Respect For Jem's Passion example essay topic

It Really Does Take Heart In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee there are many stories we can use to model our lives after. Each of these stories reflects a lesson we learn in our own lives and in some ways, the problems and insights of American Culture as well. Here is an example of one of stories and how they reflect to the life of a person like me. At the very beginning of the book when Harper Lee was describing her characters through Scout's eyes and giving us the introduction to the book, she mentioned how Jem would do anything to play football when he had broke his arm in a fight, and how ecstatic he was whenever he found out he still could. Later, toward the end of the book Scout also spoke of how Jem joined the football team and where the passion had come from in the first place.

Another fact according to Scout was that Jem clearly wanted this and was even willing to be the 'guard of the water' and the 'benchwarmer' for his team so he could play. This means that even though he was forcibly put through the worst of jobs, and have the most annoying and antagonizing tasks he still fought that maybe in the future he really would be able to play, and even when he was hurt with a broken arm, he couldn't wait until he could perform those tasks again. Now that really does take a person with heart. As for myself, I feel for Jem, every day as I go through a lot so I can still play football. In fact I am made to do some of the same things as Jem. While I have yet to break my arm, I still do dislike being hurt and can't wait until I can get back into the game.

It feels awful sitting on the sidelines knowing that as person that is hurt won't I even have a chance to get in during the game, or practice even. However, sometimes when you are not hurt, and you are playing, it is hard to keep going and continue fighting so you don't end up on the sidelines the same in the same position. Even at school and at home, keeping yourself up to task so you can continue playing is a tough task. However, I still work diligently, and respect Jem for how diligently he worked at it too. The greatest thing that keeps you going is when you go into the game and do something right. Meaning you just know that you helped make the play, or in some way helped your team win.

It just makes you feel like you could touch the clouds, or maybe go even higher. That is what keeps a person into the game, and that is why people fight to be able to play in the game no matter how hard practice is, or how low your chances are of getting in. That is in effect, why I stay out there and continue to practice hard every day. This in the end is why I have respect for Jem because he continues to play, even when the odds are against him. The reason Harper Lee showed football as one of Jem's passions, and how he fought to get into the game, but never could actually play, refers to other fights in the book that could never succeed. However, even knowing this I can't help but still feel respect for Jem's passion.