“Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom. People said he existed, but Jem and I had never seen him.”(9). At the beginning of the novel, Jem and Scout, along with most of Maycomb, feared Boo Radley and believed the said about him were true. It made sense to them as they were young and impressionable. Early on, Jem realizes that it was Boo leaving the little gifts …show more content…
The verdict of the trial shattered their little hearts and their views of the fantasy world they had created in their minds had changed for good. They no longer believed that good always won over evil.
In another perspective, they were forced to give up their childish innocence and grow up. As extreme as this may sound, it was so very true. Tom Robinson’s trial and death were the force that influenced them into “coming of age”.
At the end of To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem really start to understand and apply what Atticus had taught them earlier in their lives. One example is when Scout said, “ Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.”(ch 31). She seems to comprehend everything that has happened over the years and understands that the “mockingbirds” were Tom and Boo.
Scout and Jem undergo many changes in their growing maturity.Not only do they age physically, but they age mentally and maturely. They stopped believing the lies about Boo Radley and Tom Robinson, and they saw the world in a whole new light. All these changes demonstrate the maturing point of view as Scout and Jem come of age in the novel “To Kill A