Jem is growing up throughout the novel. He is becoming an adolescent and an important subplot is his maturation and deepening awareness of how the world operates.
Atticus helps Jem better understand how to relate to others in the community. One way is through Mrs. Dubose. Both Jem and Scout loathe this nasty neighbor, who is old and never fails to criticize them when they go by her house. One day, Jem gets so angry at her for insulting Atticus that he uses Scout's new baton to knock the heads off of all her camellias.
As a punishment, Atticus insists that Jem (and Scout goes along too) read to her every night. They hate doing this but persevere. After Mrs. Dubose dies, they learn from Atticus that she was fighting off a morphine addiction (going into withdrawal) as they were reading to her. Atticus calls her a woman of great courage. This teaches Jem to be more tolerant of other people because he learns that we never know what they are struggling with beneath the surface. People who seem very unpleasant can be in great pain.
The trial also helps Jem mature. He is disillusioned and angry that the jury found Tom Robinson guilty even though it was obvious he was innocent. Jem has to come to grips with the idea that adults are imperfect and that one nevertheless needs to learn to live with them in order to get along in the world. Jem also realizes he can behave with integrity himself, even without expecting it from others.
Throughout the novel, Jem matures and develops his perspective on life by listening to Atticus' lessons and witnessing prejudice firsthand. Atticus teaches Jem the importance of tolerance, courage, and standing up for innocent beings throughout the story. Jem learns about "real courage" from his experience with Mrs. Dubose, and Atticus teaches him about mob mentality. Jem also watches his father defend Tom Robinson in front of a prejudiced jury. After Jem witnesses Tom become a victim of racial injustice, he becomes jaded about the community of Maycomb. Jem loses his innocence and realizes that his kind neighbors are actually racists. He also becomes more sympathetic to the needs of innocent beings and displays his empathy by stopping Scout from squashing a rolly-polly bug. Jem's experiences and moral upbringing allow him to develop into a conscientious, brave, and tolerant person. Jem's perception of the world has allowed him to become a morally upright individual like his father. As Jem becomes older, he will probably follow in his father's footsteps by becoming an advocate for the oppressed and innocent.
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