To Kill A Mockingbird Character Development
Everybody experiences change in their life. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Jem grows up during his time in Maycomb, and he begins to understand the town and it’s negatives. Maycomb is packed with negatives, starting from the discrimination between blacks and whites, and the four kinds of folks, each treated worse or better. Jem is able to embrace the town and learn from it through major events taken place in the novel. As Jem starts to understand the social classes, two reasons that prove this are his understanding of the town’s groupings and his understanding of what occurred in the courtroom, the readers relate to the development through the understanding of differences in people and society. Jem starts to realize that
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the town does not consist of one group of folks, but rather four kinds of folks. When Jem was a child he was not aware of the discrimination in the town, but as he matured he recognized the racism and the different groups in Maycomb, but he chose to continue to accept people for who they are, and not by their race or family. Jem says, “I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley stayed shut in the house all this time” (Lee 304). At this point in the novel, Jem realizes how awful of a town Maycomb is, and how evil the people in the town are. And, that Boo stays in his house not because he has to, but because he chose too. Jem shows maturity because he is old enough to understand that Boo is not mean, but actually scared to face the town of Maycomb. For example, nowaday we work and learn with hundreds of other races, but we do not discriminate against them. Jem also says that, “There’s four kinds of folks in the world”(Lee 302). Jem grows and sees that there is not only one kind of person, but four. He sees that everyone in Maycomb are categorized by their race or the families they are born into. During this time in the novel people of Maycomb are looked at different, even with innocence. He notices that Maycomb is everything but perfect, causing him to mature. Jem starts to mature when he realizes that there is not only one kind of person in the town, but four, and why Boo Radley has stayed locked in this house this whole time.
Jem grew up rapidly during the Tom Robinson trial. This is because he already knew the town was broken up into four kinds of people, but he was surprised and disappointed about the inequalities occurring during the trial. Jem says, “I always thought Maycomb folks were the best folks in the world, least that is what they seemed like”(Lee 288).For Jem this was an eye-opening experience because he really engaged into the trial and understood the relationship between white people and black people. Jem was really emotional about the results of the trial mostly because he was surprised that no one in town seemed care about Tom Robinson. Jem describes the town as if it was a caterpillar in a cocoon because the cocoon protects the fragile town. Jem says, “It ain’t right” (Lee 284). Jem understands that obviously Mr. Ewell was guilty, but does not quite understand why Tom Robinson was found guilty. He was devastated by the clear inequalities between the races, causing his emotions to get underhand. He seems to be the most affected by this outcome, because he does not know until after when he learns that every adult knows that any white person would beat a black person in a trial. The trial helps Jem understand how weak the power of black people are compared to the power of white people.
We experience exclusiveness everyday, although nowhere near as extreme.
For example, in school and work we see bullying, and exclusive groups. The reader can relate the victim of a bullying scene to Tom Robinson because just like Tom Robinson, the victim is discriminated against, but rarely stood up for. One quote said by Atticus Finch was, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin, and walk around in it”(Lee 39). Atticus says this referring to the blacks of Maycomb, and just like bullying victims, the reader may look different or dress uniquely, and get judged for it, but the reader could be the nicest person in the town. And, until the bully witnesses their personality, the bully can not say they are different, or rude. Victims are picked on for no reason and do not feel strong enough to stand up for themselves, and the blacks in Maycomb are treated the same, they get punished for things the town and themselves know they did not do. The problem is no person feels strong enough to stand up for the victim. Miss. Maudie said, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 119). Miss. Maudie says this because she is saying people who are innocent are destroyed by evil, like Boo Radley or Tom Robinson. Boo Radley is like a mockingbird because mockingbirds do not harm people but rather “sing their
hearts out for us,” Boo does not harm anyone, but he leaves presents, sews Jem’s pants, wraps a blanket around Scout during the fire, and eventually saves Jem and Scout from Mr. Ewell. Though he is thought to be unkind in the town, in reality he is thoughtful and reserved. Bully victims can be smart, kind, and nice, but yet they are being picked on and looked down upon, just like Tom Robinson and Boo Radley.
