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Examples Of Juxtaposition In To Kill A Mockingbird

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In “To Kill A Mockingbird,” the author of the novel, Harper Lee, communicates many themes through her story, often involving racism, the trials and tribulations of growing up, and the many sides of life itself. One of the most profound themes of this novel, however, concerns the loss of one innocence, and how this may affect their view on life. The author conveys this theme by using the juxtaposition of Scout and Jem Finch. One side of this theme is shown thorough Jem, the eldest son of the family. Jem shares most of his experiences with Scout, and he shows a level of maturity beyond his years, which is maintained through the most challenging of situations. However, he’s very passionate and sensitive, and he’s often affected the most during those situations. The …show more content…

After watching the court hearings, Jem had confidence in the jury to rule in favor of the defendant, because of the compelling case that Atticus had made, where he had exposed the lies that the witnesses made on stand, while proving Mr. Robinson’s innocence with actual evidence and effective reasoning. “Jem was jumping in excitement. ‘We’ve won, haven’t we?’” (210). However, while Jem is aware of his community’s bias against people of color, he doesn’t believe that the bias will infringe upon justice and affect the verdict. When the jury announces their verdict, finding Tom Robinson guilty on all accounts, Jem is heartbroken and devastated as his world comes crashing down, taking his innocence with it. “‘It’s like bein‘ a caterpillar in a cocoon, that’s what it is,’ he (Jem) said...I always thought Maycomb folks were the best folks in the

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236 Words | 1 Pages

Jeremy Finch (Jem) ages from ten to thirteen in the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. This substantial fragment in his life displays the many ways he has changed both mentally and physically. His sister, Jean Louise Finch (Scout) has a distinct way of influencing his growth. Jem starts the novel by disagreeing and starting conflict with Scout, however, we realize that towards the end of the book Jem is more loving and helpful towards his sister. The coming of age shown by Jem is also influenced from the amount of experience he has gained.

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586 Words | 3 Pages

When the jury found Tom Robinson guilty, Jem has a hard time fully understanding what is truly going on and Scout says, ‘’It’s like being a caterpillar in a cocoon, that’s what it is,’’ (Lee 288). The children are being sheltered from what happens in the world around them and they are pressuring themselves to try to understand the language and content that they are being appealed to just like Jem did. Jem and Scout both struggled to find the full truth in the situation, due to being blocked out or in the “cocoon.”

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811 Words | 4 Pages

After Atticus loses his trial, Jem notices that the Maycomb County justice system is broken and it needs help, “Then it all goes back to the jury, then. We oughta do away with juries. ”(294) This shows that Jem now understands that people are racist in everything and racism needs to be fought. On top of realizing that the justice system is in shambles, Jem realized that Tom Robinson’s case was very good at showing that.

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419 Words | 2 Pages

Additionally, from other people’s perspective, Atticus has lost, his innocence because of him defending a Negro. However, it is not true because Atticus is a lawyer and he is doing his job without criticizing him. This incident made Scout ask Atticus that if it is right to defend a Negro. By this, Scout is able to gain the ability to look from new perspectives on how the world works in very early age compared to her brother, Jem and other children. Secondly, Jem is not completely disillusion until a guilty verdict is returned to Tom Robinson at the end of his trial.

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386 Words | 2 Pages

In court, Tom Robinson was declared guilty and sentenced to death. Atticus discusses the outcomes with Jem, stating that whites will always win over blacks. However, Jem argues by saying it “‘doesn’t make it right’”

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911 Words | 4 Pages

Sword and Pen: Confident Thoughtfulness in To Kill a Mockingbird The pragmatic and aggressive natures of Jem and Jean-Louise Finch respectively delineate the two sides of Atticus Finch. Characters in To Kill a Mockingbird hold either strength or wisdom, often times, the two are dichotomous, the character’s growth in one area is arrested by a preponderance in another. Strength and power lead to the atrophy of moral thoughtfulness for a lack of necessity. In the same vein, thoughtfulness is too often the product of a meek nature, the necessity of deep consideration for one’s survival.

