Boo Radley Coming Of Age Analysis

Mature. The definition of mature is; one that is fully developed physically; fully-grown. To me, mature means you are able to watch out for yourself and others, you are able to have manners, and you are reliable as well as responsible. Mature doesn’t have an age to it. There are many kids who are very young, for example, six or seven, who are mature. Others don’t mature until they are about thirteen or fourteen. It really just depends on the background of that individual. Maturity all ties into the changes that Scout undergoes in the book To Kill a Mockingbird.

Some people never change – you just get to know them better. To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, is a complex novel about a young girl, Scout, learning about the world of Maycomb with her brother Jem and friend Dill. Harper Lee uses To Kill a Mockingbird to show how the perception of the unknown changes with age and knowledge through Bildungsroman and Othering aspects throughout the novel. This is mainly displayed in Scout’s constantly changing idea of, and attitude towards, Boo Radley.

From this, one can see that Scout is still in a juvenile state of mind. Furthermore, one can see how the beliefs of the townspeople have been transferred to Scout, who had taken them as they are considered the social norm. She unknowingly accepts their racism when she thinks of Dolphus Raymond as a “sinful man” because he associates himself with black people and “…had mixed children and didn’t care who knowed it.” (201) She does not understand why he freely displays his transgression to the town when it is acknowledged as a wrong thing to do in Maycomb. However, Scout slowly starts to develop her own sense of right and wrong and create her own judgments of others. Boo was once the monster of her childhood, but after witnessing his cordial and courageous actions, she realizes that “he hadn’t done any of those things…he was real nice.” (281) In the end, Scout matures and sheds her childhood nickname to become the young lady called “Jean Louise” by family and friends. (211, 224, 229) This change in Scout is a result of her loss of innocence and is a focal point in the novel to give a thought-provoking perspective on the events of the book.

Harper Lee, in the realistic-fiction novel To Kill A Mockingbird, uses a variety of literary elements to aid in the overall development of the theme. All of the characters are going through some sort of coming of age experience or enhancing someone else's experience as well as their lives all the while being greatly impacted by the racial discrimination and injustices that occurred all around them. An event in the novel that expresses this is the court case of Tom Robinson, or more specifically, Atticus’s, Tom Robinson’s attorney, closing argument. During this Tom Robinson is wrongly accused of raping a white girl in their town of Maycomb, and Atticus decides to defend him as his attorney despite the town's clear racial biases and preconceived stereotypes on people of color; this greatly impacts Atticus’s daughter, Scout. To show this Harper Lee uses setting, plot and conflict to enhance the development of the novel and put forth the theme. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee uses these literary elements, plot, conflict and setting to develop the idea that the presence of racial inequality leading to the undermining of justice impacts the coming of age for Scout on a variety of levels.

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird Scout is an example of a character whose coming-of-age process involves gaining a different perspective. In To Kill a Mockingbird Scout states to herself “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough” (Lee 374). At the beginning of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus teaches Jem and Scout about stepping in others shoes. Scout does not fully understand what Atticus had meant when he said that until the very end of To Kill a Mockingbird. When she stands on Boo Radley’s front porch and sees everything from the view of the window that Boo has been looking out of throughout the entire novel she finally realizes what Atticus had meant all of those years. She then finally fully understands what it means to truly stand in someone else's shoes. After she has this realization she feels much older and wiser because she has gained a new perspective that most of Maycomb County has not acquired. She has gained the perspective of understanding, and having the ability to see things through others perspectives. A large part of Scout’s coming-of-age process occurs when she sees things from Boo’s perspective. Another moment of that shows Scout coming-of-age happens

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is one of the most recognizable books of all time. Ever since it’s July 1960 release date it has been hailed for its genius writing, relatable characters, and narration. The novel is told through the eyes of Scout, a young girl living in the fictional Alabama town of Maycomb, and how she develops during an important time in her childhood. Scout’s character will affect the story in many different ways. As the only narrator, all of what you know of Maycomb and its inhabitants is through her eyes. Her childlike demeanor, strong southern accent, and personality add to the book’s charm and memorability. You will get to see her evolve as a person throughout the entire story. Scout is not only the most memorable, but the most important.

