Merriam Webster ((m-w.com)) describes a ‘rite of passage’ as ‘a ritual associated with a crisis or a change of status for an individual’. This essay seeks to examine the roles of children in the novel through their characterization and the transformations that they undergo as they enter adulthood.

Both Jem and Scout undergo an odyssey which entails a loss of innocence but rewards them with experience and knowledge as well as access into the world of maturity during their meandering journey towards adulthood; their rite of passage is completed by their survival of the attempt on their lives by Bob Ewell. Having survived that, and confronted the moral evil of the town successfully, as well as Scout’s mature realization that Arthur Radley is a bashful human being and not a monster or a “malevolent phantom” as she had supposed him to be, the rite of passage is complete.Jem and Scout embody the ideals of youth and the naivety of innocence. They represent the unspoilt nature of those who have yet to be corrupted by the views and takes of those prejudiced against certain groups of people and have a key role to play in the mood and development of the entire novel.

An outstanding evidence is that of the Cunningham’s. Father and son both sported pride and were honorable. Walter Cunningham Junior did not accept the quarter Ms Caroline had offered him to have for lunch. He too was very grateful to the Finches for having him over for lunch. The same goes for his father Walter Cunningham Senior, who could not help remembering how Atticus had aided him in keeping his land years ago when he was cornered by Scout at the Jailhouse where he attempted to kill Tom Robinson. This thought was what made him decide to spare Tom Robinson’s life that night. This effect of mirroring characters has allowed the reader to sense what is to come and allows him to make connections and judgments on the characters. It is to dive the reader a little bit of background to the various families.

This novel revolves around the ideas of courage and prejudice, both of which are fairly rigid and conventional. To bring some light-heartedness to this novel, Mrs. Harper Lee chose to involve children to a large extent, even making the narrator, Jean Louise Finch (Scout), a child. Children bring laughter to one and all. Thus, this technique has brought the book a bit of life. Scout also reveals information about the rest of the town. This style however restricts the narrator to what she has witnessed. This problem was eradicated by first introducing other characters who give her information. An example being when she talks to her father and relatives about various issues. Most of the information regarding the Radley’s come from Miss Maudie Atkinson. Dill also recounted to Scout about the visit to the Robinsons house after Tom’s death. This gives us information about the reaction of Tom’s wife and children. Scout sometimes even overhears conversations, for example, the conversation between her uncle and Atticus. The next source of information is from the other “Scout”, who is actually recounting the entire episode behind the six year old mask although she is already grown.

Scout is a sensitive child who is capable of captivating a crowd. For instance, at the jail house Scout had the courage to speak to Mr. Cunningham, she also is able to interpret his silence and moves on into topics which, in her opinion, would interest him more. Later in the novel after Bob Ewell makes an attempt on the children’s lives she senses Boo’s fear and speaks to him gently to reassure him. Scout is also intelligent, outspoken, tom-boyish and hotheaded, everything a southern boy should have been. Scout is extremely candid as she simply blurts out what she has on her mind sometimes at awkward moments. When she first met Dill, she could not help herself but comment on his father, “if he’s not dead you’ve got one haven’t you?”. Scout, from her behavior and attitude seems to be enjoying male company more than female company. She is constantly trying to find out what it is to “be a lady” but she does not seem to get a hang of it as she is uncomfortable with her aunt’s friends “sipping, whispering and fanning”. Scout is more comfortable when she is open with someone. Her impulsiveness is one thing her father wishes to get rid from her. However, she finds it rather difficult to do so, considering that she had always been like that. Instead she get into scuffles with various people, mostly boys, throughout the novel.

Jem is the child that goes through a major transformation throughout the novel. He is the character who has undergone many different rites of passages throughout the novel and more so understanding the meaning behind each one of those events. Jem represents the idea of bravery and how it evolves from physical courage to moral courage. At the beginning of the novel, courage to Jem was a simple matter of going “up and touch the (Radley’s) house”. Jem who “loved honor more than his head” decided to take up the challenge. As the story progresses, Jem learns numerous lessons from various occurrences. Starting from the Tim Johnson incident, he realized that manliness is not just facing a mad dog and coming out alive. However, it is knowing that there was no alternative but causing a life to part its body. Following that, he learned that courage was not just “a man with a gun in his hands” but actually doing something that “you know you’re licked before you begin” and do it anyway. He changes throughout the book from a brother who subjects his sister to his rule to a caring adult who looks out for his sister’s well-being. Lastly Jem’s role in foreshadowing events were important. We even have a description of Tom Robinson formed in our own heads, even if we don’t realize it on the very first page where Jem was described to have his “left arm….somewhat shorter than his right”, very much like Tom Robinson.

