Jem and Atticus are similar in some ways. I suspect, if we could evaluate Jem as an adult, he would be very much like Atticus. One of the clearest examples of this is in the mob episode. Jem leads Scout there to see what was happening. When he saw the mob, he came out to help Atticus. Atticus orders him to go home, but Jem refuses. His concerns override everything, just like Atticus. After all, Atticus was there to protect Tom Robinson. Scout, an observant girl, notes the similarities. She says:
Jem shook his head. As Atticus's fists went to his hips, so did Jem's, and as they faced each other I could see little resemblance between them: Jem's soft brown hair and eyes, his oval face and snug-fitting ears were our mother's, contrasting oddly with Atticus's graying black hair and square-cut features, but they were somehow alike. Mutual defiance made them alike.
We also see another similarity when Jem risks his own life to protect his sister when Bob Ewell attacked. Jem could have gotten killed, but he still considers the wellbeing of another rather than his own. In this sense, we can say that both Jem and Atticus are people of great courage.
No comments:
Post a Comment