This story is an example of bildungsroman, a coming of age story, or the story of a boy maturing. Please explain why this is truly the story of JEM maturing more so than SCOUT. Even though Scout does mature and begin to come of age, please prove that Jem matures more than Scout throughout the novel. And please use examples from the novel.
Scout and Jem mature quite quickly throughout the book. Initially they live quite an idyllic childhood. As the novel continues they learn they lose their innocence. The mysterious gifts are from Boo Radley who turns out to be a guardian angel. They learn the ugly truth about race relations in the town. Racism runs deep in the South, justice and common sense are not enough to overcome it. Scout and Jem see that the courts, the last bastion of justice is not immune to bigotry and hate. Jem becomes a young man casting off the games of childhood and illusions of a fair world. Scout learns to look beneath appearances to see what is underneath. Sometimes it is good (Boo Radley) and sometimes it is bad (Ewell). They both mature enough to understand that their father is not boring; they understand that Atticus is heroic in the true sense of the word.
