Both siblings grow in many ways over the course of the novel. Jem starts to become a man. His thoughts and perspectives mature drastically, and he starts to understand how and why things are the way they are. At the conclusion of the book he is still a child, but well on the path towards manhood. This much is obvious after Tom’s trial, when after being questioned by a curious Scout, Jem snaps and says, “I never wanta hear about that courthouse again, ever, ever, you hear me?” and then starts crying at the injustice of the court’s ruling. The trial helped Jem solidify some of his beliefs, and with the unfair outcome of the hearing, Jem was exposed to the harsh reality of his world, for the first time understanding what it all meant.
Scout