To Kill A Mockingbird Coming Of Age Essay

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In everyone's life there are points where you are shielded by the innocence of childhood and then there are moments start to lose your childhood innocence and you become more knowing to how harsh the “real world” can be. All of these moments in your life help to shape you into the person you become as you go through a coming of age experience. In these passages from To Kill A Mockingbird, Jem and Scout start out as innocent children that don’t fully understand what's happening in their society, blinded by innocence they then are struck with the reality of the real world and they begin to lose their innocence which help them to further grow up in their coming of age experience. Harper Lee uses a mix of literary devices, major ideas, themes and conflicts to create intense scenes that create tension and help you to understand some of the true meanings of the text, racism, loss of innocence and coming of age.
In the first passage, Jem is clueless to how people that are different are treated in his society. In the passage from ch. 20 Pg, 29, it states, “Scout smiled. “He’s not supposed to lean, Reverend, but don’t fret, we’ve won it”. He said wisely. “Don’t see how any jury could convict that.”. This passage shows Jems ignorance of both the hierarchy in the town’s social status and prejudice …show more content…
In the book Ch. 20 Pg. 282, “His hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, his shoulders jerked as if each “guilty” was a separate stab between his shoulders. Not only does this show jem literally adjusting to the news of Tom's verdict, but it figuratively shows the connection between the main theme of killing innocence or mockingbirds, to the idea of coming of age, and change for Jem and Scout. The diction in this quote gives off a sense that the innocence of Jem fades as he begins to have a new outlook on the world, shaping him through

To Kill A Mockingbird Coming Of Age Essay

Throughout the book, Scout and Jem come of age and show their own personal morals, which is shown in many different scenes in the book. Curious and innocent kids begin to experience life outside of their small circle and encounter many opinions and people they don't agree with. Their father Atticus began teaching them the importance of kindness, respect, and personal morals. As they are put in unfamiliar situations, they start to follow their fathers footsteps, standing up for what they believe is…

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Words 1075 - Pages 5