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Growth of characters in To Kill a Mockingbird ¨When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves¨ Victor E. Frankl writes. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee challenges Jem finch to do so. He is merely just a young boy and does not have much power or authority. He can not change what happens but he could change himself to make him fit the ideal silhouette of a young boy. In fact he is forced to change in order take care of his little sister, and step up to be the guide. In the beginning of the book he is a modest feeble boy that goes with the flow. He just sits and waits for something to happen to him, instead of taking action. He is still keen, tender and is learning to grow. He often makes assumptions …show more content…
He does not allow Scout to do as much as he used to do, and is much more controlling. He wants to become more independent and not have his little sister follow him around everywhere. Jem tried to express to scout that, “during school hours [she] was not to disturb him, [she] was not to approach him with requests to reenact a chapter of Tarzan and the Ant Man,[or] to embarrass him”(20). He realized that school is different than home and that people would judge him there. Jem also tells Scout that she needs to grow up and stop acting like a girl, which is an insult even though that is what she is. Still Jem knows when to layoff, ¨[he then] decided there was no point in quibbling, and was silent¨(66). He also now knew how to act like an adult, and how to fit in with them. He acted like them, and only talked about what they talked about anymore. He also became more rebellious when they were not watching. He took action, and took things into his own hands. Jem “did not start to calm down until he had cut the top off every camellia bush” (137). He could have talked with Mrs. Dubose about his issues, instead he decided to vandalize her flowers. He took the immature and ignorant path of a twelve year old
To be able to change, it takes a lot of dignity and faith and courage from both your peers and yourself. However, once the change has been made, you have the power to change others as well. Jem showed us this by taking part in something major that was going on in the community and being willing to make a change. We can also be like Jem. We can participate in school functions; we can even take part in things around our community such as volunteering at the local food bank. As we read about Jem maturing and taking part in the community, we learned 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.
One of the ways Jem changes is by becoming more mature.Jem proves that he is maturing when the kids find Dill under Scout's bed and the first thing Jem says is “let your mother know where you are" and tells Atticus that he was there.This shows that Jem is starting to think like an adult and didn't care about breaking “the remaining code of childhood”. Even though it would mean Scout and Dill getting mad at him he still did it because he knew it was the mature thing to do.This shows that Jem cares more about doing the right, mature thing and less about having Scout and Dill mad at him.
Jem Finch has come a long way since his humble beginnings as a naive ten year old child. He has come to understand the real meaning of courage, gone from playmate to protector for his sister and has grown enough to understand the workings of the real world, and see the negatives and positives of society. His maturity has been quick and the changes great, and over the years he has come to adhere, respect and carry out Atticus`s legacy and use his father`s ideals to shape his lifestyle. Due to the course of events, his adolescent changes and Atticus`s influence, Jem has matured from a reckless child into a young man capable of making his own decisions.
In To Kill a Mockingbird Jem is Scout's older brother who acts as a protector and mentor when their father, Atticus, is not present. (Scout is the main character) Both of the children are moulded and shaped by their father Atticus, Jem more so than Scout, but this is probably down to his age, Atticus brings the children up to stand by their beliefs but to accept the beliefs and views of others, and to take a look at the way another person would see the situation. The teachings of Atticus have a profound impact on Jem. Jem is a role model for Scout, when Atticus is not around he acts in his stead. Here are a few qualities we see Jem develop through the course of the story.
The next most obvious person in the book that drastically matures is Jem. At the beginning of the book Jem is much like Scout in that he has the innocence of a young child. For example Jem tells Scout and Dill various made-up stories about Boo Radley to satisfy his need for excitement in his life and for the childish need to scare Scout and Dill. His immaturity is also mirrored when he makes up a game in which he puts Boo’s “… life’s history on display for the edification of the neighborhood.” After that he shows his lack of being able to control his temper and lack of respect when he destroys Miss Dubose’s camellias. There is no doubt that Jem was immature at the start of this book but as the book progresses we see a drastic change in him.
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
this is the case, it doesn’t stop Jem teaching Scout what’s right. wrong, even if she resents it. In conclusion, Jem’s growing maturity throughout this book is advanced. for somebody of this age, his passing through many stages; puberty, a. growing understanding of the world around him and he find’s it all very.
Jem is growing up all the time. This can be seen when he stops Scout
Throughout the novel, Jems perspective and character is revealed in many different ways. He is a role model for Scout and does anything possible to help and protect her. When Aunt Alexandra declined Scouts suggestion of allowing Walter to visit and scolding Scout by calling her trash we are shown Jem reacting by responding “ ‘Have a chew, Scout ‘ Jem dug into his pocket and extracted a tootsie roll. It took a few minutes to work the candy into a comfortable wad inside my mouth” ( Lee 23). Jem creates a role model/supportive figure for Scout since he comforts her and acknowledges her problems; he puts himself in her shoes. This also proves that he cares enough about his little sister by cheering her up. Jem values Scouts happiness and wellbeing. Jems actions demonstrate that being there for others is one of his many principles. He has also represented a role model when he lost his pants on the Radley Fence after running out of the Radley property and getting the pants stuck on the way
As humans, it is only natural for our perspective to change, for us to learn, for us to grow, and to change as individuals. For example, Saul from the Bible. Saul spent his whole life slaughtering Christians for their belief, but after being exposed to new things and gaining new perspectives, he changed his name to Paul and embraced Christianity, becoming a prophet. This principle also applies to Scout Finch, the protagonist in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, similar to how this rule affected Paul. Since Scout Finch is the narrator of this novel, one who reads To Kill a Mockingbird can easily see the progression of different personality traits as the book progresses and
In the novel "To Kill A Mockingbird" each of the main characters changed quite a bit. Through the experiences each character went through and the natural maturing that occurred in each of them, the characters were altered from the way they were at beginning of the book. The children, Scout and Jem, were the two most dramatically changed characters. However, Scout showed much more change than Jem did because of his mysterious hidden attitude. Scout matured from a helpless and naïve child into a much more experienced and grown-up young lady.
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird Jem and Scout are both examples of characters whose coming-of-age process involves gaining different perspectives. In the story, Jem’s character is continuously going through the motions of growing up. It is obvious that Harper Lee wanted Jem to portray a young boy
The Book, “To Kill a Mockingbird” describes three young characters named Scout, Jem, and Atticus. Each one of the characters had a different perspective on how they portrayed reading. The characters had their own way of how to read and comprehend.