9. Boo Radley is so important in the novel because he teaches Scout not to judge others on assumptions and that people are really kind. Boo is a character who throughout the novel is judged based on assumptions. The children fantasize about him, yet he is a mystery to them. In their distraction of trying to find out about Boo, they miss him present in their lives. By the end of the novel when Scout finally sees Boo, she realizes how he has cared for them throughout the years and imagines life from his point of view. The children are so fascinated with him because they do not really know who he actually is. They are obsessed with the idea of him. Perhaps this is because he is one of the only mysteries in their small town, the one they know least about. However, Jem and Scout fear Boo, an innocent man. I think it is appropriate that Boo saves them so that Scout would have the realization that you don't really understand a

To Kill A Mockingbird displays the development of characterisation within the characters of Scout through experience and moral lessons. ‘The Radley place had ceased to terrify me, but it was no less gloomy, no less chilly under its great oaks and no less uninviting’. Scout’s perception of the Radley house changed, showing character development and alteration within perspective. Within the quote, she is taking other people’s feelings into consideration Scout took a gradual journey of ignoring the Radley house and its terrifying state, only to gain curiosity of what Boo looks like. “It’d be sort of like killing a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?”

Throughout Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem, Scout, and Boo Radley played a meaningful and important role. As the novel progressed the relationship of Jem, Scout, and Boo Radley developed in a significant way. The children had a growing curiosity of Boo Radley in the first few chapters of the novel. Eventually the curiosity faded as the children became more mature and the novel lost its innocence. However, by the end of the novel the events caused Jem and Scout to obtain an amicable relationship with Boo Radley. The development of the relationship between Boo Radley and the children created a meaningful back story which allowed the novel to have a heartwarming touch on many people.

The coming of age scene I decided to analyze is scoutʻs scene when she leads Boo Radley to his house and learns that she may be young but she is very mature. In this essay I will describe how the literary elements, plot, point of view, and settings will affect the scene. I choose these three literary elements because the have a special effect on the scene and how it involves past experiences with Boo. The first literary element I will show is setting.

There are different ways why the world gradually change as the novel progresses . So in the beginning of the story scout if 7 years old  but now she is 8 . She is a very intelligent girl for her age that people want to dislike her and pick on her because she is so smart . By teachers doing this to her it is allowing her to mature , she is becoming more responsible and grown . By them maturing they are seeing differing angles of Boo Radley . They are starting to see him as a caring guy , who just has so issues do to his younger life

Therefore the author implies that Scout can only grow from this point. This also allows Scout to move with the plot, because the fire is the turning point of the novel. It separates the childish games of Scout, Jem, and Dill, and their Boo Radley phase from the very adult world of racism and the Tom Robinson trial. By showing Scout at her climax, and connecting it to the turning point of the novel, Lee can show the reader a more noticeable change in her character. She also stresses Scout’s moments of bluntness, because it is the contrast between her mature and immature instances that make her mature moments more notable. For example, when Scout sees Boo Radley for the first time, she shows maturity beyond her years. The ordeal was explained by Scout as, “Our neighbor’s image blurred with my sudden tears. ‘Hey Boo’ I said” (Lee 362). The way Scout first reacts by saying hi so calmly shows her maturity. She handles the situation so profoundly by instantly treating him like an equal, something that is difficult even for the adults in Maycomb. This helps out the moral of gradual maturity from innocence because it was her original immaturity that got her so involved with Boo Radley in the first place. Had she not been so obsessed with him, the direct understanding with him would not be possible. Therefore, this proves that Scout’s childhood habits ironically push her closer to growing up. As childhood innocence

This shows scout is maturing because she starts feeling guilty because she has never given anything back to boo Radley and this also makes her feel selfish. This shows that she has grown up seeing as she is thinking of others and not only herself. Jem sees this change also when he becomes more of a big brother to

Author, he’s asleep. You couldn’t if he was awake, he wouldn’t let you…’ I found myself explaining” (Lee 372). Scout talks to Boo as if she does everyday, this is because she does not want Boo to feel left out of alone anymore than he already does. Scout is a very outgoing person who can make anyone feel as though they belong even if that person does not think they do and we can see that here with her discussion with Boo. Succeeding this encounter, Boo makes the request for Scout to walk him home. Once they reach his house and he goes inside, Scout stands on the porch and views the world as he does. Replaying the events of the past summers through his eyes, Scout finally understands the ways of Boo’s world (Lee 374). This helps Scout mature by the reason of her interpreting his life. She now knows that Boo sees her life as an example, she has a loving family and a superior life which he wishes he could have. However, he knows that this is not a possibility.

First, one of the main elements of Southern Gothic mentioned in the novel is deeply flawed or eccentric characters. For example, one character that has many flaws is Boo Radley. He is the neighborhood villain who is known to be very violent and people do their best to steer clear of him. Scout recalls what Miss Stephanie