Motifs In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird develops a broad spectrum of motifs; one being the morality of the characters. Atticus Finch teaches his children to stand against societal norms to remain true to their beliefs. Though Jem, Atticus’s son, starts off as a disrespectful child, he blossoms into righteous young man through his father’s teachings.
At the beginning of the novel, Jem shows his lack of morality and respect for others primarily by dehumanizing Boo Radley; he believes that Boo Radley is a monster in disguise. When “... Dill bet Jem… wouldn’t get any farther than the Radley gate…” Jem accepted the dare because “[i]n all his life, Jem had never declined a dare” (13). Jem shows that he values bravery—a shallow understanding of true courage—and pride

Dubose’s death acts as a catalyst for his development. When speaking to Jem, Atticus states, “‘I wanted you to see what true courage is… It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what” (112). He uses Mrs. Dubose’s determination to break out of her morphine addiction as a lesson of courage to Jem. Because of this event, Jem starts to act more empathetic towards others, and he learns to stand by his beliefs even if all the odds push against him. The latter lesson ties in to the scene when the children visit the jailhouse to find Atticus defending Tom Robinson from a lynch mob. Atticus demands Jem to “Go home... [And] [t]ake Scout and Dill home…” but to Scout’s notes with surprise that “... from the way [Jem] stood Jem was not thinking of budging” (152). Jem knows that Dill, Scout, and he can be hurt by the drunk men at the jailhouse, yet he stands his ground to protect both Atticus and Tom

After the trial, Jem realizes how ignorant he once was when he says, “‘It’s like bein’ a caterpillar in a cocoon, that’s what it is… Like somethin’ asleep wrapped up in a warm place. I always thought Maycomb folk were the best folk in the world least that’s what they seemed like’” (215). Jem acknowledges the unfairness of the world after the court convicts Tom Robinson, an innocent man. He later suggests changes to Alabama law as a follow-up to his opinion on crimes that lead to capital punishment; Jem argues, “‘It ain’t right. [Tom Robinson] didn’t kill anybody even if he was guilty. He didn’t take anybody’s life…’” which causes Atticus to reply, “‘Then go up to Montgomery and change the law,’” (219). And even though the main climax of the story concludes with the death of Tom Robinson, the story ends with Jem and Scout recalling their childhood fantasies: “‘That yard’s a mighty long place for little girls to cross at night,’ Jem teased… Haints, Hot Steams, incantations, secret signs, had vanished with our years as mist with sunrise,” (254). This scene greatly contrasts the beginning of novel when the children believed in folk tales, especially the Boo Radley