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Character analysis to kill a mockingbird
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To kill a mockingbird character analysis
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Susan Scarf Merrell once said, “Our brothers and sisters are there with us from the dawn of our personal stories to the inevitable dusk.” In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, two siblings, Jem and Scout, go through the unthinkable, yet they manage to have an unbreakable, sometimes incomprehensible, bond. Their relationship, for the most part, is akin to the one I have with my brother Cam, and I am thankful for it. Whether it be rolling down a hill in a tire or taunting Boo Radley, the Finches are always mischievous, and the same could be said about Cam and me. Throughout my childhood, I have heard some downright outrageous things from the mouth of my brother; whenever I asked for ideas, he would always suggest things like: meeting the new neighbor by peeping through his back window, or running on the …show more content…
furniture through the house without touching the ground, or battling each other with the biggest sticks we could find and successfully hold. Whatever activity we did, no matter how absurd, we always ended up in tears, whether it be from our punishment, or a fit of laughter. The crazy activities allowed Scout and Jem to grow closer together, just as it did for Cam and me. Sarcastic comments and teasing are huge parts of a sibling relationship, and both the Finches and the Larsons are fluent in them.
Jem knows exactly what to say and do to make Scout become putty in his hands. He calls her feminine, prudish names such as “‘Angel May’” (68), or “‘Miss Priss”’ (31), which he knows she despises, and Scout has to do whatever Jem wants her to do to prove that she is not prissy. Cam is a master of name-calling as well. Whenever I disapproved of Cam’s actions or ideas, he would call me a “baby” or a “girl,” tell me to “suck it up,” or if it came down to it, I would end up with a bruise. I, of course, would do whatever he wanted so I could get his approval and keep my body intact. Likewise, little sisters are capable of damaging egos. When Jem is talking about the Radleys, he tells Dill that he is not scared of Boo because “he’d passed the Radley Place every school day of his life,” (16), and Scout retorts, “‘Always runnin’.’” (17). Her mocking remarks remind me of the things I would say to Cam to get even. Although words of hatred were blurted out of our mouths, the underlying messages of love and appreciation erased any hurt we
felt. As Jem gets older, he goes into the “I’m-too-good-for-you” stage, and his relationship with Scout falters; Jem goes from being a friend and confidant, to acting like a babysitter when he tries to assert authority over Scout and says she needs to start “‘bein’ a girl and acting right!”’ (153). Jem leaves his little sister in the dust, as he needs her less and less. This abandonment is where our relationships differ. My brother never deserted me when he matured; he still played with me because he knew what it was like to be neglected by an older sibling. Jem and Scout’s dynamic is one that I can relate to, as it is nearly identical to the connection I have with my brother. Despite constant bickering and ridicule, having a sibling is a wonderful experience; you have someone to play and share secrets with, but most of all, you have someone who will love you unconditionally. Of the many memories I have from my youth, the ones I hold closest to my heart are the ones I share with my brother.
Jem sacrifices his ending childhood, childlike privileges and a close sibling relationship with his sister, Scout.
The novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, is an American classic, narrated by the young Scout Finch, the most engrossing character in the book. The novel is about the adventures of two siblings over the time of about three years. Jem and Jean Louise (Scout) Finch were two young siblings who one day met another young boy named Dill. Over time, Jem and Scout grow up under the careful watch of their father and friends, learning how to be adults. They play games, they sneak into a courthouse, and they learn a valuable life lesson. Scout was an intriguing character. As the narrator, you learn more about Scout’s feelings towards the events in the book and soon learn to love her. Let me introduce you to Scout Finch.
While the women in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird come in a variety of personalities and backgrounds, all of their lives are led by one constricting factor; their gender. Scout's upbringing as a young woman greatly contrasts that of her brother Jem. Jem is educated as a young boy growing into a man while Scout’s journey is taken as a woman. The manacle of womanhood is but a concept if one does not consider the harsh faults and inhibiting limits of men or rather the struggle for “masculinity” that men are similarly constrained. Though she is repeatedly told to have ladylike manners and to dress in more feminine way, Scout mostly denies this norm but is still able to become a young
On several occasions, Scout gets into a fight with people who make unpleasant comments about her father. Atticus continuously tells her that this is wrong and that she needs to learn to control her anger, “You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ‘em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change” (Lee 101). The day after this discussion with Atticus, Scout is approached by a fellow student who had previously made a mean comment about her father. “I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped my fists and walked away...it was the first time I ever walked away from a fight” (Lee 102). Although she struggles at first, Scout develops a higher level of maturity which allows her to control her temper and simply defend her father with her words, without being rude. Jem is also faced with these type of situations and struggles with his anger, for instance when he attacks Mrs. Dubose’s flowers. Atticus goes to great lengths to teach his children that in life, they must learn to stay calm and be kind to everyone, despite how cruel those people may be. Scout and Jem face several situations in which their control is tested, which leads them to “come of age”
He shows this quality largely through the treatment of his sister Scout. Although they get into the occasional quarrels and scuffle, Jem cares greatly for her. He often encourages her in her moments of sadness and even defends her from tormentors such as Mrs. Dubose. Jem's attitude of caring and sympathy also reached out beyond his sister and to others. Jem clearly demonstrates this in his treatment towards Walter Cunningham, "Jem suddenly grinned at him. 'Come on home to dinner with us, Walter,' he said. 'We'd be glad to have you'' This displays great concern and caring on Jem's end towards Walter as he understood Walter did not have anything to
Jem is Scout's brother. He is a little older than Scout. He also becomes familiar with the prejudice of Maycomb County through the story. In addition, he grows up like most teenagers “He was difficult to live with, inconsistent, moody” “said Scout” (pg. #). That statement is made when Jem starts to grow up. He doesn’t want to play with Scout like a little kid anymore. He wants to be a man.