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772 Words | 4 Pages

A Loss of Innocence And A Gain of Maturity Have you ever experienced something that you still think about today? Or have you experienced something that you wish never would have happened? Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird Scout and Jem face many of these things, and at a young age too. During the story and the situations they find themselves in, a loss of innocence is evident.

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812 Words | 4 Pages

In chapter 21, Jem and the children return to the court as the jury is deliberating. Jem reveals his innocence by telling Reverend Sykes, “‘He’s not supposed to lean, Reverend, but don’t fret, we’ve won it,’ he said wisely. ‘Don’t see how any jury could convict on what we heard—’ ‘Now don’t you be so confident, Mr. Jem, I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man . . .’ But Jem took exception to Reverend Sykes, and we were subjected to a lengthy review of the evidence.” Jem does not factor racial prejudice into the case and naively believes that the white jury will acquit Tom Robinson.

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754 Words | 4 Pages

Jem and Scout’s Coming of Age Books are uniquely suited to help people change their relationships and the variety of habits of daily life in this world. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the author exemplifies the moving behavior of humans teaches reader the factors of human personalities, such as innocence, kindness, and the moral of human dignity. Scout and Jem, on their journey to growing up as they move away from childhood, have coming of age moments where they have the ability to see individuals with a combination of good and evil. A moment that Jem and Scout encounters is learning about innocence from people.

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1045 Words | 5 Pages

After hours of waiting, the jury came back in. Scout explains how “A jury never looks at the defendant if it has convicted, and when this jury came in, not one of them looked at Tom Robinson… Judge Taylor was polling the jury; ‘ Guilty...Guilty...Guilty’”(211) When Scout and Jem hear the verdict, they are distraught. As they were walking home, “It was Jem’s turn to cry.. ‘It’s not right, Atticus’”(212)

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780 Words | 4 Pages

The jury couldn't possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson's word... (Chapter 9). He explains to scout that even if he presents Tom Robinson's case with no room for doubt and gives Tom the best defense possible, due to the fact that the townspeople are racist, there is no way they would believe Tom, a black man, over a white man. This injustice hits Jem the hardest when he says "How could they do it, how could they?"(Chapter 20) he is shocked by the fact that they are sending an innocent man to jail due to the color of his skin when there is no way Tom is guilty. The reader never really saw a reaction from Scout on the verdict of the trial, but she learns through her family members how unfair the world was and

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801 Words | 4 Pages

In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, two children grow up facing issues of race, poverty, and identity in Mississippi during the 1930s. Their family bonds even as a trial for life continues to create discourse through the town’s normal dynamic. Throughout the novel, there are many opportunities where readers can learn life lessons alongside the characters which in turn allows for lessons then to be expanded on in their own lives after reading. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Lee uses her characters’ false pretenses to prove that appearances can be inaccurate.

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833 Words | 4 Pages

In the book Atticus and the members of the court system express the reach of prejudice, justice, and fairness in the justice system. The justice system was filled with prejudice. In the book it states, “ Now don 't you be so confident, Mr. Jem I ain 't ever seen a jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man…”(279). Reverend Sykes is witnessing the trial of Tom Robinson.

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811 Words | 4 Pages

“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy… That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 119). Innocence is just like a mockingbird, it is robbed away from children who have done nothing wrong. The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place in the 1930s during the Great Depression, in a small-sized town called Maycomb in Alabama. Jem Finch and Dill Harris are young children that have to experience and see new things as they grow up and in the process lost some of their innocence. However, Scout Jem’s little sister is the only one that keeps her innocence throughout the novel.

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563 Words | 3 Pages

Remember the days spent dancing with imaginary friends, tea parties with stuffed animals who could talk, then going to bed with the boogie man under the bed? The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is about Jem and Scouts journey through their youth as they work to deal with tough subjects such as rape, racism, and the realization that the world is not how they once viewed it. Throughout the story, Lee demonstrates the loss of childhood innocence, which shows that one's true perspective of the world is obtained through maturity. To begin with, all children experience innocence in their youth, but as they grow up, their understanding of the real world betters.

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