To Kill A Mockingbird Age Quotes

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Steps of Wisdom Age is looked down on negatively. As age increases, the remaining life span decreases; but age is not so simple. In fact, it is much more complex. As age increases, knowledge does as well. Stupid decisions, life lessons, and gaining one more year of life brings a person that much closer to understanding what life really is. In other words, the older a person becomes, the wiser a person becomes. Harper Lee, the author of the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, builds the main theme, the older the wiser, through Jem’s actions and character development. Ten years old is a relatively young age, but if “you climb into their skin and walk around in it” (Lee 33), ten becomes much older. Feeling and being old are two completely different things. Jem starts the novel at a relatively young age even though he feels like he is “big enough” (Lee 7). His age shows in his actions, lack of maturity, and absence of understanding. Jem is at a point in his life where he has little knowledge and life experience of his own, so he is left with believing anything and everything others tell him. “So Jem received most of his information form Miss Stephanie Crawford, a neighborhood scold, who said she knew the whole thing” (Lee 11). The rumors and tails about Boo Radly lead Jem to fear information he heard about a man he never met. This shows…show more content…
Just because age has caused Jem to become wiser does not mean he is wise enough to use it correctly. “…it seemed like the only message he [Jem] got from Atticus was insight into the art of cross examination” (Lee 57). In other words, Jem has the wisdom and knowledge, but he does not have the understanding to apply it to life. Whenever Jem does attempt to apply this wisdom to life, he seems to over use it. “His maddening superiority was unbearable these days” (Lee 156). Jem cannot find the correct way to use his wisdom. Jem believes getting older means he has authority over others, but he does
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