Jem Finch free essay sample

They are the ones who the parents rely on to help around the house. Jem Finch is a little bit different than the typical older brother to a little girl, but then again his little sister isn’t that ordinary either. Jem Finch displays many character traits. In the first few chapters he displays a little kid who gets in trouble along side of his friends and younger sister, but further into the novel Jem demonstrates more responsible behaviors by accepting his wrongs and the consequences. He also shows how he will stand up for Scout and take care of her, even though he doesn’t like to be seen with her while they are at school, and he is hard on her when she wants to come and play with him and his friends. Throughout the story, Jem has mostly been independent and just wanting to be a young boy, and he gets himself and Scout into trouble through his ideas of how to have a fun time. We will write a custom essay sample on Jem Finch or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Although there has been times where he acts childish, doesn’t know right from wrong, and at times puts his sister into situations where she can either get into a lot of trouble or hurt- he has displays of very grown up choices and protection over his sister. At the beginning of chapter three, when Scout was beating up Walter Cunningham in the schoolyard, Jem was the first one to step in and calm her down. He helped her think about how she was the bigger person and how â€Å"rubbing his nose in the dirt† wouldn’t change anything. Jem did a good job of protecting Scout by inviting Walter over to their house for dinner so then he wouldn’t be mad at Scout anymore. It is also a very respectable thing to do because he also knows that the Cunninghams don’t have very much. Jem is also childish and playful. He is eleven years of age, but sometimes acts younger. For example, in Chapter 1 he stole snow from Miss Maudie’s yard to make a snowman. Also, he would always play with Scout and join in on her games. also, Atticus would play keep away with him with a football, but Jem would try to tackle him instead. In Chapter 7, jem and his younger sister Scout received air rifles for Christmas, which they played with together. He is typically the one that takes blame for Scout’s actions. In Chapter 11 Mrs. Dubose, a neighbor, was talking with the Finch kids and she kept making jokes about their father. After she continued on aggravating them more, Jem decided to take matters into his own hands and destroyed her prized flowers. Consequently, Atticus choose to send him to her house to take care of her by reading her books. After a month of reading to her after school, Atticus let the two kids in on the secret that Mrs. Dubose was incredibly sick- and by them reading to her, it was keeping her mind off of it. In addition to Jem’s childish, protective, and playful nature- he is also scheming and possesses a clever mind. He demonstrates this with his knack for avoiding conflict, finding loopholes in regards to the rules Atticus has set for him and Scout, and luring out Boo Radley. This mischievousness sometimes causes Jem to be a troublemaker. Despite his cunning nature- as the novel progresses, Jem changes and develops into a more mature and responsible character as he gains better understanding, morals and intentions. This is most apparent in his behavior with Scout- when Atticus is at work all day, Jem acts as Scouts father figure. He makes sure that she eats, that she is dressed, and that she doesn’t get hurt. He looks out for her and tries to teach her right from wrong. For instance, when he broke up the fight between Scout and Walter Cunningham and invited him over for dinner, because Jem knew it would relieve some of the animosity between them, and that Walter would appreciate the free meal coming from a poor family. These character traits of being protective of Scout, childish and playful, and a troublemaker but also responsible, indicate the benefits and pitfalls of having someone like Jem Finch as a brother and character. As an eleven year old boy, Jem tries to act mature, but he also likes to have a little fun. Throughout the story, he learned a variety of lessons that would help him later in life. He is a role model for his little sister Scout and helps her stay out of trouble. Scout is very curious and wants to act like a big kid and hang out with her big brother and his friends. As much as Jem tries to stay out of trouble, he sometimes fails at it.