Wants to be a lawyer like Atticus and fight for justice After Tom Robinson's trial, Jem is still finding it difficult to come to terms with Tom's guilty verdict.
When Atticus was out of earshot Jem yelled after him: “I thought I wanted to be a lawyer but I ain't so sure now!”
Jem wants to do away with juries because he feels they are not fair. He wants Atticus to change the law so that only a judge may decide in a capital trial. Tom's jury is not reasonable because they believe that a white man's word over a black man's word.
I thought I wanted to be a lawyer but I ain't so sure now! Jem shouts this line after he is sure that Atticus won't be able to hear him. He is mad that Atticus got him to admit guilt using a lawyer's trickery.
After the verdict, Jem leaves the courtroom stunned, angry, and crying. The African American community loads the Finch family with food for defending Tom so valiantly, which surprises the children because Atticus didn't win.
On his way back to town, Atticus reminds Jem that he wants to be a lawyer when he grows up.
In To Kill A Mockingbird, Jem learned what real courage looks like, how to stand up for his beliefs, and what it means to be a gentleman. During Jem's childhood, he learned and saw what real courage actually was.
When Jem and Scout find out that Dill traveled all the way from home to come visit them, Jem goes and tells Atticus. Jem is at the end of his childhood because he's not lying anymore to Atticus, but is actually telling the truth.
Bob called In the sheriff and Tom was accused of raping and beating Mayella. The sheriff testified at Tom's trial that when he arrived at the Ewell's shack, Mayella showed signs of having been beaten. Despite all of the signs showing that the father, Bob Ewell, beaten Mayella, Tom Robinson is still found guilty.
Why does Jem declare at the end of the chapter, "I thought I wanted to be a lawyer, but I ain't so sure now"? He was willing to risk his life in order to retrieve his pants, because he knew that in the morning, Mr. Radley would find them.
Throughout the book, a number of characters (Jem, Tom Robinson, Dill, Boo Radley, Mr. Raymond) can be identified as mockingbirds—innocents who have been injured or destroyed through contact with evil.
Chapter 22At the opening of Chapter 22, Jem is angrily crying as he, Scout, and Dill leave the courtroom. Throughout the trial, Jem was optimistic about Tom's chances. But despite Atticus disproving the Ewell's claims, the jury returned a guilty verdict after hours of deliberation.