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To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

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What are the important actions of Jem, Atticus, and Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird?

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In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch courageously defends Tom Robinson, knowing the racial biases of the jury. Jem Finch shows bravery by protecting Scout from Bob Ewell, resulting in a broken elbow. Dill Harris displays quick thinking by inventing a story to cover for Jem when they get caught sneaking onto the Radley property. These actions highlight their growth and moral courage in the face of social injustices.

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ATTICUS FINCH.  Atticus shows great courage in deciding to defend Tom Robinson, knowing it will make him a few enemies and trouble for his family. Atticus knows he cannot win the case: No jury is likely to accept the word of a black man over Bob and Mayella Ewell's, even if the Ewells are the most despicable family in town. But Atticus defends Tom to the best of his ability, and he seems to prove Tom's innocence to everyone but the jury.

JEM FINCH.  Jem's greatest moment comes at the end of the story when he does his best to protect sister Scout from the murderous Bob Ewell. He suffers a broken elbow--and misses seeing Boo Radley--but he recovers (as we find out on the first page of the novel) and goes on to play football, just as he had always planned.

DILL HARRIS .  Dill's quick thinking...

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saves the day for Jem on the night when the children raid the Radley back porch and Jem loses his pants while making a getaway. When Miss Stephanie exclaims, "JemFinch!" and Atticus calmly questions,

"Where are your pants, son?"

it is Dill who comes up with the right answer--albeit an untruthful one.

"We were playin' strip poker up yonder by the fishpool."

As Scout explains, strip poker (she had no idea what it meant) wasn't as bad as the truth, even if it had something to do with gambling.

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What actions relate to theme or character development for Scout, Jem, or Atticus in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is primarily a coming-of-age story, and one of the most central themes concerns Scout's and Jem's loss of innocence as they mature over a span of three years. In the beginning of the book, one way in which Scout's innocence is portrayed is through her sense of independence, which is seen in her tomboyish attitude. As Scout matures, she begins to leave behind her tomboyish nature, making one significant action the moment she begins to embrace being a lady.

In the beginning of the book, Scout's tomboyish nature is reflected in the fact that she always dresses in overalls, picks fights with boys, and spends time playing only with boys, like her brother and Dill. However, by the middle of the book, her Aunt Alexandra moves into the Finch household, and one of her aunt's expressed purposes is to teach Scout how to be a lady.

At first, Scout resents the idea of being a lady and can't understand many so-called ladylike actions such as sewing and hooking "woolen rugs on boiling nights" (Ch. 23). However, by Chapter 24, Scout agrees to join Aunt Alexandra's meeting of her missionary circle for refreshments, and Scout appears dressed in her "pink Sunday dress, shoes, and petticoat." Also in this chapter, in the middle of serving refreshments, Atticus returns home with the distressing news that Tom Robinson has just been shot to death by prison guards for attempting an escape. Aunt Alexandra is so upset by her brother's distress over the news that Scout thinks she may be crying, and Scout, herself, begins trembling. Scout is further surprised to observe Miss Maudie giving orders for them to compose themselves and return to their company. Scout is so impressed to see her aunt and Miss Maudie put back on their smiles and display their cheerful manners that she, too, displays her "best company manners" and says to herself, "After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I" (Ch. 24).

Hence, one of the most significant actions in the novel concerning Scout's character development is her initial transformation into a lady. It's at this point in the novel that Scout realizes being a lady is about more than just sewing and wearing dresses; it's about being brave in the face of adversity and taking pride in the manners you display, in the way you treat others.

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