Character Analysis Of Jemima Emerson In 'Time Enough For Drums'

When you think of young women in the late 1700s, what comes to mind? For me it is a taskful life filled with chores and taking care of siblings and being sold off and married when the time comes, not for this brave adolescent.Time Enough For Drums written by Ann Rinaldi includes a main character Jemima Emerson. She is a 15 year old girl who lives in Trenton, New Jersey and is not ready for what is coming in the future. Through the book Jemima encounters much chaos that gives her no choice but to grow up and take charge. You would never think a teenager would have as much sense of humor, responsibility and be as vindictive as Jemima Emerson. Jemima Emerson has many different character traits that all describe her and her unique personality.To begin with, Jem is very brave. She has to deal with so much throughout the book that she does not let get to her. She deals with everything in a mature and sophisticated manner. For example, she had to go through father dying,
She always has her own way of doing things and will never do anything that she does not want to do. She will say whatever comes to mind, even if it is offensive or rude. For example, she would bicker back and forth with John Reid telling him horrible things and not feel any sympathy for his feelings:“I hate you Mr.Reid. And I’ll find a way of getting back at you!”. Additionally, she would call John Reid out in front of her whole family for being a tory and embarrass him to the point where Jem would get punished. For example, Dan was saying “I've been telling John some of my adventures traveling through the country” and Jemima responds bitterly“Should you? Mr.Reid is a tory”(Rinaldi 14). In this quote explains how she believes tories and patriots should not converse and her family should hesitate before they tell John Reid anything of value. As shown above, Jemima has many qualities some, positive some negative but they both define her