Theme Of Corruption In To Kill A Mockingbird

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper E. Lee, the story of protagonist Scout and her older brother Jem unfolds in the small but talkative town of Maycomb, Alabama, where they are raised by their insightful, loving father Atticus. Over the span of a short three years with their sidekick Dill, they spend their childhood days tormenting and daydreaming about town legend Boo Radley, causing shenanigans all over town and not wasting a moment of their care-free, young lives. However, the friends’ summer fun ceases when Scout and Jem especially are faced with traumatic and influential experiences like the renowned Tom Robinson case that send them quickly down the path into young adulthood. The corruption and people of Maycomb send Jem blindly spiraling

An instance where he first exhibits young fearlessness and bravery as an older brother is when he and Scout first take interest in Boo Radley. He takes on the challenge to run up and touch the Radley house, and, thinking that he can do it again without being in any danger, goes back to the house with Dill and Scout for another adventure. Of course, they put themselves in great danger and in the midst of scrambling back home, Jem gets his pants caught in the Radley’s fence and is left with no choice but to leave them. Later that night, Jem forces himself out of bed to retrieve them, facing his fears so he won’t have to be ashamed of Atticus’s disappointment in the morning. This is a moment when Scout admires his bravery and begins to view him as an honorable older

It must have been two o’clock…A faint breeze stirred and cooled the sweat running down my sides…
…I waited until it was time to worry and listened for Mr. Radley’s shotgun. Then I thought I heard the back fence squeak. It was wishful thinking…
Then I heard Atticus cough. I held my breath… I waited for his light to go on, straining my eyes to see it flood the hall. It stayed off, and I breathed again.
There he was, returning to me…He came up the back steps, latched the door behind him, and sat on his cot. Wordlessly, he held up his pants. He lay down, and for a while I heard his cot trembling. Soon, he was still. I did not hear him stir again. (Lee, 76) Later, we watch as Jem’s innocent youth is slowly lost as he rushes to become more and more of an adult. His once friendly relationship with Scout and Dill is demolished when he decides that he needs to be spending more time with boys his age, retiring from his previous childish interests and taking a sudden liking to football. He leaves Scout in the dust confused and lonely, consulting Calpurnia for companionship and advice: “’Don’t you fret too much over Mister Jem-‘ she began. ‘Mister Jem?’ ‘Yeah, he’s just about Mister Jem