To Kill A Mockingbird Jem Coming Of Age Analysis

Jem's Coming of Age in To Kill a Mockingbird
There are many bouts in which children learn to grow into adults or come of age and various situations that will shape the kind of adult they will be .An engaging example of coming to age is given to us in To Kill A MockingBird by the character known as Jem. During the novel numerous events and moments of realization hit both Jem and Scout causing them to more mature state which grants them a better understanding of their situation . With this further depth of understanding they also gain a sense of morality that lets them see a new side of their home,otherwise known as Maycomb, the side of their town that is prejudice,violent ,and illiberal, the side of racism. This racism exclusively peaks when

What had taken place was that Dill had snuck under Scout’s bed and was hiding there hoping to be able to crawl into Scout’s bed later on in the night and stay at the siblings home without anyone knowing . After being caught, Dill had confessed that he had ran away without telling any of his family Jem decided that he had to tell Atticus so no one would worry about Dill’s absence , “You oughta let her know you’re here….”Dill’s eyes flickered at Jem, and Jem looked at the floor. Then he rose and broke the remaining code of our childhood.”(188) As Jem tells Dill that he was going to call for Atticus, Lee described Jem not wanting to make eye contact with Dill and looking at the floor, this body language tells us his true feelings of guilt when divulging Dill’s presence. By giving away his whereabouts,already knowing that Dill didn’t want any adults to know where he was, he handed over what was left of the supposed code of childhood that he shared with Dill and his younger sister making him feel almost outcasted or contrite. However, he still proceeds to call for Atticus because he knows that’s the responsible thing to do, the mature thing to do

This is where Jem took his stand against his father as a man, of sorts, “ Go home, Jem,” he said. “Take Scout and Dill home.” We were accustomed to the prompt,if not always cheerful acquiescence to Atticus’s instructions, but from the way he stood Jem was not thinking of budging. “Go home, I said.”Jem shook his head. As Atticus’s fists went to his hips,so did Jem’, and as they faced each other I could see little resemblance between them: Jem’s soft brown hair and eyes, his oval face and snug fitting ears were our mother’s, contrasting oddly with Atticus’s graying black hair and square cut features, but they were somehow alike. Mutual defiance made them alike.”(203) The open resistance against his father is plain to see in this excerpt you may even begin to ask why Jem is refusing to follow his father’s commands. Looking at the later words of Scout in this quote she begins to contrast her father and brother, listing reasons on why they are completely different when it comes to physical appearance but when they reach the level of mental understanding him and Atticus are very much like-minded .Perhaps the reason Lee writes this is to give the underlying meaning of how even though Jem was influenced by