Teenage boys go through many changes throughout their childhood. Boys become more mature, stronger, wiser. They become men. Likewise, in “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, a little boy becomes a young man over the course of three years and his name is Jem. Throughout the course of the book, Jem has transitioned from being a little boy, to a young man, and from this he learns to become mature and more controlled in his actions, and further, from Jem’s transition, the audience can learn that people must act maturely in many situations, and also, the purpose of Jem in this novel is to prove to readers that people can always transition into a mature person.
To begin, in the first half of the book, Jem is young and immature, because when
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confronted with something he had done, he denied it, and also because he reacted incredibly violently at a time he shouldn’t have. To begin, in this story, it was summertime, and three kids, named Scout, Jem, and Dill were trying to get in touch with a man by the name of Arthur Radley, but the kids call him “Boo”, and he never comes outside of his home. The kids are trying to deliver a letter to his home via fishing pole when Atticus comes by and catches them in the action.
In “To Kill A Mockingbird” written by Harper Lee, Jem states and Atticus, his father says “‘We weren’t makin’ fun of him, we weren’t laughin’ at him,’ said Jem, ‘we were just-’ ‘So that’s what you were doing, wasn’t it?’ ‘Makin’ fun of him?’ ‘No,’ said Atticus, ‘putting his life’s history on display for the edification of the neighborhood.’ ‘I didn’t say we were doin’ that, I didn’t say it!’ (Lee 65).” In these quotes, Jem is trying to argue with …show more content…
Atticus, that he wasn’t tormenting Boo, even though it seemed like he was from a distance. This relates to the thesis statement, because this is the beginning of the book, and Jem is still quite immature, as shown when he couldn’t admit to something he was clearly doing, and argued with an elder. From this event, the audience can learn that contradicting people is not the right thing to do, because in the moments after this argument, Atticus continues to say some sharp words that impact Jem only because he lacked to show maturity at the time when he was confronted. Also, that people must own up to things they do, or it might end up just like Atticus’ and Jem’s argument. The purpose of Jem in this story is to prove that in the process of growing up, a person’s maturity will not always shine through when it’s needed, and all that it will show is one’s lack maturity. In another part of the book, Jem and Scout were coming home from the store where Jem bought Scout a brand new baton. When they were walking back, they were passing the home of Miss Dubose. Jem holds a grudge against her, and she wasn’t sitting on the porch that day, so he got outraged, went up to her flowers, broke all of them with Scout’s new baton, and eventually broke Scout’s baton in half. Scout, a character in “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee narrates “By that time I was shrieking. Jem yanked my hair, said he didn’t care, he’d do it again if he got the chance to, and if I didn’t shut up he’d pull every hair out of my head. I didn’t shut up and he kicked me. I lost my balance and fell on my face” (Lee 137). In this quote, Scout was reacting to what Jem had done to her baton, so Jem reacts just like it says in the quote. To connect back to the thesis, in this quote Jem was immature, meaning that he was handling the situation badly and he also hasn't fully matured yet. From this event, the audience is learning that one should never react how Jem did in any situation, because when Jem decided to take the baton he just bought for Scout, use it to smash flowers, and eventually break the baton, he showed an extreme amount of immaturity. Here, the purpose of Jem is to teach readers that it really is not ok to react how Jem did. The lady, who’s name was Ms. Dubose, was saying very rude statements about his father, but reacting how Jem did was not very mature of him. As shown through textual evidence, Jem was quite immature at a young age, and yes, Jem evolved to become a more mature human being. Now, Jem has transitioned into a mature young man during the second half of the book, after learning for himself and teaching the audience that people have to speak the truth when asked, and to not react violently to things.
