As a child, he could not grasp the concept of black people being not as well respected as whites. Since there was absolutely no racism coming from Atticus, and he having Calpurnia working at his house most of the time, he could not understand why some people hated blacks. During the trial, Jem is aware of what is going on, for it was said, "Jem seemed to be having a quiet fit, he was pounding the balcony rail softly, and once whispered, "We've got him."(Page 180). This statement is important, for it shows how Jem is able to grasp all the information, from what Atticus is trying to do and why he is doing it. When he whispered, "We've got him." He used "we" and he was referring to himself and Atticus. Jem is following the trial closely, and when the final verdict came in guilty, he is gripping the rail so hard where he was sitting that his fists were turning white. This description shows the anger and rage inside Jem at the moment, for he knows all the evidence is in favor of Tom Robinson being innocent. These events to do with the trial contributed to Jem's maturation, however there are many other significant events, which are not related to the trial.
Jem is faced with new responsibility whenever Dill is around him and Scout. He feels he must maintain his superiority without anyone noticing, for he is the oldest. When Scout starts school, he tells her not to talk to him or hang around him, for he is learning what effects peer-pressure has on him, what is "cool" and what is not. He must also prove himself to his fellow classmates, there is no mention of Jem having any friends, so must come to realize hanging around with his tomboy sister at school is not cool. The filling of the tree changed Jem also. The two live oaks stood at the edge of the Radley's lot and in one of the trees was a knothole. This is where Jem and Scout found various objects starting with some used chewing gum and ending with a broken pocket watch on a chain with an aluminum knife.
