Tuesday, November 18, 2014

What are three fears that Jem Finch experienced?

Three occasions in which Jem has experienced fear are the following:

  1. Jem is fearful of going onto the Radley porch in order to peek through the window with the broken shutter.

  2. He is afraid that Atticus will find out that he has lied to him about playing with matches.

  3. He is certainly frightened when he is attacked by Bob Ewell.

1. In Chapter 6, Jem takes a dare from Dill and steps onto the porch of the Radley house, trying to leave a note for Boo, but it keeps falling. Scout and Dill see a shadow on the porch, moving toward Jem. When Jem sees it, he "put his arms over his head and went rigid" in fear. After the shadow moves, Jem runs and shoos Scout and Dill along with him as they hear a shotgun fire. Jem's breath "came in sobs."


2. Later in the chapter, Jem tells Scout that he must go back for his pants which were caught on the Radley fence. He was forced to climb out of them in order to make his getaway; however, he has lied to his father, saying he lost them to Dill as they were playing with matches for each other's clothing. 
In the privacy of the porch where they sleep in the summertime, Jem explains to Scout that despite his fear of returning to the Radleys, he must retrieve his pants lest Atticus find out that he has lied. So, his fear of losing his father's respect is greater than his fear of Boo Radley and his house.


3. In Chapter 29 as Jem and Scout return from the Halloween program, they hear someone following them, but believe it to be Cecil Jacobs. All of a sudden, Scout hears a scuffle; she hears a scream come from her brother, and then she is attacked. 
Fortunately, they are rescued by Boo Radley, but both Jem and Scout have been frightened by the attack from the hateful Bob Ewell who has vowed revenge upon Atticus.

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