Scout Coming Of Age Essay

Words: 669
Pages: 3

Coming of age can change a person’s perspective of the world. While being a child is no large responsibility, coming of age can be a confusing road for many. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee characterizes Scout as the symbolic mockingbird representing the innocence that Scout possesses throughout the novel. Scout’s way of thinking in the novel is very typical of a child’s thoughts; she sees all people as equal. As the subject of Walter Cunningham comes up, Scout has a very different perspective than Jem. Lee states, “Naw, Jem, I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks” (259). In other words, Scout believes that all people are equal. In society today, people know this not to be true because not everyone has the same exact, equal rights. Scout’s innocence is truly shown by this quote in that she simply does not understand the true advantages and disadvantages that people may possess in the world. As many say, life is not fair and Scout will soon learn this as she …show more content…
Scout’s innocence is represented by her actions more than anything. Her actions show how well she understands a situation, how immature she is, and truly how young Scout still is. Lee lets us see this by writing about Scout’s coming of age and how confusing it is for Scout. This road going from innocent and immature to wise and sophisticated can take a toll on people. As Lee represents with Scout, people can learn the hard way but it pays off in the end, and many can reach a new level of perception in life. Lee lets the reader see that coming of age can be different for everyone, even Jem and Scout have completely different paths of development. Though these paths can start very different, even the most innocent person can be corrupted by coming of age and new life lessons. That corruption will shape a person for the rest of their life, whether it is good or