Jem 's Characterization Of ' Our First Raid '

6. Here Scout is making fun of Jem, because earlier in the story he was dared to touch the Radley house and he did after days of thinking it through. This quote is significant because, it reveals that even after trying to face their fear of the Radley’s they still are terrified, just by walking past it sends a shrivel through their body. This shows the reader that Jem is still scared by the Radley’s it’s like the Radley’s have a curse over them.

One reason the readers have come to love Jem Finch is the many personality traits he has shown throughout the book. These personality traits also happen to further themes in the book. He’s innocent, idealistic, and responsible. Jem’s innocence is one of the first traits readers are introduced to. It is shown when Jem spreads and believes rumors about Boo Radley: “Jem hissed. ‘Scout, how’s he gonna know what we’re doin’? Besides, I don’t think he’s still there. He died years ago and they stuffed him up a chimney.’” (Lee 39). In this scene Jem, Dill, and Scout are playing “‘Boo Radley.’” (Lee 38). Jem suggested the plan to the others as foolish game where they play out roles of the Radley household. Jem’s action in doing

In part one, Jem and Scout are terrified of Boo Radley because of stories they have heard. They have never actually seen or talked to him and yet they are still children and believe most of the things they hear. The stories about Boo eating cats and squirrels are enough to scare them out of their shoes. The children love to play the game they made called “Boo Radley” which always

Like the book had been stated jem was only 10 years old when this book started. Now most 10 year olds have almost no knowledge of the world. This was expected but as the book represents jem shows us this multiple times. The first big example in the book was when scout had found the a piece of gum in the tree hole, the text states, “Don't eat things you find scout.” This is showing that Atticus has taught him at a very young age or Jem caught on to the idea dn knew it was bad. Another example in the book was when Jem wanted to contact Boo radley or Arther. Jem knew,”If i had gone alone to the Radley Place at two in the morning then my funeral would have been held that afternoon.” He had made sure they went together just in case something bad were to happen.

Jem refuses to admit it, but he is terrified of Boo and the horror stories that lurk around him. When Dill challenges him to knock on the doors of the Radley Place, he unsurprisingly follows through because “he loved his honor more than his head” (13). The importance of preserving his reputation and pride overpowers his fear. After the incident, Jem becomes more assertive and constantly boasts about his accomplished feat; he believes that it was an act of bravery, conquering something that no one else dared to do. Dill incessantly tests Jem’s willingness to take on new risks and the Boo Radley Game is invented. The children mock Boo in front of the entire town on a daily basis, and Jem believes he is proving a point by doing a harmless, comical thing. Atticus catches them in the action, yet “[he] hasn’t said [they] couldn’t, therefore [they] could...Jem had thought of a way around it” (41). Like most kids, Jem is brutally honest and goes off of what he hears and what is in plain sight. His doings are prompted by the innocence he still has as well as his lack of exposure to the darker sides of the world. He is unable to make higher-level connections or construct advanced ideas about his environment yet, showing that he is no more mature than the next child.

In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout’s brother, Jem, was always a good big brother and he also needed to develop just as much as Scout needed to. Jem was as responsible as Dill’s aunt. Until the end of this book, Jem finally realizes that one can’t judge a person unless they know what he or she has been going through. Jem was appreciative that Boo Radley saved his life. Jem knows that Boo was not a crazy man; he was just a shy guy who didn’t want any attention drawn to him.

Jem, as a child, has little respect for life or Scout his younger sister. When Jem, Scout, and Dill are on the hill Jem takes revenge on Scout by “pushing the tire with all the force”. As a child, Jem does not realize how important life is. He pushes Scout extra hard because she made him mad not knowing she could get seriously hurt. As Jem matures he has compassion for life and a realization of how important life is. Scout was going to “mash” a roly-poly but Jem asks her to spare it “ Because they don’t bother you.” Jem does not want Scout to kill the roly-poly because it is innocent. Jem’s statement is very reminiscent to Atticus telling the children to never kill a mockingbird because “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.” The court case brings out Jem's adulthood as he starts to understand the unfairness of life and has a newfound compassion for what is right. Jem tells Atticus “that it ain't right” when he hears the guilty verdict, although knowing he is innocent. At this moment, Jem loses his childhood innocence as he realizes that the case should have been innocent but it was not because of the people in his town. Jem loses his childhood belief that everyone will treat others fairly and now has a compassion for what is right. The decisions Jem is faced with like the roly-poly and the court case brings out Jem's compassion in his coming of age.

Throughout the novel, Dill shows his courage multiple times. Near the beginning of the book, Dill suggest that the Finch kids and him should try to lure Boo Radley out of his house. Ignoring all of Scouts warnings, Jem and Dill decide to attach a note to Boo Radley's window. Dills reasoning for doing this is “ ‘We’re askin’ him real politely to come out sometimes, and tell us what he does in there-we said we wouldn’t hurt him and we’d buy him an ice cream’ ” (Lee 62). Dill wants to talk to Boo Radley and see for himself whether Boo is really like the towns folk say he is.

I believe this is something needed, to show that Jem throughout the book has grown up and matured a lot. In the beginning of the book, he is very ignorant and near the end he is a smart young man who has grown up not only physically, but mentally. I indeed love the idea of Dill daring Jem to do something he truly is scared of.

This quote was about a dare that Jem’s friend Dill had given to him. He was told to touch the house of the Radley’s because it was considered very ominous. After he did he joked around about that. This shows how young and carefree he is at the

Jem, Scout, and Dill had been fascinated by the stories about the Radley house. One day when they were all playing, Dill dared Jem to

During chapter 14, the narrator (Scout) says, “Dill’s eyes flickered at Jem, and Jem looked at the floor. Then he rose and broke the remaining code of our childhood”. In this piece of the chapter, Scout thinks she feels a snake under the bed and asks Jem to check. Once he does, they find Dill, who explains running away from home. Jem then leaves to get Atticus and explain that Dill was there, thus breaking the code of childhood. Jem coming clean to Atticus took courage, especially because he had to have known that it would make Dill and Scout angry with him and caused a lack of trust between them.

SU: Jem tells Dill about the Radleys, and Dill now wants to see Boo Radley come out of his house.

In addition, Jem abandons all of his childish morals: “Jem looked the floor. Then he rose and broke the remaining code of our childhood. He went out of the room and down the hall. ‘Atticus,’ his voice was distant, ‘can you come here a minute, sir?’” (p.187-188). Dill, Jem and Scout’s best friend, ran away from his home and came to the Finch’s house. Jem has broken “the remaining code of our childhood” by telling Atticus about Dill, rather than keeping it a secret. He has matured past his childhood years, and realizes that sometimes it is best to involve adults.

In addition to Jem’s childish, protective, and playful nature- he is also scheming and possesses a clever mind. He demonstrates this with his knack for avoiding conflict, finding loopholes in regards to the rules Atticus has set for him and Scout, and luring out Boo Radley. This mischievousness sometimes causes Jem to be a troublemaker. Despite his cunning nature- as the novel progresses, Jem changes and develops into a more mature and responsible character as