At the beginning of the novel, Scout went to school for the first time. She expected it to be fun as she has longed to go since watching the other children from the treehouse.

Miss Caroline Fisher told Scout

"Its best to begin learning with a fresh mind."

As Scout is very clever for her age and cannot remember being illiterate she didn't understand how she could learn something wrongly. Miss Caroline blamed Atticus for teaching her wrongly, but really she learnt herself by listening to the news. Later in her school day she is told again

"to tell her father to stop teaching her"

when she was caught writing a letter to Dill. Calpurnia was actually to blame for the teaching as it stopped Scout from "driving her crazy". From her day at school she learnt that not all people are nice and not al times are fun. Scout learnt about injustice when the teacher told her off for not doing anything wrong.

Scout learns from Atticus that "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." After hearing this, Scout keeps it in mind, waiting for the time to use it. It's the first proper piece of information that she learnt from Atticus. It also proved to be very useful to Scout as it stopped her from fighting a boy from her school named Cecil Jacobs. With this in mind she managed to walk away from the situation. Though it did mean that he called her a "coward" from then on. She was okay with it, as she had demonstrated maturity by doing as her father had asked by not fighting.

Later on in the novel, Atticus told Scout "Its different this time…we"re fighting our friends…no matter how bitter things get, they're still our friends and this is still our home.' Scout took this in but didn't fully understand it. For the next few hours she sat thinking trying to work out why it was different this time. She didn't actually manage to unravel Atticus' words until after the trial, after she has learnt about the good nd evil incorperated in the world. This is especially so as at the time of the book, 1933-5 , black and white people were not considered the same and were also not allowed the same rights, whites being seen as higher up and more important then blacks or any other background.

The fire at Miss Maudie's house in Chapter 8 is an important turning point in the novel. Before the fire, the novel concentrates on Jem and Scout's childhood, the lessons they learn from Atticus and the games they played with Dill. After the fire the games started to fade as the force of the trial took over. Jem started to understand things better and grow up leaving Scout to grow when she wanted by herself.

There were many gothic genres in the novel showing Jem and Scout some of the evil in the world. The snowfall in Chapter 8 was considered as evil to many of the Finch children's neighbours though Jem and Scout thought it was wonderful. They decided to build a snowman but Jem did not see this as a game and made sure they collected all the things they needed first. When their snowman was complete Atticus commented that it looked just like Mr Avery. So Jem and Scout changed it so that it looked just like a normal snowman.

Later in Chapter 8, Jem and Scout's neighbour Mrs Dubose died. They had never realised that she'd had a morphine addiction and that she was being very courageous by trying to fight it. Jem realised after she died that she had asked him to read to her as it took her mind off the addiction and the fact that she was going to die soon. This was an important chapter as Jem learned to understand how Mrs Dubose felt in her situation. It also showed how much Jem had matured, as he didn't see the building of the snowman as a game but more as a task to be completed.

Another sign of evil was the mad dog incident in Chapter 14. Jem and Scout had known the dog for a long time and so to see it foaming at the mouth and walking backwards was a terrifying experience. Heck Tate asked Atticus to shoot the dog. Through this incident Jem learnt that Atticus was good at shooting and why he had never told him and Scout. It was because Atticus wasn't proud of it so her also had let Uncle Jack teach them how to use their new air guns. Atticus did not want Jem and Scout to believe that all situations could be solved through violence. Jem realised this and being older than Scout understood it whereas Scout didn't really understand this until she was older and more mature.

A very symbolic connection between the title "To kill a mockingbird" and Atticus' wisdom appears in Chapter 10. Jem and Scout were told by their father "Remember it"s a sin to kill a mockingbird,' with this in mind Scout asks Miss Maudie about what he'd said. She told Scout that "Mockingbirds don"t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy…that's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.' These lines introduced the idea of people being innocent, kind-hearted mockingbirds destroyed by the evil that is in the world.

Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are good examples of mockingbirds as they are good people who mean no harm. They became destroyed, Boo by an abusive father and Tom by the racism that many white people had towards blacks. Also Mayella Ewell is a kind of mockingbird as she was injured beyond repair by the forces of ugliness, poverty and hatred that surrounded her. There was a strong connection between innocent people and mockingbirds shown more than once in the novel. Like for example in Chapter 30, Scout told Atticus that damaging Boo is "like shootin" a mockingbird'. This showed how Scout had grown up more and learnt the real reason for Atticus to tell them these sort of things; so they could use them in their own life.

