To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee: Character Analysis

“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 103). To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, shows the life of the town of Maycomb, Alabama, through the eyes of Jean Louise (Scout) Finch. Maycomb, like other Southern towns during 1933, suffers greatly during the Great Depression. However, this doesn’t stop the children from going about and having their fun. Scout and Jem play with their new friend Dill every summer, most of the times trying to scare out Boo Radley, the malevolent phantom of the town. Alas, the entire book does not provide Jem with such carefree

He created this game to imitate and mock the lives of the Radley’s, making sure they portray the alleged idea that Boo Radley stabbed his father in the leg. Though, towards the end of the book, Jem understands what Atticus had been telling him all along about his childish acts, and ends the immature business. He begins to calm Scout down whenever she gets aggravated and learns how to comfort her during difficult situations, especially during the night when a mob came and threatened Atticus so that they could get to Tom Robinson. “The full meaning of the night’s events hit me and I began crying. Jem was awfully nice about it: for once he didn’t remind me that people nearly nine years old didn’t do things like that” (Lee 177). Jem’s ten-year-old self would have harassed Scout for crying about the night’s events, no matter how much tension there was. Howbeit, Jem understands what Scout is feeling, and decides against teasing her and accepts that sometimes, comfort is the best solution to one’s problems. The quote shows just how much Jem has matured only within his family members. In the end, Jem becomes a responsible older brother and realizes just how much tension is in the town of Maycomb and does his best to protect Scout from all

People like Judge Taylor. People like Mr. Heck Tate. Stop eating and start thinking, Jem. Did it ever strike you that Judge Taylor naming Atticus to defend that boy was no accident? That Judge Taylor might have had his reasons for naming him?’” (Lee 246) This explanation from Miss Maudie caused Jem and Scout to think about the trial and understand what all happened, and why it occurred. Jem feels angry and disappointed at Maycomb because they couldn’t get past their racist thoughts and beliefs, and see that all the evidence presented in court showed that Tom Robinson was innocent. Jem’s disappointment is assuaged and is, instead, replaced with determinedness to one day, being able to give innocent black men the same fate as innocent white men. Eventually, Jem recovers from the trauma he faced during the trial and returns to his positive and uplifting self. Throughout the book, Harper Lee never really showed the emotions Jem was feeling, except in a select few scenes. Jem was a positive boy and would do his best to comfort Scout using his good-natured attitude. For example, when Scout gets angry at Aunt Alexandra for her telling not to invite Walter Cunningham home, Jem does his best to calm Scout down by showing her his newly grown in chest