Jem Life In To Kill A Mockingbird

“Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”(119). A mockingbird doesn’t “do one thing but make music for us to enjoy”(119). In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee depicts the shortcomings of southern American society during the 1930’s. The portrayal of a mockingbird matches the personality of Jeremy Atticus Finch. Serving as the brother and friend of his sister Scout, Jem’s once innocent and naive personality is exposed to the true nature of a southern county when his father takes on a case defending an African American man accused of rape. Within rural Alabama during the Great Depression Era, Jem’s character adapts to the outside world as a result of the unsheathed tradition

This can be seen when Jem and Scout talk with Miss Maudie about Atticus, saying that they don’t believe he can do anything other than read. However, Scout spots a rabid dog one day while playing, and Atticus is called upon to gun it down. Jem mentions that Atticus can’t shoot a gun, but is surprised Atticus kills the dog with one shot, Miss Maudie then explains to Jem that “‘his nickname was Ol’ One-Shot when he was a boy,’”(129). Jem learned from this experience that Atticus used to be the best shot in Maycomb. When Atticus invites Aunt Alexandra to stay with the family, Jem and Scout discover that Alexandra has just as much prejudice and hatred as many others in the town. This is illustrated when Scout asks to play to Walter Cunningham, the children are shocked to hear her state her reason for preventing their interaction, her justification was “‘because--he--is--trash, that’s why you can’t play with him. I’ll not hage you around him, picking up his habits and learning Lord-knows-what’”(301). Jem also uncovers some of the family tension when Atticus defends Tom Robinson; he is often teased that his father loves African Americans. At the Christmas reunion, Francis says that Atticus was “‘ruinin’ the family, that’s what he’s doin’ ’”(110). This shows that Atticus was given a hard time, even from his own

Scout notes that if Atticus “ever said we couldn’t, Jem had thought of a way around it,”(55). After Jem tries to lure Boo out of his house, Atticus gives him a lesson about respecting Boo’s privacy, nonetheless, Jem ignores Atticus and continues to intrude on the Radley property. Nevertheless, Jem is still seen to be afraid of Atticus. This can be seen when Jem loses his pants after intruding into the Radley house, his reason for risking his life to retrieve his pants is that “‘Atticus ain’t ever whipped me since I can remember. I wanta keep it that way.’”(75). However, as Jem develops and grows, he begins to understand his father. This is illustrated when Jem, Scout and Dill sneak out of their house to find Atticus in front of the jail. Atticus tells Jem to return home, but he refuses. However, after the mob leaves, Jem complies with Atticus’s request and escorts Jem and Dill back home. This is similar to what happens in the trial, when Atticus tells Jem to return home to finish his dinner, Jem adheres to Atticus’s request and takes Scout and Dill home without a