Scout Finch’s small hometown seemed like the perfect place for a curious, young child. The south was the setting for To Kill a Mockingbird, and her life included a lot prejudice and opinionated people. Everybody who lived in close proximity to one another knew the other. Scout’s brother Jem and her dad, Atticus, were also included in this town. All of the characters lived in Maycomb County Alabama, which was small and prejudiced. Harper Lee, author of The Death of Innocence and Coming of Age, expresses the loss of innocence through Scout’s conflict with the world.

Harper Lee describes the loss in innocence caused by Scout’s encounter with Miss Caroline. Scout loses the ability to feel a sense of purpose when she is forced to inform Miss Caroline about Walter Cunningham’s financial affairs. She feels guilty for trying too hard to be helpful, as Scout had already fallen off the wrong path. Miss Caroline says, “You’re shamein him. Walter didn’t have any quarters at home so Miss Caroline grabbed him by the collar and took me back. Jean Louise: I’m done with you, Jean Louise. Hold your hand out. I thought she was going for spit. Miss Caroline took her ruler, gave me a half dozen pats and then instructed me to stand in a corner. Victims are forced to accept that they did something they shouldn’t have done. This prompts the victim’s to think about their own shortcomings and make changes to avoid making the same mistakes. It is possible to see that Scout learned from Miss Caroline to be a good listener and not get involved in other peoples’ problems. Although the reader might infer that, Scout still decided to go after Walter for getting her into trouble. Scout had learnt a valuable lesson. Lee also expresses his grief through Scout and Aunt Alexandra. Aunt Alexandra, a side character, is always insisting that Scout dress up in ladylike attire. I would not be able to imagine being a lady wearing breeches. She said that I couldn’t do anything in a dress and that I didn’t have to wear them. Aunt Alexandra’s vision about my disposition was to play with small stoves, tea pots, and wear the Add-A-Pearl jewelry she gave me at birth. Scout was raised by her father and brother, Atticus Finch. Scout was wild and dirty while Jem was an observant and witty man. Scout didn’t know better without a mother-like influence. Scout was conscious that she behaved differently than other girls her age. Aunt Alexandra tried her best to get Scout to behave like a woman and show proper etiquette. The way Scout behaved could be used to infer that Aunt Alexandra was trying reform Scout’s lifestyle.

Harper Lee’s final words are that of an innocent child who is unable to accept the reality of racism. Scout and Jem learn about the prejudices of white women and men in Maycomb when they become involved in the case of their father, a black man. Scout and Jem, her brother, learn about equality. “Cry about how people treat others without thinking. Crying about the misery that white people can cause for people of color, while not even thinking they are people. Scout attends Tom Robinson’s trial. He is convicted and falsely accused. His only possible reason for losing the case was that he was a man of color in a preconceived universe. It was already difficult to be a man of color in his thirties. Tom Robinson needed to be tried against all white men. Atticus Scout taught him something most people don’t learn until they get older.

Harper Lee’s book, The Death of Innocence and Coming of Age, is a collection of stories about Scout and her many conflict. The book’s most important chapters focus on Miss Caroline’s problems and her anger at Aunt Alexandra. She is forced to confront prejudices racial that her small hometown faces. To Kill a Mockingbird may have many themes. The most prominent theme, however, is the death-of-innocence and the coming to terms with one’s own mortality. Scout Finch, 9 years old, had a few transformational experiences that made her mature thinker. Overall, this book offered a glimpse of life in the 1930s’ turbulent world.