Examples Of Jem's Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

Coming of age through life experience is one of the crucial themes of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. This is clearly demonstrated through Jem’s loss of innocence throughout the novel. Jem Finch begins as a naive young boy and ultimately grows to the mature young man known at the end of the story. At the beginning of the novel, Jem’s only concern is to unlock mysteries about Boo Radley. Throughout the novel, Jem’s fixation with Boo Radley s becomes trivial in comparison to the more elaborate case his father, Atticus, takes on. Tom Robinson, a poor black man in Maycomb, becomes convicted by Bob Ewell of raping his daughter, Mayella. The occurrence of the Tom Robinson trial exhibits on Jem’s disappointment over the conclusion the jury decides.
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Finch will be defending at What the children couldn't see is that this case was going to literally be black and white. The kids saw it as fair as reality, but everyone else already knew who would win. The children sit up in the colored balcony with Reverend Sykes to watch the case of Tom Robinson unfold. Jem concludes in his mind that they must of winning the case because of the lack of evidence that Tom was guilty announcing to the Reverend, “Don't fret, we’ve won it.” (Lee 279) Jem can't understand yet the racial bias the jury will have over Bob Ewell which will be due to the case being a white man over a Negro. Children can't see social labels and assumptions because they are still so innocent and young. When Jem presents his opinion to Reverend Sykes the racial bias that will occur in the case is finally put to light. He responds to Jem, "I ain't ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man....” What's so impactful about this statement is that what the Reverend said truly is the unfortunate reality of this whole trial. The jury then comes out and Scout quickly realizes that their father and his defendant could not have won the case because no member of the jury would even glance at the face of Tom Robinson. Scout explains that each "guilty" was as if there was a stab between Jem's shoulders. The exact opposite of what Jem thought would happen occurred. Jem never considered the bias the jury
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There proved to be a lack of evidence shown that Tom was even guilty and very good defense of Atticus explaining how Tom would have been unable to rape Mayella because he is right handed. Jem cries after the case announcing, “It ain't right.” After the trial, Jem realizes the court system’s method of proving a defendant guilty is greatly inaccurate, given that there was overwhelming evidence that Tom was innocent. Jem soon realizes that every person is not as good as he once thought they were. He is a growing teenager in a time where life is already stressful enough. This trial being added to what he is concerned about is truly a rough situation for this young boy to be in. Atticus tells Jem that he must find the time to grow from what he has learned and mature from it. Jem shows to have learned from the trial about the racial unfairness that is still present in their community. He explains to his sister the morals behind not killing the roly bug because it would be the same as killing a mockingbird, a lesson Scout could not have understood when Atticus at the time taught Jem. Jem wants to protect all things that have done no harm to him after seeing the unfairness of the incrimination that resulted in the