Kayla Dohrman
Mrs. Herber
Honors English 1
November 17 2015
Literary Analysis Essay The way an author chooses to depict his/her characters can make or break a novel. The author can either choose to show growth in their characters to add to the novel or story, or the author can choose to not show any growth at all. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee chooses to show growth in all of the following characters: Jem, Scout, and Atticus.
Jem, the brother of Scout, changes drastically. In the beginning of the novel, Jem is a fun-loving child at the age of ten. He invented the game, “Boo Radley” to show his bravery and to get a better understanding of the Radley family. When his father, Atticus, asked him if the game had anything to do with the Radley family Jem lied and said no, “‘ Does this by any chance have anything to do with the Radleys?’ ‘No sir,’ said Jem reddening” (53). Later in the novel Jem broke the one remaining code of childhood when they found Dill under Scout’s bed. He tattle tales and tells Atticus, “ He went out of the room and down the hall. ‘Atticus,’ his voice was distant, ‘can you come here a minute, sir?’” (188). While the way Harper Lee shows how Jem is changing as a child to an adult she…show more content… Scout would not accept that she was acting like a girl and would often contradict it. As the novel goes on Scout realizes that being a girl isn’t as bad as she thought it was and that it even has some values. For example, when Aunt Alexandra learns that Tom was shot dead she is all shaken up along with Miss Maudie, but carries on the meeting as if nothing happened. Scout is amazed by how they handle the situation and follows Aunt Alexandra’s lead while handing out refreshments to the other ladies saying, “After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I” (318). At the same time Jem and Scout are growing and showing changes, Atticus also