ipl-logo

Jem And Scout's Transition In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

843 Words4 Pages

Luke Mathew
Mr. Day
3B
3-28-23

Jem and Scout’s Maturity Transition

At what point in Harper Lee’s novel, “To Kill A Mockingbird”, do Jem and Scout Finch really expose their transitions into more mature people? During the early scenes of this story, we often see both of them being portrayed as mischievous and young but, towards the middle to end of the story, they develop into mature young adults. In chapter fifteen of To Kill A Mockingbird, a large mob of men, led by Walter Cunningham, all gather in front of the Maycomb County jail; This mob stands its ground until Jem and Scout arrive. In this passage Lee uses conflict and plot to convey the theme: sometimes the kids know better than their parents.
First, Lee uses conflict in the scene …show more content…

“You got fifteen seconds to get ’em outta here.”(173)
In this passage, as the conflict ensues, Atticus is once again attempting to get his kids out of the violent mob, but Jem and Scout both show their persistence to stay and help dismantle the mob. This event also leads up to Scout making Walter Cunningham shut down. Overall, both of these events expose conflict and the theme that sometimes the kids know better than their parents.
Next, Lee also uses plot events to continue with the recurring theme in this passage that sometimes the kids know better than their parents. Scout has an idea of how she can attempt to break down the mob:
“Hey, Mr. Cunningham.” The man did not hear me, it seemed. “Hey, Mr. Cunningham. How’s your entailment gettin‘ along?” Mr. Walter Cunningham’s legal affairs were well known to me; Atticus had once described them at length. The big man blinked and hooked his thumbs in his overall straps. He seemed uncomfortable; he cleared his throat and looked away. My friendly overture had fell flat. Mr. Cunningham wore no hat, and the top half of his forehead was white in contrast to his sun-scorched face, which led me to believe that he wore one most …show more content…

This event forces Walter to feel a little embarrassed and he realizes his actions are not proper. Moreover, he sends all of the mob homes. Furthermore, Scout breaks down the mob and supports the theme. Sometimes children better understand what to do at the moment. In addition, another event that supports the theme is when Atticus tells the kids to stay home as he goes to jail:“ ‘I’m going out for a while,’ he said. ‘You folks’ll be in bed when I come back, so I’ll say good night now.’ With that, he put his hat on and went out the back door…’I’m goin’ downtown for a while.’[said Jem]’’(169). Because Jem didn’t listen to Atticus, Jem and Scout’s combined efforts stopped the mob. This supports the theme that sometimes, kids’ decisions are better than

Show More
Related

To Kill A Mockingbird Atticus Finch Quotes

700 Words | 3 Pages

Atticus is a bold man considering he knew the mob would eventually come and he had to be prepared to protect Tom Robinson from harm. In addition, he was willing to risk his life for a black man which was very peculiar during the time but dared to stand his ground and fight for justice. Also, Atticus did not mind what other people thought of him or cared less about his reputation being ruined or his family being put on the line for defending a black man indicating he had the perseverance to fight for righteousness. When Scout sees that her father is in danger, or given that he is surrounded by unfamiliar faces, she realizes one of the men is Mr.Cunningham. In an attempt to cool the tension, Scout tries to find common ground with Mr.Cunningham by saying, "Entailments are bad" (Lee 205).

Read More

Jem Coming Of Age In To Kill A Mockingbird

369 Words | 2 Pages

The Innocence of a Mockingbird When you are a child the people around you have a huge impact on the way you grow up and see the world as you get older. For example, in the story To Kill a Mockingbird, there is a young boy named Jem who is son to a lawyer named Atticus. Jem starts off very immature and ignorant because he doesn’t understand the seriousness of peoples actions; as time goes on and he learns more about the people of Maycomb, the small town they live in, this allows him to be more mature and be able to make the right decisions when it comes to the way he treats people and who he associates himself with. He will start to learn how to be a good young man and how to lead himself to respect. Harper Lee shows coming of age in the story

Read More

How Did Arthur Radley Grow Up In To Kill A Mockingbird

771 Words | 4 Pages

Before the case of Tom Robinson vs Mayella Ewell, Atticus recognizes that both Scout and Jem will have to understand the case in the situation behind it. He doesn't want this for his kids but he understands is going to happen and they should be prepared for it. As Atticus said, “Scout’s got to learn to keep her head and learn soon, with what’s in store for her these next few months. She’s coming along,

Read More

How Is Atticus Told In To Kill A Mockingbird

334 Words | 2 Pages

Atticus finds his kids Jem and Scout in the courtroom oneday and let them stay. He did this because he wanted them to realize what he was saying was true. During the story atticus really wants his kids to see what's going on around Maycomb and how its not right. He teaches

Read More

How Is Atticus Learned In To Kill A Mockingbird

882 Words | 4 Pages

Jem does not want scout to embarrasss him while heis with his older friends because it was not cool to hang out with his little sister but near the end when someone was chasing after jem and scout he knows their lives are in danger so he yells to her,”run scoutrunrun”(261 lee) This shows tha jem is scared for his life, but would rather something happen to him, rather than to scout. Overall jem discovers his responsibility as an older brother is to look after scout and make sure she is

Read More

Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

626 Words | 3 Pages

The major theme in To Kill a Mockingbird is the loss of innocence. Not only do Scout and Jem lose their innocence, but other characters do as well. Scout and Jem grow up throughout the book, as they are exposed to the realities of racism, hatred and child abuse. They witness racism in the Tom Robinson case when Mayella Ewell claims he took advantage of her, when it was really Bob Ewell that did it. The court voted Tom Robinson guilty because he was African American, and most of the town would have been furious if a white man was convicted over a black man.

