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How to kill a mockingbird character analysis essay
How to kill a mockingbird character analysis essay
How was jem finch changed throughout the story
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“A bend in the road is not the end of theroad... unlessyoufail tomaketheturn” (author unknown). In “To Kill A Mockingbird”, Jem Finch effectively demonstrates how undergoing and eventually overcoming various hardships can shape your identity and the way that peopleview you on a daily basis. Throughout the novel, Jem is tasked with various problems and past experiences that influence the typeof character hebecomes at theendof thestory. At Firstwe do not know much about Jem as the story began with it revolving around Scout. Whendetails about his history were revealed, we learn that Jem was very close to his mother when he was
younger.
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Although conventional in modern time, being impartial andunbiasedtowards peopleof a different race was frowned upon in the early 1930’s. Jem’s decision to express this way of thinking is brave as he knows that essentially the entire town of Maycomb opposes his morals.
Atticus’ way ofthinkingisn't theonly thingthat Jempickedupfromhim. Atticus displayshimself as extremely knowledgeable and seems as if he was very well educated (although he wasn’t educated at all). Jem is also slowly but surely becoming quite the same as he seems almost infinitely more intelligent at the end than he was at thebeginningof thestory. Unfortunately we donotgettofindoutif his wiseandstudious attitudeis maintainedthroughout his entirelifetime, but an educated guess would predict that it would. Anunfortunatetragedy suchas thepassing of Jem's mother, managed to transform Jem into a respectable, knowledgeable, young man who reflects the good qualities of his
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After all of their mockery andgames,Mr. Radley still saves Jem from Mr. Ewell at the end of the book. Along with the children, Heck Tate also knows that Mr. Radley does not want attention drawn to him as he is repeatedly guaranteeing that Bob Ewell fell onto his own knife. After a first reading, the gesture performed by Heck makes it look like Mr. Radley is trying to be humble for his heroic act, though after lookingat it more thoroughly, it is apparent that Mr.Radley justdoes not want attentionor toget drawninto the daily happenings of the people of Maycomb. This shows that In the past, Mr. Radley has had some terrible occasions and he is harshly criticizedfor it throughout Maycomb. This is one of the main reasons that Mr. Radley wants to live his life in hiding and does not want to be involved with anyone in the town. Despite all of the terrible stories that are spread about him, he is still a man that is capable of heroic acts such as saving children from furious
grudge-holding
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
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.
Atticus’ statement on prejudice and racism characterises his moral integrity and his empathetic nature. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus Finch is depicted as the complete opposite of what people would perceive to be a stereotypical southern man living in the Deep South during the 1930s. Contrary to the majority of his fellow townspeople of Maycomb, Atticus is a man of great virtue and moral strength. He in not bigoted or racist and is egalitarian in his approach to all people This sort of moral integrity is what he tries to instil in his two young children, Jem and Scout, despite the bigotry and inequality surrounding them. Atticus Finch stands as a moral beacon of the town, a label which causes much friction between himself and other members of the Maycomb community. A clearer idea of Atticus’ principles can be gained by comparing and contrasting them to three other characters in the Novel, Calpurnia, Bob Ewell and Aunt Alexandra.
Jem shows his idealism at the court house when he thinks that his dad would win because of how convincing it is to him, but the man his dad is defending is black. “How could they do it, how could they?”(285) When Jem finds out that Tom Robinson will still be convicted it tears him apart showing his idealistic view of the world. The Jem 's sister, Scout, also has some idealistic views of her because of how she doesn 't understand the phrase “nigger-lover” because it 's used as a prejudice word for African-Americans and Atticus teaches against the term. “Don 't say nigger, Scout.”(99) She sees everyone as equals and expects everyone else to feel the same way. Atticus is quite idealistic in the way he view his court case with Tom Robinson and how he thinks that his speech, could make the jury choose to save him. “I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the you have heard, ... restore this defendant to his family.”(144) He tries to change the hearts of these men and how society works at that time, but it fails, showing how idealistic he was. This family is idealistic in how they perceive the world around them and how they think they can change it with a few
Atticus is non judgmental; he treats blacks and everyone equally. He puts himself in someone else’s shoes and respects their thoughts and opinions. He is a very responsible father, while managing his lawyer cases he still made time to teach his children Jem and Scout the lessons they need to become honest and dignified people later in life. Atticus demonstrates responsibility when he takes time to explain to Scout “You never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view” (39).
