In life, there is a time when one loses his or her innocence, later resulting in new awakenings that cause an individual to see their world in a different view. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee illustrates the journey of two characters, Jem and Scout Finch, to adulthood. Scout, Jem, and their childhood friend, Dill, often mess around with their neighbor, Boo Radley. Boo is a mysterious man that isolates himself inside his house, but makes an appearance at the end of the book in order to save Jem from Mr. Ewell. Ewell wants to assert his power through threats of violence to anyone associated with Tom Robinson. Scout and Jem do not have much of a connection with Tom directly, but attacking them is a powerful way to hurt Atticus, …show more content…
Through this experience, Scout and Jem later experience life differently by realizing that everything is not always the same what it seems like. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee demonstrates that the transition to adulthood involves the loss of sweet innocence while gradually understanding the adult world through the characters of Jem and Scout.
Initially, Jem acts childishly, but when he experiences the harshness of the adult world, he begins to have a greater understanding of the real world and changes him so that he becomes more mature. In the beginning, Jem, Scout, and Dill are fascinated by Boo Radley and believe that he is a ghost-like person since he is never seen outside his house. Once, the children decided to concoct a plan to force Boo Radley come out of his house. While Dill and Scout deliberate a plan, Jem warns Dill about the consequences that may arise from executing this plan. Jem says, “I hope you’ve got it through your head that he’ll kill us, each and everyone, Dill Harris. Don’t blame me when he gouges your eyes out,” (Lee 17). When Jem says that Boo will “kill us,” it shows the absurd perception and child-like view that he has of Boo, whom he hardly knows. It furthers shows that when children are young …show more content…
By the end of the novel, Jem and Scout have evolved into young adults that become more responsible. They have not fully understood every aspect of life, but they are beginning to, as through the events concerning Boo Radley, the Tom Robinson’s trial, and the Bob Ewell’s attack. Thanks to Atticus’s life teachings, Scout has been equipped with the tools to navigate the world by maintaining compassion and empathy in their lives. On the other hand, by learning from his experiences and what he has witnessed, Jem is also now responsible and able to understand the real world. Now their world is indeed different, but as the old adage states: With experience brings maturity and