Jem Finch Trial

The Son of a Lawyer

Society is not always depicted as innocent to a child as it may appear. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, a young teenager named Jem lives with his father, Atticus Finch, and younger sister, Jean Louise Finch, in Maycomb, Alabama. Jem’s father, Atticus, practices law in Maycomb and recently was appointed by the county to defend a black man named Tom Robinson. Jem, a thirteen year old boy during the court case, learns life lessons about respect for others and acquiring correct type of courage to defend someone who is being criticized when society disapproves of them. As the time gets closer for the court case to start session Jem becomes strongly aware of the changing society and growing controversy about his

This is best evidenced when Dill bets that Jem he wouldn’t step one toe in the Radley’s yard. Later, after Jem stood looking at the house for awhile to plan his next move, Dill made a mild concession stating, “I won’t say you ran out on a dare an‘ I’ll swap you The Gray Ghost if you just go up and touch the house.” (14). The second time, Jem’s bravery shows is when he stands up to the mob that was about to fight Atticus in the county jail. The third time, Jem is trying to attach a note to the Radley’s window with a fishing pole and is spotted by a nearby neighbor. The fourth time, is when Jem slipped out of the house in the middle of the night to go fetch his ripped pants from the Radley’s fence. Finally, Jem goes back to apologize to Mrs. Dubose for the damage he had caused to her

Using Dill’s ideas to lure Boo out of the Radley house, Jem tells everyone where to stand, who stays home, who goes with him, when to talk, and when to be quiet. This is best evidenced when Jem is making plans on how to approach the Radley’s house with the note and fishing people. Scout forces Jem to allow her to come, but once she arrives at the scene she starts regretting venturing out with the boys and decides that she wants to go back, but Jem informs Scout, “ Now you’re in it and can’t get out, you’ll stay in it, Miss. Priss!”(47). Another time, Scout was walking home from school and noticed a piece of gum sticking out of a hole in the Radley’s tree. Unknowingly, Scout opened the gum and started chewing the gum until later into the afternoon when Jem came home and asked Scout where she got such a wad. Immediately, after Scout tells Jem how she attained the gum she was chewing, Jem forces her go spit out the gum and