“Mockingbirds do nothing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't devour people's gardens, they don't nest in corn cages, they don't do anything but sing their hearts out to us. Therefore it is a sin to kill a mockingbird” (p. 119). Miss Maudie, a neighbor of the Finches, tells this to Scout, the main character. To Kill a Mockingbird was written in 1960 by Harper Lee and is set in the South during the Depression. To Kill a Mockingbird addresses many of the major criticisms of any lifestyle, such as prejudice, right and wrong. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee develops the theme of growth and maturation, particularly in the characters of Jem and Scout. When we first meet Jem Finch, we see a quintessential Southern boy. He and his sister Scout play outside all summer without any worries. Both can read, so they play a lot in the treehouse or invent their own games. When Dill Harris comes over for the summer, he has another boy to play with. Dill is more adventurous and carefree than Jem, so battles will take place. “Jem wanted Dill to know once and for all that he was not afraid of anything. "I just can't find a way to get him out without him catching us." Besides, Jem had to think about his little sister” (p. 17). Jem makes up a game making fun of the Radleys and tries to keep Atticus from finding out, but Atticus gets away with it through cross-examination. The following summer, Dill, Jem and Scout go to the Radleys' backyard to see if they can see Boo, they are shot and run away. Jem loses his pants while going under the fence. When Jem returns to get his pants, he finds them mended and folded, sitting on the fence, waiting for him. After Jem gets his pants back, he...... middle of paper ...... mound of common She has sense for her age and she knows right from wrong and is not afraid to say what she thinks, especially when it's the truth. When Arthur Radley is at her house the night Jem's arm was broken, she is very mature in her thinking about how he would want to be treated. She lets him sit in a dark place on the porch because he doesn't seem to like being in the spotlight. She even walks him home, even though she has always been afraid of the Radley house. Scout falls asleep that night saying "'Atticus, he was really nice...' 'Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them'" (p. 376). In To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem and Scout Finch learn to let go of an aspect of their childhood innocence and take a step into the adult world. They have a loving and honest father who helps them learn the difference between right and wrong to the best of their abilities..