JEM

Jem Introduction

throughout this buildingsroman, Jem more than Scout is the character who undergoes a greater sense of corrupted innocence. Although a counterpart to his sister, who has to navigate the issue of gender in Maycomb, Jem’s journey from the beginning to the end of the novel is one of innocence to knowledge

Introduction 2

he takes a ‘fall’ both literally in the sense that he is attacked by Bob Ewell and saved by boo Radley, but he also Takes a symbolic fall into knowledge about race and class in Maycomb That will provide the basis for his adult understanding of the deep south. The similar he uses: “its like being a caterpillar in a cocoon.. asleep wrapped up in a warm place” goes a long way to helping the reader understand the transformation in his thinking

Introduction 3

he begins the novel cocooned by the protective space of his home. By the time the trial begins, As he moves across spaces within Maycomb (the radley house, mrs duboses house) , And he comes to have a greater understanding of both race and class, he, like a chryslis, must open himself up to the reality of life in Maycomb and the bigotry which poisons much of his thinking.

FOCUS 1: Boo Radley

boo Radley is the first catalyst in Jems mental growth , Widening his perspective of how Maycomb Works. In the early stages of the novel, Jems vision of Boo, fed by Miss Stephanie Crawford is entirely childlike:

“lived and malevolent phantom”

The declarative sentence shows how convicted everyone was of him and on a more important note, shows how the Gothic imagery has turned him into an urban Legend. Noun “phantom” Suggests boo is a ghost like figure that lingers and haunts people.

adjective “Malevolant” contrast to the adjective benevolent, a word we associate with mockingbirds; this is interesting as it could be foreshadowing how the children eventually realise that boo is a mockingbird

Context of radley place

An obvious reference to the great depression – the Wall Street crash on 24th of October 1929. people losing their homes and housing prices plummeting

“was once white… long ago darkened”

Contrast between the past and the president – when boo was free and when he’s locked up.

contrast between the past and the president – when boo was free and when he’s locked up.

Image imagery of darkness could suggest that he was forced to hide. also, the Gothic illusions create a sense of danger and mystery which intrigue The kids deeply. The significance of the house is that it’s a physical representation of boo – innocent Mockingbird a corrupted by the bigotry of Maycomb.

Gifts

However, as a noble progresses on, Jem Realises that boo is actually a benevolent figure through the gifts that he leaves the children.

“two scrubbed and polished pennies.. Indianheads”

very meaningful as he is giving them anything he could find. Alliteration highlights the adjectives “polished” and “scrubbed” Which show how much effort and care Boo has taken.

Proper noun “indianheads” I thought good luck, which shows how generous he is towards the children; boo is another ghostly father figure as they never see him

Another example of a gift he gives the kids is…

Context: Emmett, till, A 14-year-old boy, allegedly wolf whistled at Carolyn Bryant – torture – body found on the 31st of August 1955

“spelling medal”

noun medal shows how academically intelligent boo was and the fact that he is giving his award away demonstrated his selflessness. Highlights wasted potential – relating to Emmett Till.

Nathan closing hole

The reader Alongside Jem soon realise that boo is a child trying to communicate with others. However, the innocence of this communication is betrayed by the adults in this book, namely Nathan Radley.

“Mr Nathan put cement in that tree”

The tree symbolises growth and life; the fact that it’s hold up reinforces the symbolism of boo as a mockingbird (trapped) and also the way his intellectual and emotional development has been stunted. For the first time, gem, and his tears… Understands the cruelty of the adult world and the darkness within it.

Boo demuthologised

unlike Scout, who remains unaffected by the episode, Jem moved to a fuller understanding of what has happened. Later on, unable to control his actions, Jem blurt out Atticus.

“He aint never harmed us”

Constant repetition of the phrase, spoken rapidly and with urgency, helps the reader understand how far Boo has come in Jems mins

FOCUS 2: Mrs Dubose

another character central to Jems growth As a young adult is Mrs Dubose firstly, her confederate values are revealed through the Camellias she tends to

Camelias

The flower was the state flower of Alabama and became the confederate symbol.

Slavery was legally ended 1964 – civil right act. Although prejudice/racism may have died by law, tolerance was not put into practice.

“camelias”

A Camellia is an evergreen shrub, which is beautiful coloured leaves, but also produces an ugly, dried up capsule in its middle hidden away.

Moreover, the evergreen properties symbolises the reluctance to change attitudes towards confederate prinicples Such as slave slavery.

