Jem And Scout In Different Ways example essay topic

What Important lessons have Jem and Scout learned by the end of part 1. Are they ready to cope with what lies ahead? In this essay I am going to look at the different lessons that Jem and Scout learn over the first half of the novel, to kill a Mocking Bird. I am going to explore the different ways that they are influenced, and whom the people are that they are influenced by. This will help me to see who is responsible for the character changes that occur in Jem and Scout, as they grow older. In this first paragraph I am going to look at the characters of Jem and Scout at the start of the novel, this will help to give me a clear idea of how the characters think and this comes to change in the chapters ahead.

The story is narrated by Scout Finch, who is six at the beginning and nine when the story ends. She is a lively, intelligent girl, who is a "tomboy". She dislikes school greatly and has a close relationship with her father, Atticus Finch. She is often being told by her father to think with her head rather than her fists, in other words to go against her instinctive reaction.

Many attempts are often made at Scout to try and convince her to act more "ladylike" She resists these attempts to make her act more feminine, as she wants to live up to her own expectations of life rather than somebody else's. The story begins when Jem is ten and finishes when he is thirteen. At first Jem enjoys normal childhood games like playing football, making up games and just playing with his friends in general. He is milder tempered than his sister scout, and is more sensitive to other people. All these factors change in Jem as the story unfolds, which I will look at later. In To Kill a Mocking bird, Harper Lee explores several different types of courage that the reader is able to recognise.

The type that Jem and Scout come in to contact with the most is the basic courage require to overcome childish fears, examples of this are regularly shown, such as running past the Radley place. "Jem said that all Dill had to do if he wanted to get himself killed, all he had to do was go up and knock on the front door". Atticus also shows this type of physical courage regardless of his age, when he faces the mad dog out in the street. "Atticus's hand yanked a ball tipped lever as he bought the gun to his shoulder". In her own way Scout shows her own different type of courage, when she "keeps her fists down" by not retaliating when her friends call her father names due to his upcoming trial regarding Tom Robinson. An Example of this "moral" Courage is when Scout face Cecil Jacobs in the school yard, he instinctive reaction is to fight back but, swallowing her pride she obeys her father's wishes.

"Atticus had promised me he would never wear me out if he ever heard of my fighting any more". A weakness is shown in Jem's character when he fails to obtain that type of courage. This is during chapter 11, when he retaliates to Mrs Dubose's comments about his father. Both Jem and Scout show a great deal of respect towards Atticus, and when Jem fails his father regarding the damage done to Mrs Dubose's garden. He feels that it must of be put right even though part of him believes her to be a bad woman and so, does not regret what he has done. "I cleaned it up for her and said I was sorry but I ain't".

The third and final lesson of courage is the most difficult. This is to have the ability to take on a task even though it is certain to end in failure in the foreseeable future. The most obvious example of this is Atticus's trail defending Tom Robinson. Atticus shows considerable courage and bravery in defending him knowing that the outcome of the trail will more than likely be unjust". I couldn't hold my head up in town if I didn't agree to defend him". Mrs Dubose also shows this type of courage right up until her death.

This is when she attempts to rid herself of her drug addiction to morphine, even though she knows she is going to die. "She said she was going to leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody". Atticus calls her the "bravest woman he ever knew". He wants to teach the children to realise that courage comes from within. "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is the man with the gun in his hand". The main theme in To Kill a Mocking Bird is of prejudice and hatred.

This lesson of "how to treat people and behave" is taught to Jem and Scout in different ways and by different characters in the book. In Maycomb there is a heavy line that separates the white and Negro's. This often means that violence is more likely to break time. Atticus tries to teach Jem and Scout how the causes of violence can be removed. He does this by pleading for tolerance. "Keep those fists down".

Boo Radley is a great example of prejudice in Maycomb is based upon rumours rather than fact. The community's fear exaggerates his activities. Examples of this include his "so-called " eating cats and squirrels raw. At the start of the novel Boo is a "monster" to the children, this opinion is not helped or put straight in chapter one when Stephanie Crawford describes him. It is obvious at this time in the story of the influence she has over the children. "Miss Crawford said he was so upright he took the word of god as his only law".

Aunt Alexandra shares very similar views to Miss Crawford. Both characters try to teach the children to "go with public opinion" than to create unique views of their own. "Quotation". Miss M audie on the other hand bases her opinion on fact and has a much more positive influence on the children.