The author George Elliot once said “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Appearance can be very misleading, and you shouldn't prejudge the worth or value of something by its outward appearance alone. This philosophical idea has been included in many works of literature, including the timeless classic To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee. The novel takes place in the town of Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. Many citizens of Maycomb tend to make judgements based on outward appearances alone. In the novel, Lee uses minor characters such as Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose, and Tom Robinson to convey the book’s theme of prejudice.
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
He says “I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this country in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not do something again” (Lee 75). He states that he must represent the law no matter what downfall it has for his reputation. Atticus is older than most of the fathers in Maycomb, but follows different moral. He defends anyone regardless of their race or color. This shows how The Finches are well respected and applauded for being well-proper.
Scout stands up for her beliefs and rights when Francis calls Atticus rude and offensive names. She gets tells Francis, “He is not!... I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, but you better cut it out this red hot minute” (83). The argument had started when Francis called Atticus a “n*****-lover”. Scout became defensive and stood up for Atticus because she knew that Atticus was a fair man who didn’t believe in racism. He stood up for black people because he believed that everyone was equal regardless of race. Scout, along with her father believed that black people should be treated fairly as well so when Francis called Atticus rude names she stood up for him because she knew that Atticus was a fair and equal man. This shows that you do not need to be an adult to understand the world because most of the people in Maycomb were racist such as Bob Ewell. Despite her young age, Scout stood up for her father and her beliefs and knew that not all black people were bad people. Additionally, Jem stands up for his rights and his father when Mrs. Dubose says something rude about black people. Scout describes Jem’s attitude when she thinks, “Jem had probably stood as much gruff about Atticus lawing for n***** as much as I, and I took it for granted that he kept his temper” (102). This shows that although Jem had a pretty steady temper, he lost it when Mrs. Dubose said that Atticus was “no better than the n****** and trash he works for”. Jem, like his father didn’t discriminate against black people unlike the rest of the people in Maycomb. While he did get heated, it was because he stood up for Atticus and his beliefs which were to not judge black people. There was already so much prejudice in Maycomb and Jem regardless of his young age, stood up for what he thought was right and protected black people and his father. This lesson of standing up for what you think
...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.
For as long as I can remember, I have traveled between two houses. I live with my mom and every Tuesday and Thursday I visit my dad. Often when I describe my situation people assume I must be “broken” or “troubled” because my family isn’t normal. However, this is my normal and it would be strange to me if this was not how I lived my life. An identity has a dictionary definition, but is difficult to define. My identity has been and continues to be shaped by the social forces of gender, technology, and family.
Keeping a mouth shut doesn't hold the world shut out, it opens up new doors to things that would never be expected. In To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, there is are two character that is are an eternal mystery for the readers. Boo Radley, though the reader nor Scout and Jem know anything about the character all they want is to learn about him. Boo becomes a mysterious figure that many see as creepy, ghostly, but also reasonably wise. The one-time Boo appears the readers learn he is a sagacious, powerful man. Little do Scout and Jem know is that their father is also a rational being as well. The two crucial character in the story helps support the
Atticus taught Jem and Scout to respect people, even if they didn’t respect them back, he taught them to understand that you never know what a person is going through to make them how they are so you shouldn’t judge them or hold it against them. Because Atticus taught his children these lessons they were able to recognize the injustices found throughout the town of Maycomb and sometimes when they spoke out, they would make a little change in someone’s ideals (for example, scout talking to Mr. Cunningham at the jail house, or Jem spending time and reading to Mrs. Dubose.) Whereas, the children of Bob Ewell wouldn’t recognize injustices because Bob Ewell didn’t teach them about morality, he only taught them how to be like him—which is a liar, a slacker, and a rude hurtful person. The same goes for the rest of the children; Cecil Jacobs referred to Black people as “niggers” (Lee 99) because that’s how his father and the town taught him to refer to black people as, whereas Atticus tells Scout to never say that word because its “common” (Lee 99) meaning uneducated. Even though Atticus wasn’t confronting everyone with racist views, what he was doing was way more effective than going for to door educating people, he was educating his children, educating the next generation on how to act in the face of racism and he showed them what was right from wrong. By teaching his kids these important lessons he is making sure that they pass their knowledge on to everyone else and that by doing that the next generation won’t be as ignorant as the previous one. Atticus didn’t have an insufficient response to racism; he just understood that he couldn’t change the town, but the children
A person’s identity is created by his family, friends, and neighbors. These influences can be people that choose to interact or have to interact with each other. The decisions made based on these interactions define a person. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout, the narrator, is affected by numerous sources. Scout’s identity is shaped in part by Atticus, Miss Maudie, and her experience with the court case.