9R - SR Nicholson Essay

Tyler Nicholson

English 1

Mr. Abel

As we grow older, the innocence of childhood vanishes and we soon grow aware of the life we are living. We start to realize how our choices and those around us affect our surroundings. Jean-Jacques Roussean once said, “We are born twice over; born into existence, and born into life; born a human being, and born a man.” In other words, as humans develop, we begin to mature and actually start considering our reasons to live. Literature such as To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Color of Water by James McBride illustrate the theme of maturing. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee explores the idea of growing up through the view of a little girl who soon realizes the evils of prejudice in her own hometown. In The Color of Water, McBride reflects on times when he was young and realized his choices affected his future. Also, as McBride got older, he called the color of his mother’s skin into question, making him really think about his role in the world and what it meant to be black or white. Lee and McBride convey a special message of advancing into a more complex existence through setting and symbolism.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee uses setting to show Scout undergoing a moment of clarity. Her innocent mentality contrasts with the hateful and racist attitude of the community. When the lynch mob shows up at the jail to harm Atticus and Tom Robinson, Scout interrupts and attempts to have a friendly conservation with one of the mob members, not realizing the danger Atticus was in. She eventually drives the mob away. Scout does not realize the feat she has done until the next morning. Scout states, “the full meaning of the night’s events hit me and I began crying.” (Lee 208) This implies that Scout is beginning to think about the impact of her childish acts. The situation involving the Tom Robinson case is dire, and Scout finally sees how the neighborhood feels towards Atticus. She has her epiphany, and begins to cry when she realizes that Maycomb is hiding a violent interior. The setting emphasizes Scout’s ignorance in the crisis. Lee describes the neighborhood as dark and foreboding. The atmosphere is suspenseful. Lee illustrates the strangers coming from the cars as shadows. Everyone, except Scout, realizes how dangerous things can turn out. The author even notes how Atticus “seemed to be expecting them.” (Lee 201) When Scout ran to greet Atticus, this showed how naïve she was. The next morning, she matures as she recognizes the implication of what would have happened if she did not intervene. Scout understood that her actions provided results. Also, the town is a much more sinister place than she knew.

In The Color of Water, McBride uses symbolism to show a time when he gained a new understanding of the world. This particular moment occurs when McBride is conversing with Chicken Man, a man on the street corner. He gave McBride his “true street education.” Chicken Man admonishes him saying, “You’ll end up doing time and hanging on this corner when you get out…If you want to drop out of school and shoot people and hang on this corner all your life, go ahead. It’s your life!” (McBride 150) Chicken Man’s words made McBride realize that his actions actually mattered. He has a future ahead of himself that he must consider. Chicken Man also serves as a symbol. He is the representation of what were to happen if McBride didn’t have his epiphany. McBride living on the street led to his moment of “being born a man”.

As Jean-Jacques Rossean states, humans expand their thoughts and views overtime. An important time in our life signals this change. Scout and McBride both encounter situations in which they realize that they exist. They influence their surroundings. Lee and McBride express the coming of age theme many times throughout their work. Since it is narrated through the eyes of a naïve, maturing person, which is Scout and McBride, the theme of maturing is made into an even stronger message. The world suddenly seems as a different place and everything is comprehensible. Scout becomes aware of her dark hometown. McBride realizes that he has a life in front of him that is worth living.