Dill is another juvenile character that has quite some involvement in the plot. He is almost like Scout in the fact that he is also an observer of events, that is to say he does not make any impact on decisions made. Dill functions as a moral thermometer for the reader in understanding Maycomb County. As Dill is from Mississippi, he is as much foreign to Maycomb County as most of the readers, thus he paves the way for the reader’s objective observance of the story through Scout. Dill, moreover, encompasses many traits from many characters in the book. Dill does not know his biological father just as much as Scout doesn’t know about her mother. He tries to lure Boo Radley from his house, which is not much different from Bob Ewell and Tom Robinson. He also tells huge lies and creates phony stories just like Mayella Ewell during the trial. He pretends to be something he isn’t, which is not very far from Dolphus Raymond’s character. He is also brave enough to risk his own safety in order to run away to Maycomb just as Jem is brave enough to risk his going to the Radley house to collect his pants.

Childhood can also be interpreted as a childlike state of mind instead of just physical age. A typical example is Arthur Radley (Boo). Arthur has been enlisted to a series of inhumane punishments form Mr. Radley for forming “the nearest thing to a gang”. This included being shut away form the rest of civilization. This treatment has stagnated his emotional growth and has stunned him to an eternity of immaturity. Boo, the “malevolent phantom” was always thought of as a vicious entity. His sinister laughter upon seeing Scout roll into his yard in a tyre was merely an expression of joy form an innocent man. His role of being childlike by heart and an adult by body has given rise to a legend. Boo represents the mocking bird in this novel. He is harmless and therefore should not be prosecuted. This idea is emphasized to Scout and Jem through Atticus as he says “shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit them, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mocking bird.” Boo who is psychologically damaged is timid and almost incapable of integrating into the Maycomb society, thus he stays inconspicuous. The connection is further reinforced in chapter 28 when Jem and Scout are in front of the Radley house. There, a “solitary mocker” sang. This is a clear linkage of the mocking bird with Boo Radley.

The children are the only ones who see true justice and prejudice. Dolphus Raymond expressed this to Dill, when he was crying after hearing Tom’s verdict, by saying that they are “children and (they) can understand it.” This emphasizes the importance of Scout being a child narrator. Similar sentiments were expressed by Atticus who after the verdict tat if Jem and “eleven other boys like him were on the jury, tom would have been free.”the fact that atticus mentioned the word boys, instead of men proves the  innocence of children in this novel.

The young age of the children in the novel ensures that the children have yet to encounter many life changing experiences. This opened up the possibility of introducing life lessons into the novel in the sake of teaching the children. Most of the lessons are learned by Scout. First and foremost is the lesson on empathy. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view……until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” This is what Atticus taught her in chapter 3. She uses this lesson late on, in trying to understand Jem’s sentiments. Next it is the lesson of courage and its true meaning. Atticus tries to instill in her the fact that courage is not just physical but also moral. Scout learns along the way to contain her anger and not express it through her fists. Atticus also “wanted you to see what real courage is” through the example of Mrs. Dubose. Together with courage, he also taught her tolerance and humility. This lesson was taken further by Aunt Alexandra who tried her best in transforming scout into a fine lady.

While Scout, Dill and Jem remain physically as children at the end of the novel, their mindsets had ventured into the treacherous world of adulthood. Though no longer as innocent as they were before at the beginning of the novel, their views on life and people were never skewed by the events that occurred throughout the novel nor the “usual Maycomb disease”. Along the way these children pick up important life lessons such as the value of tolerance, humility, empathy, courage and compassion from numerous people, namely Atticus Finch, Miss Maudie Atkinson, Mrs. Dubose, Tom Robinson and Dolphus Raymond. These changes can be seen through their various behaviors. The one who showcases his feelings most is Jem. He is seen through his puberty, struggling with his identity and his values. They are able to realize that they have many things to learn. As a sign of her maturity, Scout, at the end of the novel, realizes that she does not much more to learn except possibly algebra”, more over her fear of the Radley’s has diminished so much so that “the Radley place had ceased to terrify” Scout anymore. This shows that Scout although very mature, realizes she has more to learn. However is this growing up process over? On a physical level, they many more years they reach body maturity. On the other hand, they have evolved so much emotionally that they have little to experience but to see the world first hand.

Besides Jem and Scout, TKAM features other children mainly in the first part of the book. This is to give the readers a picture of the different families through the children. The children are in fact miniature versions of their parents. For example, Burris Ewell who was the “filthiest human (Scout) had seen” mirrored his father who had had “protective layers of dirt” that when removed made him “sensitive to the elements’’.

The novel: To Kill A Mockingbird lasts over 4 years. In this time, key incidents such as the killing of a mad dog, the death of Mrs. Dubose, the court trials and the Bob Ewell’s attack on Jem and Scout have acted as rites o passage for the main character Scout and her brother, Jem, to move from mischievous children to grown people who think with their heads and not with their fists. This transition of childhood to adulthood was captured through those events so as to be able to make the children grow by learning important life lessons.