out that there is some good in people.
Harper Lee wrote the book To Kill a Mockingbird, which she based on people she knew from her hometown in Alabama. During the time this book was written many people were racist towards each other. She wrote this book based on a court case so she could show how hard it was for civil rights in the south for everyone. Scout and Jem finch are siblings that are alike and not alike. When comparing and contrasting Jem and Scout, there is a big difference in their coming of age, while their attitudes towards Atticus are constantly changing. First, Scout is a little girl who is different because she is a tomboy (“I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn't supposed to be doing things that required pants”) (Lee, 108). She is really intelligent for her age because, she has learned how to read even before she started going to school. She is also very confident because, she fights boys without fear(“I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped my fists and walked away, "Scout's a cow- ward!" ringing in my ears. It was the first time I ever walked away from a fight”) (Lee, 31). Scout is also very thoughtful; she worries about the essential good and bad throughout mankind. Scout is a nice person because she always tries to act in the best she can. Scout doesn’t really have any girl friends, so she mostly plays with her brother Jem and her friend Dill. Jem is a character who strongly symbolizes coming of age. First when he finds their tree hole is covered over with cement. Second is Tom Robinson’s trial when he was really depressed at the outcome of Tom losing when he should have won. Third is the roly-poly scene when he stops Scout from stepping on the roly-poly, because after Tom’s trial he wants to protect the weak and harmless. Lastly is when Boo saves him and Scout from Bob Ewell’s attack, which he later figures out that there is some good in people.