Understanding Evil: Jem and Scout in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most celebrated books of the twentieth century. Harper Lee won the Pulitzer Prize for this masterpiece. Published in 1960, an entire adult generation was affected by this book. To Kill a Mockingbird affected the United States with its message: in the 1960s, segregation was at a high point and this book was an eye-opener for a majority of the adults at that time. Its plot, about the case of a black man accused of raping a white girl, showed how children, caught in the middle of everything, miss little of men’s affairs. This novel does a great job of depicting the difficulties of children slowly transitioning to adolescence, showing that their growing awareness and social conscience were first steps to changing the US by leading to the Civil Right Movement and eventually, to perhaps, racial equality.
To Kill a Mockingbird is about two siblings, Jem and Scout, and their father, Atticus. They live in a small country town: Maycomb, Alabama. Tom Robinson is a black man, accused of raping a white man’s daughter. Through the development of the plot, Jem learns the inequality in society and the racial injustice of his hometown, as Tom is declared guilty when he is obviously innocent.
Jem and Scout are brother and sister. Jem is the older brother; he’s moody and not always very helpful, while Scout is a typical younger sister, always asking annoying questions and following Jem around like his shadow. These are perfectly normal attributes for two kids. My sister Olivia follows me around wherever I go; she tries to do what I do and fails to succeed in an adorable way. I’m the type of brother that can go from calm to annoyed in a matter of moments, while Olivia is the sister that just does what she wants.
Jem and Scout think that there is no evil in the world since they have never encountered it. On the other hand, adults have a perspective where they have to incorporate evil into their understanding of the world. The adults in To Kill a Mockingbird, however, are not completely mature, and still have the concept of mystery and fear when they talk about Boo Radley, a mysterious man that hasn’t been seen outside of his house, for decades.
Scout struggles to understand the concept of school and its rules. “’Jean Louise, I’ve had enough of you this morning…’ A storm of laughter broke loose when it finally occurred to the class that Miss Caroline had whipped me” (p. 24). This is Scout’s first day of school and she is having a rude awakening about the difficulties of being a member of that society. Scout doesn’t understand the concept of rules or have any concept of being in trouble with society. This experience opens Scout up to learning more and more lessons throughout the book.
Boo Radley lives across the street from Jem and Scout, yet no one really knows if he’s still alive. Dill, a boy Scout’s age (9), comes to Maycomb during the summer vacation, to stay with his relatives. He is very adventurous and enjoys being around Scout and Jem. He dares them to run into Boo’s back yard and mess around in it. They even try to write a letter to Boo Radley to try to get him to come out. Unfortunately, Atticus intercepts it before they can deliver it. “Jem held out a filthy piece of paper. Atticus took it and tried to read it. ‘Why do you want Mr. Radley to come out?’
Dill said, ‘We thought he might enjoy us…’ and dried up when Atticus looked at him” (p. 54).
Jem and Scout then begin to find presents in a hole in a tree in Boo’s yard. They are naively curious about Boo because they believe that he may be evil, but they have never seen him themselves and want proof he actually exists. When Jem, Scout, and Dill run into Boo’s back yard and think that they spot Boo, Jem and Scout expect Boo to come out and kill them. When Boo doesn’t come out and later returns Jem’s lost pants, leaving them on their porch, Jem and Scout learn a valuable lesson about expectations and realities. This continues when Scout first finds gum in a hole in an oak tree in Boo Radley’s front yard. Jem is infuriated that Scout thought about not just taking, but chewing something that had come from Boo’s property. “Jem stamped his foot. ‘Don’t you know you’re not supposed to even touch the trees over there? You’ll get killed if you do!’” (p. 38) Over the course of many days, they find more and more things in the hole in the tree. Eventually, they are led to believe that Boo Radley places objects in the tree, since no one else passes by there every day.
We can all relate to the time when a little child, in shock, asks their parents, “Mommy, Daddy, why did that person do such a thing?” Children have never known evil existed and do not understand why people do bad things. Jem experiences evil with the outcome of the Tom Robinson case. He was infuriated that, even though it was clear that Tom Robinson was innocent, the jury still voted him guilty, which led to his death. Scout however, who is still young, is not affected by this case in the same way, and continues believing that there is no evil.
A child’s opinion may differ from an adult’s and that may make a crucial difference in a decision. Kids think in a very simple way, and they don’t bother with the ifs or the whats, they just go with their first instinct, or what they have been taught. On the other hand, adults think on a larger scale and can easily make something much more complicated than when seen from a child’s perspective. Adults have been through college, mortgages, relationship problems, etc. They can easily over-think something that is very simple. Sometimes, you need a little bit of both opinions to make a good decision. For example, when Atticus mysteriously leaves in the middle of the night, Jem and Scout decide to follow him. They eventually find their classmate Walter’s dad, with a few other men, about to beat up Atticus.
“’Lemme tell you somethin’ now, Billy,’ a third said, ‘you know the court appointed him to defend this nigger.’
‘Yeah, but Atticus aims to defend him. That’s what I don’t like about it’” (p.186).
Jem and Scout decide to stand up to face the other men. Now, if this were you, another older kid, an adult, or me, we would know not to interfere at all, for the fear of danger. The thing is, Jem and Scout are just learning to be afraid of weapons and muscle. They make the right decision though, since they manage to talk some sense into the men, who then do not beat up Atticus.