Read More

To Kill A Mockingbird How Has Jem Changed

844 Words | 4 Pages

There were many personally impactful events happening in the town, like the rape trial, a neighbor’s house burning down, and new opinions coming to light. Jem could have learned a great deal from this because he was such a big part of society considering his dad was the lawyer for a black man, and he also could have been accused for killing Bob Ewell. As Atticus says in the novel, “‘Heck, ...‘If this things hushed up it’ll be a simple denial to Jem of the way I’ve tried to raise him” (Lee 314). Atticus was watching out for Jem because he didn 't want for him to be treated differently, he knew he was changing and was starting to understand what happened to Boo Radley. Boo was seen as a reckless child, so that 's how he got his reputation, and Atticus doesn’t want them to be seen in a bad way.

Read More

How Does Jem Change In To Kill A Mockingbird

520 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem and Scout 's perception of courage drastically changes their behavior as they mature. They learn a lot about courage throughout the novel from their father Atticus and what they learn from him influences their choices and opinions. Although Jem is older than Scout, they both experience change in their behavior. At the beginning of the novel, Jem is still a young boy. He is defiant towards Atticus, he plays all the usual childhood games with Scout and Dill, and he engages in the younger children’s obsession with Boo Radley.

Read More

Examples Of Jem Coming Of Age In To Kill A Mockingbird

712 Words | 3 Pages

One of the best showcases of this is when a mob shows up at the Finch's house to try and lynch Tom Robinson. This is shown when Atticus says “I said go home.” and “Jem [shakes] his head” (Lee 203). Even though Jem disobeys Atticus by staying, Atticus ends up being grateful for this because the kids help de-escalate the situation. This shows Jem standing for what he thinks needs to be done according to his judgment.

Read More

How Do People Shape Children In To Kill A Mockingbird

743 Words | 3 Pages

Children are very impressionable people. Almost everything around them changes them in some way. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the main characters, Scout and Jem, start out as little kids who spend their days making up stories and playing sill games. Then their dad, who is a lawyer, takes on a case defending a black man who has been charged with rape. Since they live in Alabama, The whole family has to absorb some pretty ugly things, which forces Scout and Jem to grow up quickly, and it gives them a different and more mature view of the world.

Read More

Citizen Kane And The Social Network: Cinematic Analysis

865 Words | 4 Pages

In 1941, Orson Welles directed a movie that many now consider to be the best movie ever made. With eight wins and twelve other nominations, Citizen Kane stars Welles himself, playing newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane, who was based on the real-life William Randolph Hearst. The story immediately begins with Kane’s death, and his last word sparks a wave of curiosity among journalists, leaving them to investigate the meaning of the mysterious “Rosebud.” During the film, the audience learns that Kane, although wealthy, was not necessarily happy; he had lost love and respect numerous times throughout his life, and each of those events forced him into a deeper state of isolation. On the other hand, 2010 movie The Social Network, directed by David

Read More

Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

1522 Words | 7 Pages

In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee tells a poignant coming-of-age story about the loss of innocence in the character of Scout. Three significant events illustrate this fact. The first example portrayed in the novel occurred when Scout went to the jail to find out what Atticus was up to, only to find that a mob had arrived to lynch Tom Robinson. This event left Scout with the notion of a mob mentality. Another event was the turning point of the story, the trial of Tom Robinson; this defining moment taught Scout of prejudice and injustice.

Read More

Innocence Vs Reality In To Kill A Mockingbird

479 Words | 2 Pages

Lee’s portrayal of the two characters is quite fascinating, and accurate to the sibling standards of both now and the past; the bickering, role-playing games, and the curiosity that Jem and Scout have throughout the novel presents a relevant addition to the plot as a whole. The book is divided into two parts.

Read More

Atticus Finch Coming Of Age Essay

947 Words | 4 Pages

Both Jem and Scout had a startling knowledge that changed the way they treated other individuals. Both kids were practically killed by Mr. Ewell the night after the trail. Jem understood that Mr. Ewell was a fainthearted man, in light of the fact that keeping in mind the end goal to hurt their dad, Mr. Ewell needed to hit him in his feeble spot, his kids. Both kids understood that negative things that can leave positive things. Despite the fact that Atticus Finch spared Tom Robinson from being erroneously blamed for a wrongdoing, he likewise uncovered that Mr. Ewell beat his kids and was a dishonorable father.

Read More

Importance Of Education In To Kill A Mockingbird

1016 Words | 5 Pages

Scout and Jem both learn most of their knowledge from, their father Atticus, their maid Calpurnia, and their neighbors. The people that are present in their lives shape Jem and Scout into the people they are becoming. Education from school helps Jem and Scout advance, but the information they learn from life allows them to mature. Scout learns a major lesson about empathy towards others when she invites Walter Cunningham, a boy she goes to school with, over to her house. Scout does not realize that she is disrespectful to him when she makes mean comments.

Read More

More about Jem And Scout's Transition In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

Related Topics

Open Document