To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

As one becomes older, their perspective on the world changes. Throughout Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the children Scout and Jem Finch mature and grow as people. During the Great Depression, the sleepy town of Maycomb County sees the trial and eventual unfair conviction of alleged African American rapist, Tom Robinson. In the beginning, Scout is shown to be childish, innocent, but very direct. As the book comes to an end, however, she develops a kinder, politer, more accepting personality. On the other hand, Jem begins as fun-loving but blissfully naive to the world and its mechanisms. He eventually becomes more knowledgeable and serious about life. As a result of the Tom Robinson rape case, both Jem and Scout are forced to mature and change their childish ways. Scout is shown very simply to be a young girl with innocence to the point of bluntness. Her direct way of speaking and acting often gets her in trouble. However, as the novel comes to a close, it is shown that she has grown. When the Finch family gets word that Tom Robinson is dead, Aunt Alexandra’s missionary circle is having a meeting at their house. Aunt Alexandra is very shaken but still keeps calm, thus inspiring Scout, because, “if [Aunt Alexandra] could be a lady at a time like this, so could [she].” (318). Even though everyone is distressed by the situation, Aunt Alexandra inspires Scout to regain her composure and act mature about the situation. In the beginning, instead of respectfully accepting the death and acting normal, Scout probably would have lashed out violently with her emotions. This change was wrought in her by the maturity level needed by the tense situations of the case. Jem, too, is found to change because of the case. Jem is shown to be slightly more complex but still just as childlike. As Scout’s dutiful older brother, he is her near-constant companion, and is similar in his small knowledge of the world and its mechanisms. Later, though, he matures enough to be a good comfort to Scout, and a good source for advice as well. Aunt Alexandra and Scout argue about Walter Cunningham, eventually ending with Scout in furious tears. To comfort her, “[Jem] digs into his pocket and extracts a Tootsie Roll.” (301). Aunt Alexandra upsets Scout, so Jem tries to comfort her with candy. Instead of attempting to help in some other way, or simply disregarding her completely, Jem decides to try to comfort her with a simple piece of candy to cheer her up. As a result of the changes in their lives, Jem is changed from a fun-loving child into a knowledgeable but still caring older brother. Despite having their integrity tested, Scout and Jem strengthen and change their morals, and meet their challenges. Instead of giving in to the nature of many children, Scout takes the choice of being respectful and mature, while Jem grows into a knowledgeable adolescent. When one grows older, one’s morals morph and become more mature and sensible. In the case of the Finch children, they broke out of their old shells, and emerged as better people with better morals.