Jem and Scout's Relationship in To Kill A Mockingbird Essay Example

First, in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the theme of loyalty to show the bond between Jem and Scout.  In the beginning, Jem watches out for Scout at school by breaking up her fight with Walter Cunningham to prevent her from becoming in trouble.  In school, Miss Caroline Fischer, Scout’s teacher, notices that Walter Cunningham has no food and offers him a quarter to acquire something, but he declines knowing he will not be able to pay it back.  Scout explains to the teacher why Walter will not accept it but the teacher does not understand and says that Scout is starting off on the wrong foot.  This angers Scout, and she unleashes her anger on Walter which is when Jem steps in to pull Scout off of Walter.  “...but when I was rubbing his nose in the dirt Jem came by and told me to stop” (Lee 30).  In this quote, Jem protects Scout by pulling her off of Walter Cunningham and ending the fight for the reason that he does not want Scout to become in trouble. Next, when Jem, Scout, and Dill are in the Radley’s backyard and a gunshot goes off, they all run to escape the yard. Jem’s pants become caught on the fence but Scout runs back to help Jem remove his pants and escape.  It is Dill’s last night in Maycomb and Dill, Jem, and Scout decide to try to gaze in the Radley’s windows to try to capture a glimpse of Boo Radley.  When they are in the yard a gun goes off, and they all run to leave the yard.  When Jem tries escaping under the fence his pants become caught, so he is forced to remove his pants in order to escape. “...we sensed that Jem was not with us.  We ran back and found him struggling in the fence, kicking his pants off to get loose”(72).  In this quote, Scout runs back to save Jem because she knew he needed her help she put herself in danger for him.  Again, when Bob Ewell tries to attack Jem and Scout, Jem fights Ewell to try to protect Scout.   Jem and Scout are walking home from the pageant when Jem realizes they are being followed.  Bob Ewell tries to attack them with a knife and almost stabs Scout but her costume protects her.  Jem tries to fight Ewell off of her but ends up breaking his arm.  “From somewhere nearby came scuffling, kicking sounds, sounds of shoes and flesh scraping dirt.  Someone rolled against me and I felt Jem”(351)  In this quote, Jem is trying to fight off Bob Ewell to try to protect Scout and puts himself in danger doing so.  These are just a few examples of Jem and Scout being there for each other and watching out for each other in the book.