To Kill A Mockingbird Jem Finch Character Development

Jeremy “Jem” Finch is a leading protagonist in Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mocking Bird” published in 1960. Jem matured greatly throughout the duration of the book, starting to resemble and idolize his father, achieves the status of a guardian to his sister and introduces a whole new set of ideals in his lifestyle. He embodies the themes of growth. Throughout the novel we see how perceptions of things such as courage, respect, tolerance, and cruelty changes Jem as he matures.

Jem Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird “To kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is set a small town called Maycomb in Alabama, in the 1930s. The community of Maycomb is of mixed ethnicity and like most places of that time the white people believe they were the dominant race. The book is seen through the eyes of two children: Jem and Scout Finch who are growing up in this society. As Jem gets older he becomes conscious of the fact that this community and these adults who surround him are not always right and this makes him feel lost. Jem is older than Scout and clearly remembers his mother.

The novel To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee is about a young girl named Scout and her brother, Jem, growing up in the small, southern town of Maycomb, Alabama. Scout and Jem live with their older father, Atticus, and spend their summers playing with their friend, Dill. They have many neighbors, and one is an older woman named Mrs. Dubose. As the siblings grow older, they begin to drift apart and new disagreements begin. Yet, as Jem begins change, he starts to think more maturely about feuds with his sister and opinions towards his neighbors. For example, in the tire incident, Jem realizes that Scout is in trouble and tries to help her. In addition, in the flower incident with Mrs. Dubose,

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.

"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." A quote by Atticus Finch a loving single father of two children in a novel by Harper Lee. The story takes place during the 1930s and the Great Depression, in a small (made-up) town called Maycomb Alabama. Scout now an adult is narrating what she experienced and felt in ages 6-9. She gives details of her family, school, and just everything she goes through. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, she also talks about her brother Jem, who starts as a careless young boy that slowly starts getting more mature. Jem changing throughout the story helps show a little bit more of how the story develops and why character development is important in making a good novel.

Matt Berman from Common Sense Media commented, “This richly textured novel, woven from the strands of small-town life, lets readers walk in the shoes of one fully realized character after another.” To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, one of the major messages is identity. Harper Lee lets the people look into the perspectives and identity of some of the characters that make it seem very life-like. In the novel, many characters possess both admirable and dislikable qualities which are shown through their actions. With the nurturing of her father, Scout contains the charming qualities of being courage and mature for her age. The father that instilled these characteristics in Scout, is Atticus Finch. While dealing with the stressful case of Tom Robinson, Atticus maintains to keep the likable aspects of sympathy and strong will. The antagonist in this novel fighting against Tom Robinson is Bob Ewell. Bob Ewell has instilled, in him, the terrible qualities of cruelty and racism. These life-like characters that Harper Lee illustrates gives people a clear vision of who the characters portray.

Jem had changed throughout the story from acting like a child and doing things that children do to becoming more mature and taking part in the

Living in a small town a boy named Jem matures his thinking and learns compassion which takes him on the journey of becoming a man. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a novel about two southern children Jem and his younger sister Scout who experience love, danger, and tragedy. Jem begins the novel as a boy but as it progresses he takes on a more adult-like thinking and shows compassion for others and the truth.

It is clear Jem is maturing while Scout is not. At the beginning of chapter twelve there is a definite change in Jem. Previously Jem hated Mrs. Dubose for the names he calls Atticus and refused to see Mrs. Dubose’s side. Not much later Scout states that “Mrs. Dubose was not cold in her grave - Jem had seemed grateful enough for my company when he went to read to her. Overnight, it seemed, Jem had acquired an alien set of values.” (115 Lee). Jem seems to have forgiven Mrs. Dubose to some extent, and even respects her. Scout doesn’t understand and finds this alien and sudden.

In the beginning of the book he starts by knocking on the window and going on his property. Throughout the book Jem starts to mature because he is hitting puberty. When Jem and Scout discover someone has been leaving things for them inside the knot of a tree he then realizes it is Boo. He and scout then try to leave him a thank you note but, his brother Nathan Radley had filled the hole with cement because, “The tree is dying.” He realizes that the stories of Boo are not true and thinks he isn’t as dangerous as the stories he’s heard everyone say. He also realizes after trying to leave a note on the window Nathan Radley comes out with a shotgun. Then they run away and have to crawl under a chain-link fence, which Jem catches his pants on and in the moment takes them off and leaves them. When he comes back for them he finds them folded and the hole had been sewed up by someone (Boo). Jem grows a lot thru the book because of his understanding of Boo and now knows he is actually a good

In Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, Jeremy Atticus Finch (Jem) plays the role of Scout (Jean Louise) Finch’s older brother and is the son of Atticus Finch. Jem ages from 10 to 13 throughout the story. Jem is the typical young boy who loves sports and does not back down in any situations at the beginning of the story. He demonstrates the idea of courage and bravery and that way his thoughts about bravery changes through the course of the story.

Lee uses an impartial point of view and evolving characterization to convey that one’s beliefs can be quickly influenced into a more mature mindset, especially when exposed to the reality of prejudices and stereotypes. From an early age, Scout is already influenced from the obstacles femininity brings into her daily life, but as the story goes on, she gradually begins to understand how to react to moments when gender roles attempt to restrain her actions. When Scout is hesitant to join Jem and Dil, Jem exclaims, ”Scout, I’m tellin’ you for the last time, shut your trap or go home-I declare to the Lord that you’re gettin’ more like a girl every day!” to which Scout reacts, “With that, I had no option but to join them,” (Lee 69). In Scout’s

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

Jeremy Atticus Finch or Jem is a small town boy of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s and a son of a lawyer named Atticus. Atticus is a father of two and his wife had died, so now he raises his kids by himself which may. Jem also has a sister, Jean Loiuse Finch but they call her Scout and is also the narrator of the novel. Dill is a character in the book that is only in Maycomb for a little while but has a big adventure with his partners in crime, Jem and Scout. They are on the poorer side of society but they do have an African-American housekeeper named Calpurnia or Cal for short, she also is a mother and raises a son named Zeebo. She also is one of the few African-American people who can read and write, she learned to have those skills from Miss Maudie’s Miss Buford. Another African-American person who can read and write and was also accused of rape was Tom Robinson. Jem has a lot to figure out about life and from an immature child to a problem solver Jem Finch is a big brother to Scout Finch as well as Dill together they solve the mystery of Boo Radley.

Human beings have a tendency to change, even if they are young. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee explores the concept of growing up within a world of discrimination through the eyes of a young girl named Scout Finch. Her seemingly perfect town called Maycomb has changed before her very own life. Once thought of as a peaceful town in Alabama, Scout sees the hidden horrors that lurk through the mind of Maycomb’s citizens. Not only has the Great Depression commenced, she will see a trial where Tom Robinson, an African American, is wrongfully convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. Although Atticus Finch, Scout’s dad, presents information that should have cleared Tom’s name, the racist minds of Maycomb sentenced him to life in prison. She not only experiences this, but she also hears the racist comments from the citizens of Maycomb. She develops a sense of maturity that makes her like Atticus throughout the years. Although she may be young, innocent, naive, and she occasionally partakes in some fights to keep her honor, Scout matures throughout the novel because she learns how to see things through other’s perspectives, she develops tolerance, and she learns the citizens of Maycomb are racist.