Character Connection: Jem Finch

So we already know that I love Scout and Atticus. After my most recent re-read of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, I realized that I’ve never fully appreciated Jem.

The book covers a pivotal few years in Jem’s life, between the ages of roughly 10 and 13. Those are some pretty formative years for anyone, but the things that Jem sees set the course for the rest of his life.

At the beginning of the book, Jem is a pretty typical 10-year-old. He likes to play and he’s curious about Boo Radley, the neighbor who never comes out of his house. He’s not aware enough of the outside world yet to realize that some of his actions, like playing about Boo’s life, might hurt Boo’s feelings if he realized what was going on. That slowly changes though.

He’s always pretty patient with Scout, a precocious younger sister who would try almost anyone’s patience.  He gets frustrated with her at times, but overall, they play well together and she looks up to him.  He generally explains things so that she can understand them.  As he gets older, he starts to condescend to her a little bit, which she resents, but even then he seems to be genuinely trying to teach her what he’s learned about life.

Jem at first takes his father for granted. He’s just Atticus, and he doesn’t really do anything, like play sports or hunt or fish. But after one pivotal scene, Atticus gains Jem’s everlasting respect. It’s not really his actions, it’s his explanation for why he chooses not to use his talent for shooting. He explains it in a way that Jem can understand, and Jem begins to emulate his father.

***SPOILERS (highlight the section below to read them)***

I don’t know how I’ve overlooked Jem all these years. I guess because he isn’t the narrator and he’s too young to shine in Atticus’s shadow, he just got by me. This is one of the reasons I enjoy re-reading favorite books; I always pick up new things on every re-read. I’m glad Jem finally caught my attention this time.

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