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How Does Jem Mature In To Kill A Mockingbird

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The Journey to Maturity Childhood innocence tends to fade as one starts to experience different aspects of life. However, maturity comes earlier for some than others as they undergo different experiences. In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem Finch sees a time in his life that shapes his progression from a child to a young man. Jem, a main character in this book, comes to many realizations that move him from one point to the next. Not knowing much, he encounters eye opening situations that force him to lose his childlike manner and become someone serious and mature. Jem’s loss of innocence is an inevitable part of his journey to maturity. At first, we can see that Jem is not aware of how unfair the society can be …show more content…

When the novel introduces Boo Radley, a character set apart from society for his differences, Jem is a child trying to satisfy his curiosity by catching at least a glimpse of Boo. He sets up a plan to communicate with Boo, saying that he is “going to give a note to Boo Radley” (Lee 52). He thinks that he can bring Boo out of the house that easily and is not mindful of how Boo might feel. He is immature in his thoughts and actions and is not fully considerate of others. Secondly, Jem and Dill make fun of Scout which is common for mischievous boys their age. Scout says “ I kept aloof from their… schemes for a while, and on pain of being called a g-irl, I spent… that summer sitting with Miss Maudie” (46). Jem is unconcerned with many of the things outside his world as he is not exposed to it and is in the safety of his own home. He just has fun teasing his sister and running around with his friend and is still innocent in his ways of

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