Theme Of Coming Of Age In To Kill A Mockingbird

"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 20). What coming of age is all about is never judging a book by its cover. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee one of the main themes in the story is coming of age which is symbolized it by Jem, Scout, and Miss. Maudie’s cakes.

Jem, in To Kill a Mockingbird represents maturity. Jem looked at scout and told her "I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house all this time… it’s because he wants to stay inside” (Lee 193). Boo Radley has always stayed shut away in his house, and the town and the kids noticed it. He’s showing maturity because he finally understands why Boo Radley is wanting to stay in his house and not come outside. Scout had been worrying a lot about Jem lately and Scout thought to herself “he was inconsistent, and moody.
His appetite was always appalling and he told me so many times to leave him alone. I finally consulted Atticus I told him “Recon he got tape worm?” Atticus said “No, Jem was growing” (Lee 97). Jem is acting different and doesn’t want to goof around and play with Scout anymore. He wants to act more grown up. Its showing maturity because he doesn’t want to act like a child anymore and he’s going through the stages of being mature. Maturity is connecting to the overall theme of coming of age by learning how to act and how to treat people by understanding them. Jem doesn’t want to act like a child anymore and wants people to treat him older, with more respect. Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird is representing childhood innocence. Scout went to the courthouse to visit her father and she see’s someone she recognized and she says “I go to your school with Walter, I began again. He’s your boy, ain’t he? Ain’t he sir?” Mr. Cunningham was moved to a faint nod. “He did know me, after all. He’s in my grade,” I said, “and he does well right. “he’s a good boy, I added, “a real nice boy” (Lee 129). She is showing childhood innocence by not even knowing what is going on with her father and the crowd yelling at him trying to hurt him and get to Tom Robinson. Scout was at the church with Calpurnia heard Calpurnia talking and acting very different and consults to Jem "That Calpurnia led a modest double life that had never dawned on me. The idea that she and a separate existence outside of our household was a novel one, to say nothing of her having command of two languages" (Lee 105). She is showing it by not understanding that her life doesn’t just revolve around them and she has a life outside and has friends. Childhood innocence is connecting to the overall theme of coming of age because Scout doesn’t understand everything yet and doesn’t know right from wrong.

Miss.
Maudie’s cakes in To Kill a Mockingbird represents recognition of maturity. When Jem, Scout, and Dill were at Miss. Maudie’s house they always get cakes. “There was a big cake and two little ones on Miss Maudie’s kitchen table. There should have been three little ones. It was not like Miss Maudie’s way of saying that as far as she was concerned, nothing had changed. She sat quietly in a kitchen chair, watching us” (Lee 182). She knows that he is older now and wants him to know that she knows that he is growing up and wants to be more mature so she gives him the bigger cake. “as we ate, we sensed that this was Miss Maudie’s way of saying that as far as she was concerned, nothing had changed. She sat quietly in a kitchen chair, watching us. Suddenly she spoke: “don’t fret, Jem. Things are never as bad as they seem” (Lee 182). she was finally understanding Jem. Miss Maudie’s cakes is connecting to the overall theme of coming of age because Miss Maudie is finally acknowledging and recognizing his maturity, wanting to grow up, and act
older.

Jem, Scout, and Miss. Maudie’s cakes represent the theme of coming of age. They are shown by many of the actions that are going on in the book. Jem is getting older and becoming less immature throughout the book. Scout is a young innocent girl that doesn’t know right from wrong yet. Miss. Maudie’s cakes show that she finally understood that Jem was grown up and wanted to be treated like he was older. Coming of age is all about growing up and maturing more.