Part one of the novel ended here and Part two started, focusing now on the trial. Scout told the reader how Jem had changed and become

"difficult to live with, inconsistent and moody".

Jem was growing up and Scout didn't understand why. Calpurnia called Jem "Mister Jem" but Scout felt he wasn't old enough to be named a mister, all he needed "was somebody to beat him up." Though she was growing up these words were quite childish as she was going back to how she thought everything was solved by physical violence.

Lare that day Calpurnia took Jem and Scout to First Purchase, her church. Reverend Sykes was glad to have them but Lula's not so sure. Throughout the time they spent at the church they learnt about racism and their childhood innocence began to fade. Whilst at the church Jem and Scout learnt more about the difference between white and black people and how they are not to be mixed. Although they already knew about this, they never witnessed it first hand and against themselves. This showed them what racism was really like. There was also a collection for Tom Robinson's wife Helen and her children. As Calpurnia searched in her bag for some money Jem says "Naw Cal, we can put ours in. Gimme your dime Scout." It showed that they had learnt that some people need help and that they were willing to give away their dimes to a good cause.

Later that evening, Jem and Scout found Dill under Scout's bed. He had ran away from home after he felt unwanted by his parents. Jem breaking the last code of childhood shouted

"Atticus, can you come here a minute, sir?"

From this point on Scout felt like she had lost the old Jem and a new one had replaced him. But after telling Atticus, Jem looked quite guilty as he probably would not have told had it been a week ago. Jem may have felt a bit like an outsider because of being older than Scout and Dill and telling Atticus about Dill.

After the end of the trial, you can tell that Jem has lost his childhood innocence and gained more of an adult perspective as he was very upset. Jem said many times

"It ain't right",

showing he fully understood the trial and was not very happy with the verdict. Whereas Scout didn't understand the trial so therefore did not appear to be as emotional about it as Jem. Scout still had part of her innocence and was still a mockingbird. Jem had now seen the evil that is in the world and because of it has totally lost his childhood innocence. This important point in the novel shows how Jem and Scout differ; Jem has grown up but Scout hadn't and was not so keen to either. This was because she had seen how Jem acted now and didn't want to do the same herself and because she was four years younger than him.

In Chapter 23, Jem learns of the justice of executing men for rape and Scout learns of women not being permitted to sit on the jury. Atticus and Jeem are discussing Tom Robinson when Jem realises that

"It ain"t right... He didn't take anybody's life". Although rape was a capital offence in Alabama, Jem is showing reason for why it shouldn't be. He is learning how life can be unfair and that men can be hung on circumstantial evidence. Jem has also realised that the jury are never local people like Miss Maudie and themselves.

Asking this to Atticus brings him to telling them of women not being allowed on the jury. Scout, shocked by this learns more of womens position, showing the prejudice between genders. Later, Jem shows how he does understand adult things, telling us of the four kingds of folks.

"Theres the ordinary kind like us... the kind like the Cunninghams... the Ewells down at the dump and the Negroes."

Scout being younger and less grown up believes that there is "just one kind of folks. Folks." Jem has shown in this chapter how much he has grown up, understanding but also disagreeing with the Tom Robinson case and telling of us the different social groups living in Maycomb.

Aunt Alexandra invites her missionary circle to tea. They asked Scout to join them. Scout wearing a dress then came down. Whilst there, she learned the basics of the adult world and how now that Tom Robinson had been put in prison his wife, Helen, couldn't find work for the money she needed to support her three children. Scout had obviously become more grown up, as at the beginning of he novel she would never wear a dress.

The incident with the roly-poly bug showed that Jem had moved into adulthood, whereas Scout seemed reluctant to. Scout was ready to crush the roly-poly bug when Jem says "Don"t do that Scout.'

