Adolescence in To Kill A Mockingbird

The socialization process of an individual that starts in infancy at the family level which from the primary unit is detrimental towards the development of a fully functional member of the society in adulthood. As a child grows through childhood and adolescence, self-discovery forms an integral part in growth as the learning process through education, and social interactions allow one to set life goals, understand what is wrong and right and pursue self-actualization. Scholarly research in the childhood and adolescence experience has allowed for the formation of opinions with regard state of an individual as they undergo the given life stage. Literature is a powerful tool in the preservation and communication of human experiences from diverse perspectives including childhood and adolescence. While literary works can depict childhood and adolescence experience as characterized by innocence, sense of wonder, tribulation, and terror. Taking into account a literary action; ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ this paper will explain how the book portrays adolescence and childhood and the implications of the representation in the general meaning of the work.

Coexistence of Evil and Good

In childhood, individuals have limited exposure to atrocities that can be perpetrated by a human being against a colleague. From the ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ perspective, Jem, and Scout at the beginning of the novel are mere children engulfed in a world of innocence (Waldron, 12). The two characters in their childhood hold a notion that every individual is inherently good. It is until adolescence that Jem and Scout face the evil side of humanity as they experience ignorance, hatred, and racism (Sims, 11). Atticus in the novel states that “They’ve done it before and they will do it again and when they do it – seems that only the children weep.” (Shields, 17).  From the statement, Atticus is about Tom Robinson who was falsely accused of rape and convicted (Mulligan, et al., 34). Atticus states that only the children in the given context care about the evil in the form of injustices being undertaken. Atticus who is the father of Jem and Scout assist the children in understanding the existence of evil and good in life (Mills, 50). “The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box” (Meyer, 15). From the statement, Atticus tells the children that evil is part of human life and will present itself even in courtrooms where justice ought to be served.

Learning of Social Inequality

Maycomb society as brought out in the book is characterized by a social class system that forms the basis for inequalities (Medina, 6). The inequity represented in the book baffles the children, and at some point, Scout fails to comprehend why aunt Alexandria declines to allow her to consort with Walter Cunningham (Mancini, 40). Jem and Scout through their childhood and into adolescence are made aware of social inequalities especially as their father represents Robinson as his attorney in the rape case. Atticus states that “There’s something in our world that makes men lose their heads—they couldn’t be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins. They’re ugly, but those are the facts of life.” (Lee, 21). While Atticus tries to make the children why equity should be served to all, it is unfortunate that the vice has infiltrated to the courtrooms and the justice system.

Development of Moral Values

From the book, children and adolescents ought to learn morality and practice the virtue throughout their lives. Atticus Finch is seen as an advocate for decency and goes on to instill the same attribute in his children (Haggerty, 8). Individuals should do good at all times and desist from judging other people. Atticus asks Scout, “Are you proud of yourself tonight that you have insulted a total stranger whose circumstances you know nothing about?” when the child destroy a neighbor’s flowers (Bloom, 37). At childhood and adolescence, a big dilemma faces the individuals in determining what is right and wrong (Castleman, 29).

Conclusion

The representation of childhood and adolescence by ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ depicts the book as a critic of societal structures in shaping industrious and fully functional members of the society. The family unit through Atticus is brought forth as an integral factor in helping children navigate through childhood and adolescence. The community is defined by the book as faulty presenting children and youth with immense challenges that require support in the development of healthy moral values to prevent the surge of resentment due to evil and inequalities.

Work Cited

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Waldron, Carmel. To Kill a Mockingbird: Harper Lee. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012.