Do people ever really grow up? In all honesty, they never really grow up or just get older. However, growing up is a very difficult task. Most of the time, no one really wants it until they absolutely have to. Well, that's what happened to Jem Finch. Who is Jem Finch? She's a very important character in a very important book: To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. Harper Lee does an exemplary job of showing different character dynamics, such as growth (obviously), through many of her younger characters, and especially through Jem Finch; although it could be argued that in the book he seemed to change at a rather exaggerated rate, it is quite evident that he still managed to show huge changes in his levels of maturity, acceptance and responsibility. Jem matured greatly and in various ways over the course of To Kill. a mockingbird. Before his change he was obviously the exact opposite: immature. He was reckless and constantly teased his little sister, even though he loved her very much. When Jem, Dill and Scout were about to sneak into the Radleys' yard and Scout got scared, her reaction was anything but comforting: "Scout, I'm telling you for the last time, shut the trap or go home - I declare to the Lord that every day you become more and more of a girl!” (58).Later in the book, however, he learns to be compassionate and empathetic when others feel upset.When Aunt Alexandra and Scout have another of their recurring arguments, this time over Walter Cunningham it had deeply upset Scout so instead of just watching the anger on both sides play out from the sidelines, Jem considered what might happen if things got extremely unpleasant and made sure that… halfway through the paper . ...the nose of everyone reading for the first time. Substantial change, however, still requires advancement in another area: responsibility. Someone can be as mature and welcoming as they want, but they can never truly grow up as person if he does not learn to be a responsible person. In Jem's case, there were many areas where he needed to improve his level of responsibility, one of which was the way he treated his sister. Anyone who has a younger sibling, or even an older sibling, knows the simple fact that being an older sibling automatically comes with responsibility. At the beginning of the book, however, Jem seriously neglected his inevitable obligations as an older brother and tended to neglect his sister's well-being if it even slightly hindered his plans for popularity. Works Cited Lee, Harper. To kill a thrush. New York: HarperCollins, 2002. Print.