During the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Jem encounters a series of events that make him grow. During the trial of Tom Robinson, Jem's eyes are opened to the racism and prejudices of the South: the loss of innocence, a major theme of the novel, is an awareness of the cruelty and injustice in the world, and that we must develop tolerance in this regard. .Jem is young and carefree at the beginning of the novel. He's just beginning to take on the responsibilities of an older brother: "Jem deigned to take me to school on the first day, a job usually done by his parents, but Atticus said Jem would be happy to show me where found my room." (p.20). Atticus trusts Jem to get Scout to school safely and help her find her class. By putting Jem in this situation, where he must act responsibly, Atticus helps Jem mature. In the meantime, even though Jem begins to become more reliable, he still maintains his childish innocence. “Dill bet Jem The Gray Ghost against two Tom Swifts that Jem wouldn't go further than the Radley Gate. Throughout his life, J...