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Examples Of Jem's Maturation In To Kill A Mockingbird

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TKAM wp #1: Jem’s Maturation
Throughout the story Jem shows a huge amount of maturation. The book starts when Jem is about ten years of age and still acts like a young boy. He loves to play with his toys, make up games to play with Scout and Dill, go on adventures, and many more. As the story develops so does Jem. With each day that passes Jem seems to becoming more and more like his father. “ JEM WAS TWELVE. He was difficult to live with, inconsistent moody. His appetite was appalling, and he told me so many times to stop pestering him I consulted Atticus: ‘Reckon he’s got tapeworm?’ Atticus said no, Jem was growing” (pg 153). As Jem is dealing with more complicated issues, one being puberty, he is starting to grow up and develop a more …show more content…

As the book progresses Scout is having constant difficulty with her lack of maturation. Many problems are starting to occur in the book, and they are problems that she just doesn't understand yet. Scout is still young and doesn’t quite understand why she isnt told everything, and why she isn’t just as mature as Jem. “ That’s because you can’t hold something in your mind but a little while, said Jem. It’s different with grown folks, we-” When Jem says this it aggravates Scout because she thinks that Jem and her are equals, and everything he does and he knows she does as well. Scout isn't old enough yet or mature enough to realize that she can’t do everything Jem is able to do and she doesn’t know everything that he knows. Her immaturity leads her to doing many things that if she were older and more experienced would know it’s not polite or right to say and do some of the things she does. As the book progresses she does show slight advances in her maturity level, but Scout still hasn’t grasped the fact that she is younger and will not comprehend everything as well as all the people in her life that are older and more understanding of the world around them. She still talks back to anyone who tries to tell her what to do even if it’s for her own benefit. However, she will listen to what Atticus says to her even if she doesn't know the point he’s trying to get across. Scout really needs to work on her

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