Racism In Tkam

Hiram and Jem both show a dislike towards the poor treatment that some people give to African Americans. They do not understand how white people can treat Negroes with so much contempt and hatred. After the trial of Tom Robinson, in which a guilty verdict was announced in spite of the utter lack of incriminating evidence, Jem shows disagreement with the verdict. The outcome deeply affects him, and he is profoundly afflicted by the injustice of the verdict. “Jem was suddenly furious. He leaped off the bed, grabbed me by the collar and shook me. ‘I never wanta hear about that courthouse again, ever, ever, you hear me? You hear me? Don’t you ever say one word to me about it again, you hear? Now go on!’” (Lee 331). Through this violent outburst,

Jem, who believed so earnestly that Tom Robinson would be acquitted by the jury that justice would be served, is forced to learn the hard lessons of life. “‘Atticus—’ said Jem bleakly. He turned in the doorway. ‘What, son?’ ‘How could they do it, how could they?’ ‘I don't know, but they did it. They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it seems that only children weep. Good night’” (Lee 285). Jem is simply not able to cope with the fact that Tom Robinson had been found guilty by the jury and seems to have lost his faith in humanity. Jem deliberates on the court case and begins to draw conclusions about life that only a mature person could draw. “‘That's what I thought, too,’ he said at last, ‘when I was your age. If there's just one kind of folks, why can't they get along with each other? If they're all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other? Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time... it's because he wants to stay inside’” (Lee 304). Jem starts to recognize that, while he had grown up seeing the world as a logical place, it is not always as straight-forward as it seems. Jem notices that there is no logical reason for discrimination based on race or social status. He comes to the conclusion that Boo Radley stays in seclusion to separate himself from the prejudice and hypocrisy of the world, and through this conclusion, Jem shows that he is truly becoming a mature young