Who Is Jem Mature In To Kill A Mockingbird

Jem’s Age Compared to maturity Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird shows how people are supposed to become more mature as they age and some want to start to do things that their parents do and stop doing childish things. Scout demonstrates this by not wanting to stop fighting and Atticus telling her its childish. It is also demonstrated by the children wanting to go into town more often and not worry about what is going on at home. The characteristics of Jem and demonstrates that coming of age means to become more mature and wanting to be more like their parents instead of still being childish. Scout even though she is becoming older she is still being childish in the sense that she is still fighting at school. Atticus tells her that she is
too big and too old to be doing that. “Atticus had promised me he would wear me out if he ever heard of me fighting any more; I was far too old and too big for such childish things, and the sooner I learned to hold in, the better off everybody would be” (Lee 85). Atticus tries to explain to Scout that she is too old to be doing such childish things and the faster she matures the better she would be. Scout soon realizes that Jem is starting to get mad at her when she does childish things around him when he used to be okay with it.
Jem and Scout as they get older are starting to become more mature and wanting to start going out to the town more and being more independent. They are now starting to go into town more often and starting to be able to do things on their own without having Atticus or Calpurnia holding their hand to do things. “When we were small, Jem and I confined our activities to the southern neighborhood, but when I was well into the second grade at school and tormenting Boo Radley became passé, the business section of Maycomb drew us frequently up the street past the real property of Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose. It was impossible to go to town without passing her house unless we wished to walk a mile out of the way. Previous minor encounters with her left me with no desire for more, but Jem said I had to grow up some time” (Lee 114). The children are starting to mature more and being able to go into town without having to worry about what is going on at home and being able to enjoy what they are doing now. The kids are not needing Atticus as much as they use to and are showing that they are becoming mature.
Atticus is starting to notice that the children are becoming more mature then what they were at the start of the book and are looking for adults to start having respect for them.
Atticus tells Uncle Jack that even though they are children that they are old enough to get respect and to not be mistreated. "When a child asks you something, answer him, for goodness' sake. But don't make a production of it. Children are children, but they can spot an evasion quicker than adults, and evasion simply muddles 'em" (Lee 99). Atticus is starting to realize that his children are old enough and mature enough to get respect from other adults and is flustered that their Uncle Jack is not giving them respect by answering their questions.
Jem in To Kill a Mockingbird demonstrates that as he is coming of age he is becoming more mature and wanting to be more like his father. The children wanting to start going into town and noting having Atticus or Calpurnia help them with everything and becoming more independent. At the beginning of the story Scout does not want to stop fighting but Atticus tells her to grow up and to stop being childish. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mocking Bird show how people in society are supposed to mature after a certain
age.