Jem’s View of the World
Jeremy Atticus Finch (aka Jem) from To Kill a Mockingbird is viewed as a “regular” kid who is immature and innocent to the “real world”. Since Jem is still young, he has not gone out on his own in the world and had to fend for himself. He has not seen the “real world,” therefore Jem does not understand that life is not always fair. This view of the world is clouded by his innocents. Jem, although going through the death of his mother, does not completely understand how life can be. Jem’s eyes finally start to open up to the true, harsh world after witnessing the verdict of “guilty” in the Tom Robinson court case. In seeing this injustice, Jem begins to mature more, his innocents starts slipping away, revealing how to world is. At the beginning of To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem is presented as still being innocent and immature, as most children his age are. He still has his imagination and he sees the world through his own imagination. A
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During the case, Atticus made a convincing argument proving that Tom Robinson was not, in fact, guilty. With the evidence and connections, Atticus managed to prove that it was not Tom Robinson, who was guilty of raping Mayella Ewell, but it was actually her father, Robert Ewell, who beat her and presumably raped her. While he was watching his father work in this court case, Jem was confident in his father’s abilities. Jem thought that Atticus would surely be able to prove that Tom was not guilty. “Jem seemed to be having a quiet fit. He was pounding on the balcony rail softly, and once he whispered, ‘We’ve got him’ (Lee 202)” this is a sample of Jem’s behavior during the case. “Jem whispered, ‘…we’re gonna win, Scout. I don’t see how we can’t…’ (Lee 230)” Jem’s confidence that justice would be rightly served built up his excitement and joy, only to have his hopes completely demolished when the verdict was
However during the trial, the Reverend Sykes expressed concern that Scout’s innocence needs to be preserved watching and Jem replies. “Aw hush. She doesn’t understand it, Reverend, she ain’t nine yet” (197). This evidence shows that before the trial, Scout was at least partially innocent, and Jem knows that. Harper Lee uses Jem and Scout's involvement with the trial to demonstrate how they lose their innocence. Jem and Scout lose some of their innocence when they are involved in the lynch mob. Scout says the following quote when she, Jem and Dill stumble upon the lynch mob that is trying to lynch Atticus and Tom because they are racist. “Hey, Mr. Cunningham. How’s your entailment gettin’ along… Don’t you remember me, Mr. Cunningham? I’m Jean Louise Finch” (174). In a massively racist day and age, Jem and Scout are exposed to racism in the most obvious way: through a lynch mob targeting their father. This quote shows how Scout is still innocent as she comes into the situation. Scout narrates this next quote when she springs into the middle of a lynch mob and realizes how stupid she was. “There a smell of stale whiskey and pigpen about, and when I glanced around I discovered that these men were strangers” (172). This evidence shows that Scout was innocent and didn't know that the group was a lynch mob. Bob Ewell’s death had a very large impact on Jem and Scout's innocence. The sheriff, Mr. Heck Tate says the following quote after he finds Bob Ewell dead under a tree, in the woods after he attempts to kill Jem and Scout. Bob Ewell’s lyin’ on the ground under that tree down yonder...He’s dead Mr. Finch” (p305). This quote is the moment the children are first really confronted with death. This causes them to lose their innocence because they realize that people want to kill each other sometimes and thats messed up. Scout says this when she contemplates about what happened to Bob Ewell. “I could think of nothing but Mr. Bob
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.
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 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.
Primarily, in To Kill A Mockingbird, Jem is young. Scout states their age when it supposedly all starts: "When I was almost six and Jem was almost ten..." (10). Here Jem is only nine years old and therefore still a moderately young child; it is assumed he is therefore immature. Jem also spends his time playing with his five year old sister.
During the court scene a lot of difficult things happen and it becomes a very hard case for Atticus to solve and explain. Jem and Scout are both very upset about Tom Robinson being accused of the things he didn’t do. Atticus begins to tell Jem that it’s going to be okay and that he wants Jem to not worry about what the outcome is. Atticus is trying to teach him that even if the case doesn’t go the way they wanted and the way that it was supposed to go, that they still did the right thing and that they would keep trying to help Tom Robinson in any way they could. This is what Atticus tells Jem, “Link, that boy might go to the chair, but he’s not going till the truth’s told.” “Atticus’s voice was even. And you know what the truth
Jem knew from the start that Tom Robinson had no chance in winning a case against the Ewells. However, he deluded himself into thinking that that maybe the jury will be accepting and open-minded in that one case. Of course, that’s not what happened in the end; Tom Robinson is found guilty, causing Jem to question whether or not Maycomb is really the same as he remembered it from his childhood. This change in Jem especially shows when Scout comes to ask him about Hitler’s hatred towards all Jewish people during the Holocaust; Scout ends up comparing what her teacher said in class versus what that same teacher said outside the courthouse after the trial, and Jem was instantly reminded of the verdict:
Jem Finch is a three-dimensional character with symbols of success, virtue and an adverse personality in To Kill a Mockingbird. For example, in the beginning of the book, Jem was aggravated by the then taunting Dill Harris (a young visitor to Maycomb) so that Jem would touch the house of Radley. By touching the Radley house, he proved that he was not afraid and could take on any challenge. When such predicaments come Jem's way he will usually be able to make the best of them successfully. In addition, Jem will lash out in complete contempt for a wrong against his moral conscience, such as Mrs. Dubose slinging blasphemy at Jem's father. A good character must have a sense of morality to defend what is believed to be right, and Jem has this emblematic realism. But, a life-like character must have their weaknesses; and he displayed that on account of Mrs. Dubose's harsh words.
Jem can be seen as knowledgeable from Scout’s eyes as he matures. Scout thinks to herself, “In addition to Jem’s newly developed characteristics, he had required a maddening air of wisdom” (Lee 155). As Jem matures, Scout notices Jem’s sudden intelligence that he never had before. Along with his sudden wisdom, Jem also becomes moody and often gets irritated easily by Scout’s actions.
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.
By the end of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem is transformed from a naive, playful child into an aware, mature young adult. The trial changes his worldview; suddenly the people around him are not all righteous and good, and he grows through this. In recurring events, Jem comes of age through social realizations, and emerges into
verdict of the trial, Jem and Scout see the hate in jurors for blacks, for it is obvious that Tom Robinson is innocent. Another new and disturbing element that Jem and Scout discover is child abuse. Having never been hit by Atticus, the children know nothing of physical, mental, emotional, or sexual abuse. However, Mayella Ewell knows too well of these abuses and is a victim of them from her own father. Bob Ewell shows he has no consideration for her by his actions or words, and this is clearly displayed during the trial when he is being asked on the stand, "Are you the father of Mayella Ewell?" (172) His crude reply is, "Well, if I ain’t I can’t do nothing about it now"(172). This shows he has no class or respect, while on the other hand, Jem and Scout are used to seeing the example of their tactful father. Also, during the trial it becomes lucid that Bob Ewell beat Mayella up and not Tom Robinson.
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
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.