In the story, there was a trial against a black man named Tom Robinson, and he was found guilty of rape by the jury. Every white person in the court was thrilled, except the Finches (Atticus, Jem and Scout) and Dill. Harper Lee, author of “To Kill A Mockingbird”, wrote a narration for Scout where she says “It was Jem’s turn to cry, His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd” (Lee 284). This event occurs after the trial of Tom Robinson has concluded and Jem, Scout, and Dill were all on their way home, having to walk through the crowds of happy white men and women. To connect this back to the thesis, Jem shows maturity here by not bursting out violently like he did in a previous chapter of the book. Harper Lee decided to make Jem cry, because she wanted to let readers know that tears do not necessarily signify weakness. It is a completely mature way of expressing one’s sadness for the events that occurred in the courtroom that day. Especially at such a young age, and witnessing everything that happened in that courtroom. From this event, the audience learns that crying doesn’t bring down someone's level of maturity. Jem did a very good job exhibiting that here, for he was just as mature before and
after, as he was while he was crying. Jem’s purpose in this part of the story is to prove that yes, tears are ok. They are ok in all means. When Harper Lee decided to make Jem cry, she was trying to show to readers that it expressing your emotions in a quiet, non-violent way is indeed a very mature way to go about things, such as what happened in the story. Another time when Jem shows maturity is when Scout is about to leave for her Halloween event at the high school all alone in the dark. Harper Lee wrote in her book “To Kill A Mockingbird,” “Jem said he would take me. Thus began our longest journey together (Lee 340).” Here, Jem decides on his own that he will take Scout to her festival. This quote also foreshadows an event that will occur later that evening. Moreover, this connects back to the thesis, because Jem here is showing a great deal of maturity by deciding on his own to take Scout to her festival. From this event, the audience learns that sometimes you have to step up and take on responsibilities. For example, when Jem decides to take Scout to her Halloween festival that was over at the high school, he showed a great deal of responsibility, by stepping up and deciding to take Scout, which was very mature of him. The purpose of Jem here is, again, to prove that anybody can mature, even the slightest bit, and to show that sometimes you have to be the one to take charge in dangerous situations. Clearly, Jem has shown to transition from a little immature boy to a mature young man. Consequently, during the duration of “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, Jem is shown transitioning into a mature young man, even though he had a rough start as an immature little boy. In the beginning of the book, Jem is shown as immature, because he was found guilty of something, but couldn’t admit to it, he contradicted adults, and reacted extremely negatively to things he didn’t like. Now, Jem has matured, and this is shown through his ability to understand harsh topics, react to things appropriately, and he is able to make mature decisions on his own. People everyday somewhere, somehow change. Whether it’s their maturity level, college major, or place of residence, They do it to benefit themselves and the people around them. Jem’s transition was the perfect example of this.
“Maturity is the ability to think, speak and act your feelings within the bounds of dignity. The measure of your maturity is how spiritual you become during the midst of your frustrations.” is a quote from Samuel Ullman. This describes the struggles that Jem went through by taking part in the community and trial and by also taking the risk of losing some of his friends and family in Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird. Through Jem’s interaction with the racism of Maycomb, he became aware of the things around him. We all learn that it takes a strong person to overcome the barriers of society.
When children grow up, they face difficult problems, and. they learn to cope and take responsibility. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is a flashback about two kids that spans over a few years. Jem ages from ten to thirteen over the course of the novel, and undergoes much change, as his sister describes him. Over the years, he is exposed to issues adults face, and eventually shows an understanding of racism and innocence. As Jem grows up, his view on courage also changes. Jem follows his father's footsteps, and gets much of his knowledge from him.
Everyone goes through different changes as they grow up. Maturing, coming of age, and doing the right thing are important themes in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. This theme is most often seen in the character Jeremy “Jem” Finch. He portrays this theme when he begins to enter puberty and becomes a young man. Jeremy starts to become more independent, wiser and more able to comprehend adult situations; Jem begins to get a better grasp on things. Other characters that demonstrate this theme are Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, and Arthur “Boo” Radley. Harper Lee shows how Scout comes of age in similar ways to Jem. Scout begins to grow up and become more tolerant of others by “putting herself in another person’s skin”. Boo displays his “coming of age” in a somewhat different way than Jem and Scout. There’s a scene in To Kill A Mockingbird where Boo has the chance to do the right thing by putting himself in harm’s way in order to save lives, and he takes the chance. To Kill A Mockingbird is a book that is overflowing with the theme “coming of age” (whether it is shown through the main character or others). This theme is important to the story because these characters are a small example of the changes that Maycomb needs to undergo. Jeremy Finch is the character in which this theme is most represented in.
Jem shows that he is growing up in many different ways. For example, he shows this when he goes back to the Radley house to retrieve his pants. “Atticus ain’t ever whipped me since I can remember. I wanta keep it that way.” (Jem 75) The fact that Jem went back to get his pants was a brave decision. This quote shows that he is maturing because he didn’t want Atticus to whip him, but not because he was afraid, because he didn’t want Atticus to go through the pain of having to whip his child. A quote that describes Jem at the moment is "We have not passed that subtle line between childhood and adulthood until we move from the passive voice to the active voice--that is, until we have stopped saying 'It got lost,' and say, 'I lost it.'"(Sydney J. Harris). In addition to Jem’s developing characteristics, he acquired a load of wisdom. Jem shows a loss of innocence, after his perfect view of the world is shattered right in front of his eyes. For example, “I always thought Maycomb folks were the best folks in the world, at least that’s what they seemed like.”(Jem 288) This is important because Jem realizes that Maycomb folks aren’t that great. This also shows that he saw the prejudice in the people, and how racist they were to African Americans. As Jem matures and starts developing a new eye for the world, he slowly starts to lose his childhood innocence and is exposed to the wrong doings of the
In the beginning of the story, Jem enjoys the childish games of fantasizing about Boo Radley, taking any dare, and . Scout tells the reader that Jem becomes more and more moody as the story progresses, due to his aging. He thinks more; he shows more compassion; and he is appalled by the unfairness that rears its ugly head in his hometown. While Scout recounts the events of her childhood, the reader fails to notice that “To Kill a Mockingbird” is not a story about the narrator (Scout) maturing, it is actually about Jem maturing, and becoming an adult.
