In chapters 1-3 of To Kill a Mockingbird, what did Dill dare Jem to do?

Short Answer: Dill dares Jem to run into the Radley yard in chapter one.

In chapter one, Jem and Scout befriend Dill Harris, who is Miss Rachel's nephew and summer visitor. Jem begins to tell Dill the terrifying stories and neighborhood legends regarding their reclusive neighbor, Boo Radley. Scout mentions that Dill becomes fascinated with Boo Radley and often stands by the light post wondering what Boo is doing inside his house.

On a summer day, Dill ends up betting Jem "The Gray Ghost against two Tom Swifts" that he will not run into the Radley yard. Jem contemplates running into the Radley yard for three days before finally agreeing to complete the dare. Dill ends up making a concession by telling Jem that he won't say he ran out on the dare if he simply touches the house. Jem finally musters up enough courage to run into the Radley yard and slaps the side of the house before sprinting back to their porch.

What does Dill dare Jem to do in To Kill a Mockingbird?

The dare between Dill and Jem appears in chapter one of Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird. For the bet, Dill bet Jem The Gray Ghost book against two Swifts that Jem would not be able make it past the Radley's gate. This bet was made based upon a previous conversation between Jem and Dill when Dill stated that he wanted to see what Boo looked like.

Jem told Dill that trying to get Boo to come out of the house would get him killed and, therefore, Dill knew that Jem was really afraid of Boo. Based upon this, Dill made the first bet.

Jem tried for three days to get Jem to approach the house and get Boo to come out. It is not until the third day that "Dill got him." In the end, the bet between Dill and Jem only required Jem to touch the Radley house.

Jem stood in thought so long that Dill made a mild concession: “I won’t say you ran out on a dare an‘ I’ll swap you The Gray Ghost if you just go up and touch the house.” Jem brightened. “Touch the house, that all?” Dill nodded.

Jem, not known to ever decline a dare, ran up, touched the house, and tore past Dill and Scout. It was not until the children were safe back on their porch that they thought they saw movement in the Radley window.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what dare of Dill's does Jem accept?

At the very beginning of To Kill a Mockingbird, Dill dare's Jem to touch the side of Boo Radley's house (in an attempt to make him come out).  It all begins when Dill wonders what Boo really looks like and if they could make him appear.  "Our first raid came to pass only because Dill bet Jem The Gray Ghost against two Tom Swifts that Jem wouldn't get any farther than the Radley gate.  In all his life, Jem had never declined a dare" (13).  Jem considers the dare for three days until Dill gets a bit more specific about it.  "I won't say you aran out on a dare an' I'll swap you The Gray Ghost if you just go up and touch the house" (14).  Jem not only accepts the dare, but succeeds.  After the kids return, panting, they simply think they see one of the Radley's inside shutters move.  This is the dare that begins it all and sets Jem and Scout on the journey that will eventually lead them to understand and love our dear and misunderstood Boo Radley.

Dill is fascinated with Boo Radley. Scout and Jem are fascinated as well but they know all of the gossip and false stories about Boo being some kind of monster, so they are terrified of getting anywhere near the Radley house. Even though Jem describes Boo as a monster with bloodstained hands and yellow teeth, Dill still wants to get a glimpse of Boo. In order to make this happen, Dill bets Jem one book against Jem's two that Jem will not go past the Radley's gate:

Our first raid came to pass only because Dill bet Jem The Gray Ghost against two Tom Swifts that Jem wouldn't get any farther than the Radley gate. In all his life, Jem had never declined a dare.

Dill pesters him for three days until Jem finally accepts the dare. To make it a little more enticing, Dill alters the bet. "I won't say you ran out on a dare an' I'll swap you The Gray Ghost if you just go up and touch the house." Finally, Jem runs through the gate, slaps his palm on the house and runs back to his porch. The only reaction they get is a small movement of the shutter in a window of the Radley house. But it is enough to keep them fascinated with Boo Radley.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what did Dill dare Jem to do?

At the beginning of this incident in the novel, Dill dares Jem to take action to bring Boo Radley out of his house, to force him into the open so that the children can confront Boo and change his way of thinking. In other words, Dill wants to address the nature of Boo's "problems" through direct action. Jem respects the principle of "the dare," but he considers Dill's proposal to be a suicide mission. Jem can't refuse the dare, however, so he tries to reason with Dill to make him see the error in his thinking. This "negotiation" goes on for a while until Dill backs off a bit and makes a counter offer. Jem will not have refused the original dare if he now agrees to go into the Radley yard and slap the side of the house. Jem is suspicious of Dill's new offer, looking for deceptive loop holes in it, but when Dill assures him it is an honest offer, Jem accepts. He then assesses the Radley property, deciding how best to fulfill the dare without loss of life:

[Jem] walked to the corner of the lot, then back again, studying the simple terrain as if deciding how best to effect an entry, frowning and scratching his head.

When Scout openly scoffs at her brother, however, Jem finds his courage and takes action:

Jem threw open the gate and sped to the side of the house, slapped it with his palm and ran back past us, not waiting to see if his foray was successful. Dill and I [Scout] followed on his heels. Safely on our porch, panting and out of breath, we looked back.

This humorous episode from the novel is one of many that take us into the children's private world where they live according to their own rules until adults intervene from time to time.

This question has been previously asked and answered. Please see the link below, and thank you for using eNotes.