Harper Lee’s timeless novel To Kill a Mockingbird is told by Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch, a fiery young girl from the quiet town of Maycomb, Alabama. In defiance of the traditionally passive role of Southern women, Scout grew up as a tomboy and, like her older brother Jem, was unafraid to engage other children in physical confrontations. At the onset of the novel, Scout displayed these aggressive tendencies, fighting classmates whom she believed had wronged her or her family. However, Scout developed as a character in the first half of To Kill a Mockingbird to the extent that she was willing to walk away from fights that weren’t worth fighting. Scout’s willingness to engage in combat with other children early on in the novel was evident in the description of her treatment of Walter Cunningham after being punished for explaining his financial situation to her teacher.
Despite cultures and conflicts, the fundamental bonds remain: We all belong to a common family. The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee is a timeless classic about coming of age in a small southern town in the 1930’s. The book follows Jem and Scout, two siblings, who must face the harsh realities of life. Hypocrisy and racism together make the two most important themes.
Imagine just two young kids maturing within a matter of years. Imagine that same two kids, experiencing or understanding things that they aren’t meant to at a young age. Jem and Scout were just like that. They have experienced many things that they shouldn’t have at their age. Scout on the other hand, seems to be the one maturing the most. Throughout this whole essay, you will learn about Jem and Scout’s attributes, personality, and how alike or different they are from each other.
Jem Finch is a prime representation of a big brother. Now, most people think of older siblings as an authority in a younger child’s life. However, there is a significant difference between an ‘older sibling’ and a ‘big brother’. A big brother is a friend as well as a role model. Jem Finch meets is both, and he is good at both. He tries to teach his little sister Scout that school isn’t all bad, and that she will appreciate it later. He also enjoys playing with her and being her companion in her adventures. Jem is a paramount older sibling to his sister, as he perceptive, repentant of his mistakes, and a playful friend.
Jem was the brother of Scout he was very brave and adventurous and loved to try new things. Jem was four years older than Scout and was drifting away from her he didn’t want to play her little games anymore. Jem and Scout had over the summer made a best friend nick named Dill his real name was Charles Baker Harris. Dill becomes very attracted to Scout and promises her he’s going to marry her. The three children over the summer spent most of everyday with each other acting out things they have read. They were the best of friends and whenever they were bored Dill would come up with something crazy for them to do. Later in the summe...
Jems naïve views are soon corrupted as he goes through experiences like with Boo Radley, but Jem manages to grow in strength as he sheds his pure qualities and learns to have hope. Jem and Scouts childhood friend Dill represents another killing of a mockingbird, as his innocence is destroyed during his trial experience. Scouts childish views dissipates as she witnesses different events in her life, and she grows in experience and maturity as she encounters racial prejudice, making her learn how to maintain her pure conscience that Atticus has developed without losing hope or becoming cynical. Harper Lee’s novel explores human morality, as she weaves the path from childhood to a more adult perspective, illustrating the evils in a corrupt world how to understand them without losing
Scout and Jem are very close. They are very protective of each other and worry about each other often. When Jem, Scout , and Dill went to the Radley house at night Jem’s pants became stuck on the fence. Jem went to retrieve his pants and Scout wanted to come with to help and protect him, but Jem did not let her because he was protecting her making sure that she would not hurt herself. When Jem was gone Scout waiting for him to return because she was worried he would hurt himself. Another example is when Jem and Scout were attacked by Bob Ewell. Before they were attacked Jem thought he heard someone following them so Jem walked with his hand on Scout’s head worried about her and trying to protect her. When Mr. Ewell attacked them, they were trying to help each other and protect each other. After the attack while Jem was unconscious Scout was even more worried about Jem then she was before. Scout learns from Jem as well. An example is that Jem taught Scout and Dill the history of the Radleys and the superstitions that the town has of Boo Radley. The actions of Jem and Scout reveal the close relationship that they have with each
To Kill A Mockingbird - Relationship of Two Characters & nbsp; & nbsp; In the beginning, all was good and calm in the lives of the Finches. Members of the family included Atticus, Jem, Scout, Aunt Alexandra, and Calpurnia. The relationship between two of the main characters, Atticus and Jem, is of particular interest. & nbsp; In the beginning section of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the relationship between Atticus and Jem is simple. Jem sees Atticus as older and less active than the fathers of his friends at school.
Jem Finch demonstrates growing maturity throughout the novel. After Tom Robinson’s trial, Scout reveals Jem’s feelings. “It was Jem’s turn to cry.” Scout uncovers, “His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd,” (TKAM 284). Jem understands the trial is not fair because of race. He is mature enough to realize this while Scout is not. Another example of Jem’s maturity is exemplified when he is fulfilling his obligation to read to Mrs. Dubose. Scout describes, “ ‘So you brought that dirty little sister of yours did you?’ was her greeting… ‘My sister ain’t dirty and I ain’t scared of you’, although I noticed his knees shaking,” (TKAM 141). Rather than Jem replying to Mrs. Dubose with an insult, he dismisses her comment. Furthermore, this showcases his patience and tolerance, which comes with maturity. Finally, Jem validates his maturity when the Finch children find Dill under Scout’s bed. “You oughta let your mother know where you are.” announced Jem, “You oughta let her know you are here…”(TKAM 187). At this point Jem knows the right way to handle this situation is to let an adult know where Dill is. Even though Scout believes she can keep him under her bed forever, Jem recognizes the reality. When Jem’s maturity is put to the test he demonstrates good judgment and decision-making.