Also suggest that prejudice will never die, it will always live on in another form

Furthermore, the capsule also represents the hypocritical nature she has that contradicts the southern bell qualities that she holds such a high regard

“Your fathers no better than the niggers and trash he works for”

Hypocrisy: 2 ounce jug to post next to each other to make them synonymous; illustrating the hostility/prejudice towards black people; exclamatory declarative shows that Atticus has sunk down to the level of the black community.– Social hierarchy

Jems Tirade

Mrs. Dubose’s continued verbal assault both on himself and scout and on Atticus, simply becomes too much for jam who cannot tolerate her invective against his father.

Context of tirade

The south was known to romanticise violence and being the home of lynching. The most famous group was the KKK, an organisation made up of white protestant males. Their main objective was to maintain white supremacy in the south. This is made further evident as 95% of lynching occurred in the south, of which 70% were African-American people. between 1882 and 1968, 3440 black men and women will lynched. However, this is only documented lynching and the majority were illegal.

“cuts of the tops of every cameilia bush Mrs Dubose owns”

use of fast paced verbs such as “snatched” , “snapped ‘“threw” Shows an aggressive side gem as an overpowering need for vengeance– Shows the extent of the effect words had on him. This action was ultimately Futile as the Camellia grow back – the only way to kill them is from the roots. There is idea that the only true way to kill prejudice is by education. Atticus wants Jem to realise what true courage is instead of getting the idea that “courage is a man with a gun in his hand.” He doesn’t want Jem to fall into Maycombs ideology of violence and prejudice, especially with the upcoming trial

Tolerance

this is again put into practice, as Jem Is forced to read to Mrs Dubose, as a punishment for his actions

“Jems chin would come up… Cultivated an expression of polite and detached interest”

Verb “come up” Demonstrates he has put Atticus’ teaching into practice literally. Verb “cultivated” Has gardening connotation as if he is growing intolerance and metaphorically himself. Adjective, “polite” and “attached” still making an effort to be civil just as Atticus has advised. Jem learned to hold his integrity and exercise his moral strength in a real situation.

Mrs dubose

through the use of Mrs Dubose, Harperley teaches Jem and the reader that courage doesn’t come from violence, but from perseverance and knowing “ Your licked before you begin” But carrying on anyway. This episode is also key in preparing gem for the hardships to trial will Bring

FOCUS 3: Trial

in the trial, it is Jem who understands straight away the significance of Mr Ewell being left-handed

“weve got him”

declarative… Comes from his childhood certainty and the fact that Ewell is indeed guilty

“dont see how any jury could convict”

after Atticus is summing up, barely containing his excitement he states with all the conviction of a of a child

This is Lee’s way of using the innocence of a child to see the truth of a case in a way that the bigotry and hatred of the white adult population can’t won’t. Jem highlights, through his conviction, the seamless travesty of justice against the black man in a white man’s court.

Verdict

The pain felt by Jem is very similar to the agony. Emmett Tills mother went through in an attempt to avenge her son, she decided to hold an open casket funeral, to show the world the injustice. Around 50,000 people came to the funeral including all the black community.

“as if each guilty was a seperate stab”

The physical and viscera reaction from Jem and the metaphorical stabbing in the back foreshadows the literal attack on gem by Bob Yule later in the novel. Jim also feels quite literally that he has been betrayed, again, buying an adult verdict which punishes the innocent and rewards the guilty.

Verdict cont

this is then the second time in the novel when he cries and the symbolically linking to the two mockingbirds: both Tom and boo, incarcerated For breaking social codes, not tolerated in small town Maycomb And both punished as a result. These two episodes are instrumental in Jems transition from innocence to experience

“his face was streaked with angry tears”

It is Miss Maudie who must explain to him and the children the glimmer of hope in the trial to try and make Jem understand what has taken place. When general rails about the fact that no one did anything to help Tom, she reminds him that it was Judge Taylor.

Atticus: context

Samuel Leibowitz Was chosen in hopes Scottsboro case Could be one because he was a well-known and successful lawyer, however, even he couldn’t win the case

“take him mr finch”

Jems passionate out cry at the injustice before him prevents him, as a child, to see the bigger picture

Maudie

as her role is a moral educator, she tries to illustrate to gem what Atticus did was right

While happily was writing this novel, the Civil Rights movement two was taking baby steps in the hope of racial equality. An example of this would be the Montgomery bus boycott

“a baby step, but its a baby step”

hey, Maudie is giving a sense of realistic optimism, as Maycomb is so deeply ingrained and prejudice, it near impossible to annihilate all of it in one guy. This step alone took awhile, further demonstrating how time is needed to reach racial tolerance.

Conclusion

to conclude, in this buildingsroman, We are taken alongside Jem On his path to majority. He is forced to consider the very nature of human beings and, again, to accept with some despair that the social hierarchy of folks in Maycomb We’ll always in engender A world view that makes it impossible for people to treat each other like human beings.