To Kill a Mocking Bird: Theme of Growing Up
Growing Up
“Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.” – Charles Lamb
This quote is in the beginning of the book, after the dedication. Charles Lamb was a children’s author and essayist. The quote shows one of the focuses in the book is, lawyers, and the other being children. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, as the characters of the novel progress from childhood to adulthood, they are exposed to more things that they may not have been able to understand before, gain maturity and knowledge and also lose their innocence and let go of their childhood. Leaving the phase of childhood and therefore leaving innocence behind is a sign that Scout and Jem gain maturity. In the beginning of the book, Walter Cunningham, a child of a family of poor famers, comes to visit the Finch household. Growing up in a poor household that can’t afford much, Walter, acknowledging that he was in a well-off household, pours molasses all over his food because he sees it as something rare to eat in such manner. Scout rudely comments on this, and Calpurnia orders Scout to come in the kitchen, lecturing her, saying, “Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foots in this house’s yo’ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you was so high and mighty” (33)! Scout, being a young child, of course sees it unfair that Walter gets to pour syrup all over his food, most likely because she is not allowed to herself. This is one of the first signs that the reader is shown about Scout and how unaware she is on proper and respectful etiquette. Calpurnia, acting as a mother or woman figure in lieu of diseased Mrs. Finch, takes responsibility in teaching Scout how to behave around people less fortunate using proper manners. When Jem and Scout’s minds open up to more complicated things, they gain knowledge of things that they wouldn’t understand before. At the Robinson trial, Jem and Scout wait for the verdict of the jury. Scout becomes impatient, seeing
“Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.” – Charles Lamb
This quote is in the beginning of the book, after the dedication. Charles Lamb was a children’s author and essayist. The quote shows one of the focuses in the book is, lawyers, and the other being children. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, as the characters of the novel progress from childhood to adulthood, they are exposed to more things that they may not have been able to understand before, gain maturity and knowledge and also lose their innocence and let go of their childhood. Leaving the phase of childhood and therefore leaving innocence behind is a sign that Scout and Jem gain maturity. In the beginning of the book, Walter Cunningham, a child of a family of poor famers, comes to visit the Finch household. Growing up in a poor household that can’t afford much, Walter, acknowledging that he was in a well-off household, pours molasses all over his food because he sees it as something rare to eat in such manner. Scout rudely comments on this, and Calpurnia orders Scout to come in the kitchen, lecturing her, saying, “Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foots in this house’s yo’ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you was so high and mighty” (33)! Scout, being a young child, of course sees it unfair that Walter gets to pour syrup all over his food, most likely because she is not allowed to herself. This is one of the first signs that the reader is shown about Scout and how unaware she is on proper and respectful etiquette. Calpurnia, acting as a mother or woman figure in lieu of diseased Mrs. Finch, takes responsibility in teaching Scout how to behave around people less fortunate using proper manners. When Jem and Scout’s minds open up to more complicated things, they gain knowledge of things that they wouldn’t understand before. At the Robinson trial, Jem and Scout wait for the verdict of the jury. Scout becomes impatient, seeing