It seemed that Jem had become very sensitive to those who cannot fight back. He has learnt this from watching the Tom Robinson trial and seeing him getting put in prison for something he didn't do. Now that Jem has grown up he wishes he could see things from a childhood view, like Scout, as he wouldn't understand how bad the racism was and why Tom Robinson was sent to prison. Whereas Scout still has her childhood innocence and is in no rush to loose it. Jem also proudly showed Scout his chest hair as a mark of him moving into manhood.

There was a main sign of gothic genre at Halloween (Chapter27-29). When Jem took Scout home from her play. Behind them they heard sounds of someone following them. They were attacked by Bob Ewell. Scouts "ham" costume saved her from Bob's knife. They were helped by another man who Scout did not recognise. This was a dark and mysterious moment, which scared Jem and Scout into the real world.

When Scout finally met Boo Radley (Chapter 30) she found out that he had never did any of the things he was said to have done. She realised that "You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them." It also showed that she had remembered what Atticus had said and that he was right. Scout walked Boo home and never saw him again.

This was an important part as she finally realised why Boo never came out of the house, it was because he was scared. This gives the reader a real sense of what the novel was about and how Heck Tate didn't want to publicise that Boo had killed Bob Ewell. One realises that Scouts previous experiences build up to this moment. Also Scout has managed to grow up without having being destroyed by evil, unlike Jem and many others around them.

Scout at the end of the novel was very different from the beginning. She had grown nearly three years older, from being nearly six to almost nine. Though she had taken a huge step towards adulthood she still had a long way to go. Throughout the novel Scout had took Atticus' words and used them when appropriate. She had learnt not to judge people by their appearance and to see things from others' views. Although the novel ends with Scout falling asleep in her father's arms, Scout had obviously matured a lot. The novel doesn't refer to how Scout continues to grow up, it ends with a strong feeling of goodness and love between her and her father.

In conclusion, Jem and Scout had grown up a lot and had learnt many things along the way. Jem had grown into a respectable young adult and Scout had learnt many things from being more courteous to understanding the incidents that happen around her.

The two poets structure their poems in very different ways to express their feelings about their different languages, cultures and what makes up their identity. "Search for my Tongue" uses three main stanzas to explain her problem. Lines 1-15 describe her being fluent in two languages, English and an Indian language, Gujarati. Sujata Bhatt uses the picture of having

"two tongues in your mouth"

At the start of "Search for my Tongue" the poet uses a conversational tone like she is talking to the reader for example,

"you ask me what I mean… I ask you, what would you do"

The middle stanza of "Search for my Tongue" in Gujarati is shown visually and emphasises a big difference from English. It is also spelled phonetically in English so we can read it and see its difference to English. Instead, "Presents from my Aunts…" uses the poet's lack of knowledge about Pakistan to create pain and uncertainty of where she belongs. Moniza Alvi feels uncomfortable when she tries on the Pakistani clothes and feels an "alien in the sitting room" making her feel out of place in England.

Both poems use metaphorical language to show their ideas on their identity and language. "Presents from my Aunts…" uses metaphors like

"there was a conflict, a fractured land"

"Everytime I think I've forgotten… it blossoms out of my mouth'

Each poet uses different poetic techniques to add effect to their poem. In "Presents from my Aunts…" she uses the line "candy stripped glass bangles snapped, drew blood" to suggest how like the bangles broke so did her links with Pakistan. "My mother cherished her jewellery- Indian gold, dangling filigree. But it was stolen from our car". This could show how the theft of her mother's jewellery in England could be a metaphor for England stealing her Pakistani identity.

However "Search for my Tongue" uses many different techniques to add effect to the feelings within in the poem. The repetition of

"Rot, rot and die in your mouth" and spit it out, I thought I spit it out'

There are many similarities between how the two poets express their feelings. The woman in "Search for my tongue feels uncertain of her real identity and thinks that by living in another country she may lose her Indian culture and language. Similarly, the teenage girl in "Presents from my Aunts…' feels she does not know her "real" self and seems an

"alien in the sitting room".

"it blossoms out of my mouth".

"for denim and corduroy"

I enjoyed both of these poems but I preferred "Presents from my Aunts…" as I felt I could relate to it better. This is because Moniza Alvi's description of the confusion of her identity can be understood by many of us, regardless of our background. Whereas, I feel "Search for my Tongue" is only easy to understand if you have your own experience of her problem.