Preview

To Kill A Mockingbird Jem Maturity Essay

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1020 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
To Kill A Mockingbird Jem Maturity Essay
The Growing Mockingbird When children grow up, they can face difficult problems, and then learn to cope and take major responsibilities. To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is about two kids (Jem and Scout) that span over a couple years. A special boy named Jem ages from ten to thirteen over the course of the novel, and goes through countless significant changes. Over the years, he is exposed to issues most adults face, and later on, shows the understanding of racism and innocence. Jem becomes mature intellectually, emotionally, and socially based upon his life experiences in Maycomb Alabama. Atticus tells Jem advice and following the footsteps makes him mature intellectually. During the trial Jem realises that life is unfair based …show more content…
During the trial Jem is extremely disappointed about how the judge was unfair to Tom Robinson. After the trial Jem cries, and is angry about the justice system. “ 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 it ain’t right Atticus said Jem’. ‘ No son, it’s not ”’ (Lee 212). Jem is unable to accept the decision of the Jury because it is unjust. This makes Jem more upset because the Jury essentially ignored every evidence told by Atticus. The votes were not taken from the black men and the white men words declaring Tom guilty makes Jem thoroughly upset. This is significant because Jem is extremely upset in a emotional way making him cry in anger seeing some lives are being treated unfairly. This causes him a change in life going from an innocent kid to a role model for the rest. Finally Jem wonders if Atticus is actually wrong and the people really know who is guilty. Jem asks Atticus “ Atticus you must be wrong”. ‘ How’s that?’. ‘Well most folks seem to think they’re right and you’re wrong”’ ( Lee 110). This is vital because, in this book majority is not always right. This is connecting to the thesis because it matters how you behave or appear. Both Jem and Atticus know that the consequence is justice. In conclusion Jem is fighting with Atticus for justice in the town and change the look of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    As people grow in life, they mature and change in many different ways. Harper Lee is the author of To Kill a Mocking Bird. This book is about Scout Finch and her life in the 1930’s in Maycomb County, Alabama. Harpe, shows how Scout matures and progresses in this book along with many other things. For example Scout, the main character, realizes her town is racist after the Tom Robinson trial. Harper also informs the reader about things Scout does not understand throughout the book. One of the things she demonstrates is the reason why Jem, Scout’s brother, is acting different. She does not know what people act like at that age because she is a lot younger, so all of his behavior is new to her. One of the other examples Harper shows is the very unique relationship between Miss Caroline, Scout’s teacher, and Scout. They would like each other, but Miss Caroline’s teaching strategy is bad for Scout because she is able read.…

    • 826 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The trials verdict was made and Tom Robinson was proven guilty. There were plenty of evidence that supported Tom Robinson’s innocence, but because he is black he was treated unfairly. Jem was very disappointed when the decision was made because he thought Maycomb was a town filled with great and fair people. It affected Jem a lot and it made him overthink so many things, it also made him not talk to Scout much or anyone and that made Scout sad and worried about Jem. Meanwhile, Scout did not really care about the decision that was made because she did not quite understand what was going on.…

    • 107 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Everyone grows up, but at different rates and different ways. The book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is about a girl named Scout and her brother, Jem, who grows up in Maycomb County a time when racism was very common in Alabama. Their father, Atticus Finch, is a defense attorney who helps defend Tom Robinson, an African American, from being accused of rape. The book takes place in the 1930s after the Great Depression while also struggling for Civil Rights. From beginning to end, Scout innocently grows up by first childishly making fun of Boo Radley, beginning to understand what goes on in her town, and growing to develop to become feminine female.…

    • 703 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To begin, the author of the story To Kill A Mockingbird tells the life of brother, Jeremy Finch and his sister, Scout who grew up in the era of racism and social inequality. Jeremy Finch, better known as Jem, is a typical young boy who grew up in a small Alabama town of Maycomb. He was described has someone who had an interest in sports, guns and being tough. The author, Harper Lee develops the character of Jem, who encounters many conflicts (internal and external) and shows how many of them were handled with using the theme of coming of age. With Jem’s voice and characterization, Lee shows how a young immature boy can grow into a mature, independent man.…

    • 120 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When growing up in today's world, people must face the many challenges of maturing. Whether it is physically, emotionally, or mentally, every person matures individually. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, the court trial of Tom Robinson matures three main characters in the book. They learn what growing up is all about. Jem, Scout, and Dill are the most affected by the trial and all matures throughout the book.…

    • 611 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Childhood innocence is fleeting—when the world is no longer simply teddy bears and rainbows, the mind of a child seeks guidance. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a young girl by the name of Scout grows up in the narrow minded town of Maycomb, Alabama. While the Great Depression wreaks havoc on southern farmers, racism runs rampant as the poor white man attempts to assert his non-existent superiority over the black community. With her father defending a black man accused of rape in an upcoming trial, Scout becomes surrounded by more negativity and hate than ever before. Lost and confused, Scout finds herself looking up to the only parent she has—Atticus Finch. Through the admirable…

