More handpicked essays just for you.
Kill a mockingbird by harper lee critical analysis
Kill a mockingbird by harper lee critical analysis
How was jem finch changed throughout the story
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, Jem Finch is a major character that has heavily changed throughout the novel. Jem Finch has become more responsible, brave, and sensitive due to the series of events he experienced. Atticus Finch taught him what true bravery is. Losing his mother made him more independent and sensitive. Reading to Mrs.Dubose made him more responsible and aware. Thus, Jem has matured dramatically since the beginning of the story. To begin with, Jem displayed multiple acts of bravery throughout the story. For instance, Jem touching the Radley house. Jem is brave for touching the side of the Radley house because firstly it was a dare from Dill and because at the time they thought Boo was some creepy man that was extremely …show more content…
dangerous. This relates to Jem maturing because this act that Jem did is very immature and because he did it to be considered brave. Another act of bravery Jem displays is him standing up to Mrs.Dubose when she called Scout “dirty” and him replying quietly with “my sister ain’t dirty and I ain't a scared of you”(Lee,141) even though his knees were shaking. This relates to Jem being brave because he stood up to Mrs.Dubose to tell her that Scout wasn’t dirty and that he apparently wasn’t scared of her. This also relates to him maturing because he handled the situation in a calm and non-insulting manner. Last but not least, Jem shows bravery when he refused to leave Atticus while he was guarding Tom Robinson’s cell from the armed and dangerous Lynch group. Jem shows bravery and matureness because he put his life at risk standing with Atticus and he knew that if he were to leave Atticus, the Lynch group would’ve done something to him but Atticus told the kids to leave because he didn’t want them to get hurt which is why Atticus said “Go home Jem, take Scout and Dill home”(Lee,203), ”Go home I said”(Lee,203), and “Son, I said go home”(Lee,203). Therefore from these reasons, this shows how Jem is brave and shows how he matured throughout the novel. In addition, Jem is responsible.
In the story, he shows many acts of him being responsible For example: when Scout was beating up Walter, Jem came to stop Scout and explained to her that Walter didn’t have any food and after looking at his condition and his clothes Jem said “Come on home to dinner with us Walter. We’d be glad to have you”(Lee,30). This relates to him being responsible and mature because he stopped Scout from hurting Walter more than she already did and because he knew that Walter didn’t have lunch and Walter was dirty so he invited Walter over for dinner. Another reason Jem is responsible is because he cares about his father's opinion of him and would rather do something dangerous than have his father be disappointed in him. For instance: When Jem lost his pants he didn’t tell Atticus that he lost it over at the Radley house instead he decides to sneak out at night to get them but before he goes Scout tries to convince Jem that if he goes he’ll get shot by Mr.Radley then Jem replies “Atticus ain’t ever whipped me since I can remember. I wanna keep it that way”(Lee,75). This shows how much he cares about his father's opinion of him not because he would get whipped but that Atticus would be disappointed in him. Though him caring about his father’s opinion makes him responsible but also shows how immature, crazy, and mindless he is for going to the Radley house to get his pants even though he knew that if he were to get caught by Mr.Radley he would’ve been …show more content…
dead. As equally as important, Jem tells Atticus that Dill is at their house and that Dill escaped from his house. This is a very responsible and mature act from Jem because he told Atticus and because he knew that if he told Atticus he would be known as a traitor in their little group. As a result, Jem is responsible from the points I’ve proven and showed what he would give up to prove to Atticus he is trustworthy and mature. Finally, Jem is sensitive.
He shows his sensitiveness when thinking about his mother's death. Scout also stated, “He remembered her clearly, and sometimes in the middle of a game he would sigh at length, then go off and play by himself behind the car house”(Lee,7). Another moment of Jem being sensitive is when he finds out the tree that Boo sends him and Scout gifts in was filled with cement and when Jem finds out he mutters to Scout “Don’t you cry now, now Scout… don’t cry now, don’t you worry”(Lee,83). Jem becomes sensitive during this moment because he lost his way of contacting Boo which meant a lot to him. Lastly, Jem becomes sensitive when Tom Robinson gets declared guilty. He becomes sensitive because he knows that Tom didn’t do what he was declared guilty of and because Tom wasn’t treated fairly. To end off with Jem is sensitive and becomes sensitive when he loses something or someone he cares about and when he notices
unfairness In conclusion, Jem is brave, responsible, and sensitive. Although he performed actions that annoyed and upset others if you look at his personality from the beginning of the novel and then end, it's obvious he matured dramatically.
