Analysis Of Jem's Maturity In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee the children of Atticus Finch, Scout and Jem, considerably mature. As Jem approaches puberty he changes as many events happen around him. Scout does not always understand things, but Jem is old enough to understand and recognize how serious the events and conversations around them are. Jem and Scout mature faster than the other children around them. As they grow up there are dramatic changes in the thinking and behaviors of the children in the crucial years of their childhoods, but these siblings have more to cope with than others, and they learn many life lessons from the experiences they go through.
Scout becomes bewildered by her brother Jem’s moodiness as he approaches

puberty and goes through changes. Jem distances himself from Scout as he begins to outgrow her as his companion. By the end of the novel, Jem is in high school, and Scout is an elementary school student. On Halloween, the night of the pageant, Jem serves as Scout’s adult escort rather than her friend to play with. Jem only goes because Atticus and Calpurnia could not.
The children discover that adults are capable of dishonesty, gossip, rape, racism, drinking, neglect, hate, mental disease, and hypocrisy. The trial also exposes them to things other children their age would not experience. The trial of Tom Robinson and the deaths of Tom and Mrs. Dubose shed light into the adult world for Scout and Jem. The three years the novel goes through the children go through things other children their age have not.
Scout and Jem learn many lessons from their father Atticus throughout the novel. They learn to consider other’s perspectives. Atticus Finch said, “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.” They learn this lesson with Boo Radley as they mature to appreciating him as someone who can not participate in the normal society from making fun of him. They learn their lesson slowly and begin to respect him.
The children also learn the lesson of courage through Atticus from Mrs. Dubose. Like most children, Scout and Jem viewed courage as a physical ability. This is why they were amazed when Atticus shot the rabid dog. Later on the children learn the courage has more than one form.