Jems shows maturity throughout the novel, specifically when Jem begins to understand the towns discrimination, and during the case of Tom Robinson, finally the readers can relate to the development of the novel by relating it to the bullying we experience today. The towns discrimination of the different races and groups it difficult to understand at such a small age, but Jem matured and understood it. Jem being able to watch the trial also helped his maturity and growing up of the novel. Readers can relate to the town in a much more minimal way through bullying. Jem’s maturity and growing up develops the story, and helps the reader better understand the town.
the town does not consist of one group of folks, but rather four kinds of folks. When Jem was a child he was not aware of the discrimination in the town, but as he matured he recognized the racism and the different groups in Maycomb, but he chose to continue to accept people for who they are, and not by their race or family. Jem says, “I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley stayed shut in the house all this time” (Lee 304). At this point in the novel, Jem realizes how awful of a town Maycomb is, and how evil the people in the town are. And, that Boo stays in his house not because he has to, but because he chose too. Jem shows maturity because he is old enough to understand that Boo is not mean, but actually scared to face the town of Maycomb. For example, nowaday we work and learn with hundreds of other races, but we do not discriminate against them. Jem also says that, “There’s four kinds of folks in the world”(Lee 302). Jem grows and sees that there is not only one kind of person, but four. He sees that everyone in Maycomb are categorized by their race or the families they are born into. During this time in the novel people of Maycomb are looked at different, even with innocence. He notices that Maycomb is everything but perfect, causing him to mature. Jem starts to mature when he realizes that there is not only one kind of person in the town, but four, and why Boo Radley has stayed locked in this house this whole time.
Jem grew up rapidly during the Tom Robinson trial. This is because he already knew the town was broken up into four kinds of people, but he was surprised and disappointed about the inequalities occurring during the trial. Jem says, “I always thought Maycomb folks were the best folks in the world, least that is what they seemed like”(Lee 288).For Jem this was an eye-opening experience because he really engaged into the trial and understood the relationship between white people and black people. Jem was really emotional about the results of the trial mostly because he was surprised that no one in town seemed care about Tom Robinson. Jem describes the town as if it was a caterpillar in a cocoon because the cocoon protects the fragile town. Jem says, “It ain’t right” (Lee 284). Jem understands that obviously Mr. Ewell was guilty, but does not quite understand why Tom Robinson was found guilty. He was devastated by the clear inequalities between the races, causing his emotions to get underhand. He seems to be the most affected by this outcome, because he does not know until after when he learns that every adult knows that any white person would beat a black person in a trial. The trial helps Jem understand how weak the power of black people are compared to the power of white people.
We experience exclusiveness everyday, although nowhere near as extreme.
For example, in school and work we see bullying, and exclusive groups. The reader can relate the victim of a bullying scene to Tom Robinson because just like Tom Robinson, the victim is discriminated against, but rarely stood up for. One quote said by Atticus Finch was, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin, and walk around in it”(Lee 39). Atticus says this referring to the blacks of Maycomb, and just like bullying victims, the reader may look different or dress uniquely, and get judged for it, but the reader could be the nicest person in the town. And, until the bully witnesses their personality, the bully can not say they are different, or rude. Victims are picked on for no reason and do not feel strong enough to stand up for themselves, and the blacks in Maycomb are treated the same, they get punished for things the town and themselves know they did not do. The problem is no person feels strong enough to stand up for the victim. Miss. Maudie said, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 119). Miss. Maudie says this because she is saying people who are innocent are destroyed by evil, like Boo Radley or Tom Robinson. Boo Radley is like a mockingbird because mockingbirds do not harm people but rather “sing their
hearts out for us,” Boo does not harm anyone, but he leaves presents, sews Jem’s pants, wraps a blanket around Scout during the fire, and eventually saves Jem and Scout from Mr. Ewell. Though he is thought to be unkind in the town, in reality he is thoughtful and reserved. Bully victims can be smart, kind, and nice, but yet they are being picked on and looked down upon, just like Tom Robinson and Boo Radley.
Jems shows maturity throughout the novel, specifically when Jem begins to understand the towns discrimination, and during the case of Tom Robinson, finally the readers can relate to the development of the novel by relating it to the bullying we experience today. The towns discrimination of the different races and groups it difficult to understand at such a small age, but Jem matured and understood it. Jem being able to watch the trial also helped his maturity and growing up of the novel. Readers can relate to the town in a much more minimal way through bullying. Jem’s maturity and growing up develops the story, and helps the reader better understand the town.