    • 1251 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a story about coming of age. It tells of the experiences of Scout and Jem Finch, and how these experiences shaped their understanding of the world. The Tom Robinson trial was the main event that taught the children about justice.…

    • 379 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, many characters change their views of life. Undergoing obstacles changed the lives and perspectives of the characters in the novel. As times change in a person’s life so do their perspective of life. Jem, Scout, and Dill have various adventures that mature them, and allow them to understand how the world works in the mind of an adult. The children’s mind slowly transforms from understanding situations like an adult to having the mind of an adult.…

    • 682 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Atticus Maturation

    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages

    To Kill A Mockingbird, authored by Harper Lee, is an American novel of growth and maturation because it focuses on the character development of Scout as she comes to understand the world. This classic novel is set in a racially charged southern town during the Great Depression. The main character and narrator, a young girl named Scout, develops and changes from the conversations and actions that happen in the book. Scout’s direct maturation and learning of life lessons develops by witnessing the hypocrisy of her hometown Maycomb, Alabama, and her father, Atticus, being a major influence in her development.…

    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many things can influence a child’s life. Today a child may suffer from stress all the way to learning life lessons through a breakup. In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, two children, Scout and Jem had to deal with a less common stressor. They dealt with the trial and conviction of an innocent black man in their town and to make things worse, their own father Atticus was the appointed defense for Tom. Scout and Jem were six and ten at the beginning of the novel; throughout the next three years that it took place their maturity goes on to be influenced by many experiences and people. The two children learn valuable lessons from adults during events surrounding the trial such as empathy, courage, honestly, equality and justice. The main characters…

    • 1102 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    At the beginning, Jem wants to be a lawyer like his father. He admires what his father does because he believes that the justice system always works the way it's supposed to, with the guilty always being convicted and the innocent always being proved so. So when Tom Robinson is convicted for a crime he obviously did not commit, Jem loses his faith in the innate goodness of the world he previously saw and his faith in the justice system, all at once. He refuses to even talk about the court case, going as far as to yell at Scout when she mentions it, which shows how truly shaken up the whole situation had left him. Overall, Jem's perspective is forced to become a more mature one due to the extreme circumstances he encountered so early on in his life. His beliefs in goodness are shattered by the reality that people's prejudice can stop them from doing the right thing, changing his attitude towards the world utterly and causing his entire character in To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, to change along with…

    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them” (Lee 237). Atticus always tells Jem and Scout to never judge people until you take a walk in their shoes. For a while, Scout couldn’t fathom the idea of seeing things from another person’s perspective. Not because of her selfishness, but because her innocence, and immaturity. To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in a small, ordinary town in Maycomb, Alabama; although, for the main characters Jem and Scout Finch, life is everything but ordinary. The book takes place during the early 1930s, and goes on a three-year journey through the fascinating lives of the Finches. The coming of age is an occurring theme in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee through the following…

    • 768 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jem Finch Trial

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The trial of Tom Robinson is very influential on Jem and Scout. This is an important depiction of how colored people were treated at the time. Although they are white and privileged, they understand that the trial was unjust. After the trial, the author writes, “I 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). Jem is smart enough to realize how obvious it was that Tom was innocent, but the…

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. ‘It ain’t right’” (242). Jem was upset that Tom Robinson was sent to jail for something that he didn’t do, while others thought it was great since Tom Robinson insulted what they thought was a picture of a “good southern white woman”. Jem’s personal belief that people should get a fair trial broke the status quo because most believed that an African American man such as Tom Robinson, didn’t deserve as such, since they were racist. “Face was streaked with tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd” (242). Racism is a problem where a person of one race has prejudice and believes in stereotypes of the other, usually believing the other is lesser, and Jem could see this, however some might not see it that way. Others may say the only reason that Jem was crying, is because his dad lost the court case, this, however, is not the case. Jem is quite clearly quoted saying that “It ain’t right”, so he believes the outcome is not fair for Tom Robinson, and has empathy for him, as he has pity and knows how Tom Robinson feels.…

    • 866 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Childhood, to adulthood, a large step for everyone. It is a stage that everybody must go through and experience. Dill Harris a seven year old boy, Scout Finch a six year old girl, and Jem Finch a 10 year old boy are all young characters in the novel To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee that show a large step of maturing and coming of age through all of their adventures and experiences from the beginning of the novel to the end. These three kids go through experiences that affect them for the rest if their lives and impacts the way look at life.…

    • 1572 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays

Related Topics