Jeremy “Jem” Finch is a leading protagonist in Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mocking Bird” published in 1960. Jem matured greatly throughout the duration of the book, starting to resemble and idolize his father, achieves the status of a guardian to his sister and introduces a whole new set of ideals in his lifestyle. He embodies the themes of growth. Throughout the novel we see how perceptions of things such as courage, respect, tolerance, and cruelty changes Jem as he matures.
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”
This especially comes in to play after Tom Robinson’s trial is over, and he is tried guilty. Jem learns that Tom never had a chance and would have never been tried fairly, just because he was black. As the judge was saying guilty, Scout, “Peeked at Jem: his hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, and his shoulders jerked as if each "guilty" was a separate stab between them” (Lee 282). The quote shows how much he cares that an innocent man is being cheated out of his life. After the trial, Jem became gloomy because he knew in his heart that Tom would have to die because he was unfairly tried. This shows coming of age because Jem never had thoughts about how the black community were poorly treated before. So now he is growing up and thinking for himself, instead of just listening to the racists in Maycomb. Jem later forms his ideas about the Ewell family and how they are trash people from his father when he explains that if a white man cheats a black man, the white man is trash. Jem also has the mindset of an adult when he tells Scout, “It’s time you started bein’ a girl and acting right!” (Lee 153). This quote explains that Jem learns what is expected from them. He thinks like the other adults that want Scout to act more like a girl. All of these examples show Jem has a real coming of age story throughout the
Jem, a character in the novel whom develops from an unseasoned boy, to a pubescent boy, then to a youthful man, grimaces through a great deal of development within himself. These developments led to distinct changes socially and mentally within Jem. Author Harper Lee used the development of characters as a whole, to
Jem is growing up all the time. This can be seen when he stops Scout
“ ‘Jem see if you can stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred credibility at the trial, if he had any to begin with. The man had to have some kind of a comeback, his kind always does. So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating that's something i'll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody and i’d rather it be me than that houseful of children out there. You understand ’” (23.15) Atticus Finch had exposed the bad men in the community to his children but selflessly found room to feel sorry for Bob because of how he treats his children. The children were able to learn from Atticus by being able to understand what was being said but realize that not everyone is as fortunate as them and don't always have the moral understand like Atticus has taught them 'Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time. It's because he wants to stay inside.'" Page 227. Jem had recognized that not everyone can cope with the world they live in, being all caught up in hate, racism and distrust that it's better for people like that to stay inside, away from the horrid things of the world which is society. Adults are capable of judging and and not forgiving
In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee tells the story of coming-of-age and the loss of innocence through the character Jem. Through recurring events, Jem is faced with the realization of society’s injustice, and is left questioning the world he lives in. During a time of rampant racial discrimination and prejudice in the south, Jem transforms from naivety to maturity.
Each and every person will go through a coming of age experience sometime in their life. Those experiences can come in different forms. But, each coming of age experience ends up shaping us to become a mature adult. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee tells a coming of age story through Scout Finch, an aging girl’s point of view. Her brother, Jem Finch who experiences coming of age before Scout, realizes that being an adult was not what he hoped. Jem recognizes a different perspective of bravery from Mrs.Dubose, a vile, elderly woman’s perspective. In chapter 11, Harper Lee uses literary elements such as character, conflict, and setting to establish Jem’s new outlook on life.
...heme of maturation in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, is conveyed through the characters of Scout and Jem, in conjunction with the assistance of their virtuous father Atticus Finch. Early in the novel, Atticus ascertains himself as a major facilitator in the maturation process of Scout and Jem by incessantly providing mature solutions to his children’s predicaments. Moreover, Scout, a major benefactor of the Boo Radley incident and Atticus’ wisdom, has helped her develop into a very tolerant and mature individual. Undeniably, Jem’s remarkable development into a broadminded and compassionate character can be directly attributed to Atticus’ kindness and Jem’s exposure to the Tom Robinson trial. In synopsis, it is evident that the individuals and social circumstances that surround an individual play a major role in defining the type of individual one will become.
Here, Jem is not allowing Scout to hurt something that does not hurt her. He believes that if something makes the world better, then why would you harm it. Again this is portraying his growing emotionally and mentally.