Jem and Scout also find out that Atticus is an expert marksman. Jem feels shocked and proud at the same time. Jem wonders why Atticus never told him that he was the best shot in the county. This happens when they spot Tim Johnson, a dog, owned by Harry Johnson, who is Jem and Scout’s bus driver. The siblings see the dog down the road by their house, wandering about, lacking a particular destination, and drooling. They go home and tell Calpurnia, who can immediately tell that the dog is rabid. She calls Atticus, as well as the sheriff, Heck Tate, and phones the operator, who warns the entire county. Atticus arrives and Heck hands Atticus a gun. Jem and Scout are stunned by this, since they never knew that Atticus knew how to wield a firearm. They always viewed Atticus as very peaceful and non-violent. Miss Maudie is also surprised that Atticus never told Jem and Scout about his shooting skills. She tells them that Atticus used to be called “One-Shot-Finch, the deadest shot in the county” (pg 112). It was said that Atticus would never miss his target. The rabid dog is so close to them now, and if Atticus fired a bit too high, the bullet would go whizzing straight into the house of the mysterious Boo Radley. Atticus takes the shot and hits the dog right in the heart, and it crumples to the ground. Jem and Scout wonder why Atticus never told them that he knew how to shoot or that he’d owned a gun. Miss Maudie explains to them that Atticus doesn’t like the feeling of holding a gun. He feels that as if he has been given an unfair advantage over things. “That what I said, Jem Finch. Guess you’ll change your tune now. The very idea, didn’t you know his nickname was Ol’ One-Shot when he was a boy? Why, down at the landing when he was coming up, if he shot fifteen times and hit fourteen doves he’d complain about wasting ammunition” (pg 12).
Understanding a child requires listening. Atticus proves this in the way he counsels the kids when they are put under pressure, and suffering abuse from their classmates, who call Atticus a n*****-lover, and shun them. Mrs. Dubose is a sour and mean elderly woman, and Jem and Scout pass by her house every day, where she makes remarks at them from her porch. She continuously criticizes both of them about their personalities, their hygiene, and their choice of clothing. When Mrs. Dubose continuously scolds Jem, he manages to stay calm until Mrs. Dubose hits a weak spot, and scolds Atticus for helping Tom. “But Mrs. Dubose held us: ‘Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in the court house lawing for niggers!’ Jem stiffened. Mrs. Dubose’s shot had gone home and she knew it” (p.117).
Jem goes into a mental and physical fury: “He did not begin to calm down until he had cut the tops off every camellia bush Mrs. Dubose owned, until the ground was littered with green buds and leaves. He bent my baton against his knee, snapped it in two and threw it down”(p 118). When Atticus receives the news of the fit of rage, instead of yelling at Jem, he explains why they need to treat Mrs. Dubose compassionately: she’s a morphine addict. Jem is slowly beginning to mature since at this time, he is 12, and Atticus tells him not to get upset about what he, Atticus, chooses to do. In the end, Atticus makes Jem read to Mrs. Dubose every day after school since she is alone and has no one to talk to. Jem learns that even though people treat you badly, they may have a reason for it, but nevertheless, you have to treat them the way you would want to be treated.
In our daily life, the everyday bully takes Mrs. Dubose’s place. Bullies harass us for our nationality, personality, or race. We have to stand up to them, just as Jem and Scout do when they pass Mrs. Dubose’s house. Today, our parents try to explain to us that there are many different types of people in the world and many of them can be difficult to deal with. Even when you are outnumbered, you just have to continue trying your best at everything you do and ignore ignorant comments. As life goes on, you will notice that your life and the life of the abusers will become very different.In the Tom Robinson case court proceedings, an intense rally of accusations and defenses takes place. Atticus finds contradicting statements, and the Ewells question Atticus’s credibility. In the end, Tom Robinson is declared guilty of raping Mr. Ewell’s eldest daughter even after she admitted that Tom had not raped her. Jem finds this infuriating since he thought that he could expect the courts to be righteous and just. “It ain’t right,”(p. 242), said Jem. Here, Jem learns that society is not fair and that sometimes you just need to be tough and take a few blows.
My own experience also helps me understand To Kill a Mockingbird better. I particularly understand Jem’s reaction to Mrs. Dubose as well as to Francis, their cousin, who also insults Atticus. “’Grandma says it’s bad enough he lets you all run wild, but now he’s turned out a n*****-lover we’ll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb again. He’s ruinin’ the family, that’s what he’s doin’’” (p 94). Jem wants to protect his sense of dignity and pride as well as his family members. It’s almost instinctive to try and prove someone wrong about an insult they made about someone close to you and in some cases, it’s pretty hard not to release a wild frenzy onto them. Another part of the plot I can easily sympathize with is the friendships among friends and family. In Scout’s class, there is a student from the Ewell family. The Ewells are infamous for their rude and uncivilized manners, as well as for only coming to school on the first day. Scout doesn’t understand why the Ewells can do this but they (the rest of the children) can’t. Atticus explains to her that life isn’t always fair and that people choose to live different lifestyles.
No one ever said growing up would be an easy process. You learn at a rate, perhaps, more than you ever will again. You will encounter many more people and unfortunately, not all of them are motivated for the good. You will also go through difficult times like finals, or a case such as Tom Robinson’s that is unfair. Some people will be able to handle these problems well, but some will not. You are not on your own, though, because there are family and friends to help you onto your feet – but you have to move your feet yourself. Jem and Scout taught the reading public (the book was published in 1960) from a child’s perspective, about the racial inequality in the United States’ South. Perhaps To Kill a Mockingbird helped the reading public to embrace change and to grow, just as children enter adolescence. This perhaps had a galvanizing effect on people, and perhaps helped to bring about the Civil Rights Movement.