Although Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird presents a number of themes, such as racism and social class in the American south, it is the coming of age of Jem and Scout that provides perhaps the most powerful theme in the entire novel. The theme that arises from this coming of age of Jem and Scout relates to the essential nature of human beings more specifically, the novel explores in a very dramatic way whether people are essentially good and just or whether people are instead fundamentally evil and disinterested in objective notions of justice. As children, under the guidance of their principled and very moral father, both Jem and Scout are compelled to endure events that test their existing beliefs, their faith in their fathers teachings, and their very perception and understanding of the nature of human behavior. This essay will discuss how these characters reacted to events in ways that reinforced certain character traits and how they changed or developed in certain respects.
More than any other character, in terms of viewing life and people in new ways, Scout functions in the novel as a sort of benchmark against which other characters can be analyzed. This is because Scout is presented as a remarkably independent young girl who refuses to conform to any social standards except those which are espoused and taught to her by her father. This independence manifests itself early on in the form of Scout forsaking feminine styles of dress or feminine interests and simply doing what makes her feel happy and comfortable. She recognizes that she was different than other girls and notes in her narration that Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasnt supposed to be doing anything that required pants. (Lee 85) This is an important quotation because Scout establishes her independence of mind and her confidence to behave in a...