Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is often cited as one of the greatest coming of age novels in modern literature. The story is told mostly from a child’s point of view, and focuses on two points in time. This character is Scout, a six year old (and eventually nine later in the book), who acts in the beginning of the story like most children her age, naïve. As the plot progresses, Scout is matured and transformed by mainly her experiences with society, which often have increasingly adult themes. In order to show how much she develops, Lee places emphasis on Scout’s perception of other people’s views.
Scout’s story begins when she is six years old, when she is less focussed on the big picture and more what will immediately affect her.