In life many people develop significantly through education, whether it is moral, social or intellectual. For example, a child in high school would be more intellectually developed than one in kindergarten, due to experience in school. Or, one could develop a lot through striking life events that could have them rethink their previous conceptions on life. Many examples of this can be found in a classic novel, by Harper Lee, where one character develops significantly through education. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, after learning that the people of Maycomb are not who he thinks they are, Jem develops by learning not to trust everyone, learning that people might not be who they seem, and maturing. .
In the Tom Robinson rape trial, Jem learns not to trust everyone after finding out that the jury only voted Tom guilty because he is black, which is morally wrong and unfair. In the novel, Jem says "Then it all goes back to the jury.we oughta do away with the juries" (Lee 251). After hearing the verdict of Tom and realizing that the jury voted him guilty only because he was black, Jem angrily reacts and wants the jury to be removed from the court. Jem develops by learning the important life lesson that one cannot trust everyone to do what one would like them to do, or more importantly, what is morally right. In another quote, Jem asked "Atticus.why don't people like us and Miss Maudie ever sit on juries?.they all come from out in the woods" (Lee 252). Jem asks Atticus why people that should be on jury aren't ever called for jury duty, and that the ones who are called are not from Maycomb. Here, Jem shows learning of the same life lesson as he expresses his distrust in the people that had been called for jury in the Tom Robinson case, and that he feels the right people, such as Miss Maudie or himself, should have been chosen. This life lesson learned not only affects Jem with realizing that the jury voted Tom guilty only because he was black, but also the reader, as it teaches them that not everyone can be trusted to do what they see as correct.