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.
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.
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’s perception of bravery has changed throughout the course of the book. His maturity is a result of Atticus’s actions around him. At the beginning of the book, Jem is dared by his neighbour Dill to touch the door of the Radley’s; the Radley house symbolizes fear in the minds of the children. Jem does so thinking the act is courageous while Scout remarks, “In all his life, Jem had never declined a dare.” This shows that like most children, Jem is often more idealistic than realistic. His reactions are instinctive and often unplanned and reckless.
Jem is a complex character who changes a great deal in the novel. He begins the novel as a boy and ends as an adult. People show bravery in many ways, both typical and atypical. Atticus, Boo and Jem all showed important examples of bravery. Atticus models bravery for his children in the determined way he defends Tom Robinson.
This also occurs very early in the novel: "Early one morning as we were beginning our day's play in the back yard, Jem and I heard something next door in Miss Rachel Haverford's collard patch." (11). As the novel progresses, Jem no longer plays with his sister Scout, but he is doing so at this point and he would appear to anyone as one child playing with his sister. Lastly, Jem has childhood fears like most any child does. All children have their fears or monsters.
He also starts to think more about whats right instead of thinking what others will think about his decision. For ex amble when Dill is hiding under Scout‘s bed he calls in Atticus much to his friends dismay. Jem again shows maturity when Scout is beating Walter Cunningham and Jem stops it because he know that the Cunninghams don‘t have money and therefore he cant help it that he doesn‘t have lunchmoney. Jem understands that instead of fighting him they should treat him with respect and he asks Walter to come have lunch at their house.
Furthermore, in chapter eleven of To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem has to repent his wrongdoing by reading to Mrs. Dubose. Jem's moral obligation takes precedence over his failure, revealing that Jem is a strong character and allows himself to be punished. While being disciplined, he responds benevolently but with quite a bit of quiet resentment -- an idiosyncrasy that Jem carries wit...
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 displays values like compassion and tolerance by believing that all men are created equal no matter which race, religion, or attitude they have. He shows this when he hears the verdict of Tom Robinson's trial. 'It was Jem's turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. 'It ain't right,' he muttered, all the way to the corner of the square where we found Atticus'; (212). This is the first time he realizes that there was injustice in the world. He slowly matures and begins to understand that there are such thing as prejudice and racism.
In the every beginning of Lee 's book we notice that Jem is young and immature and his ways. Over the course of events we see Jem grow up and slowly becoming a man. Jem believes that a real man is one who knows how to shoot a gun and over rule their peers. We see Jem change in what he believes a man is by the interactions with people in the conflicts he faces. Jem Finch is a main charactor but also a dynamic charactor because of his coming-of-age change.
5. On page 52, Scout states “Jem was a born hero.” Scout thinks this because, in her eyes, Jem’s ability to create a complete, full-fledged story of the Radley family (which is based upon the bits of gossip they have pieced together over time, including segments that originate from Jem 's own imagination.) is rather incredible. He also confronts Atticus, and lies to him about the Boo Radley game, in order to protect Dill and Scout.
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.
Jem’s loss of innocence helps him understand why things are the way they are in Maycomb. This is evident when he is talking to Scout about the people of Maycomb and why they can't get along. “That’s what I thought, too, he said at last, when I was your age. If there’s just one kind of folks; why can't they get along with each other? If they’re all alike why do they go out of their way to despise each other? Scout, 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.” (Lee 304). In this quote we learn that Jem’s perception of the state of Maycomb has changed. As we can see from these quotes Jem is maturing and that has caused him to loss his