In Harper Leas" novel "To Kill a Mocking Bird", discuses the life of people in a small town, and the effects it has on the main characters. The most important theme is the novels exploration of the moral nature of people-that is if humans are essentially good or evil. The book slowly progresses through the loss of innocence to the changing Jem, the young Scout, and the adventurous Dill. The transition from childhood were they believe all people are good because they have never seen evil, to an older more adult point of view, where evil confronts their innocence and changes their perspective of the world of Maycomb.
Jem Finch, the son of Atticus and brother of Scout, finds himself dealing with the flaws of life at a time where puberty is starting to play a role in Jems life. The extremity of his traumatic events according to Jem started, "The summer Dill came to us, when Dill first gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out." page 1. Although it seemed insignificant then, it later plays a crucial role in the story. His shattering experience at the trial of Tom Robinson gives him his disillusionment upon viewing the fact that justice does not always prevail leaves Jem confused and uncertain at a critical formative point in his life. Nevertheless, he shows his commitment to justice which his father Atticus has put into him and maintains it with true devotion throughout the story. Jem has to see for himself that blacks and whites hatred towards each other is more than just the word "nigger", and that it is deeper. That black men are dying and women and children such as Helen and her kids are being pushed away from society without the slightest care. "Maycomb was interested by the news of Tom's death for perhaps two days; two days was enough for information to spread through the county."P240 Jem realizes that the world has evil and hatred, and even more, why Boo Radley stays inside, stays away from the world.