Is it possible to shed innocence without losing hope? In the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a 10-year-old boy named Jem proves that it just may be so. Throughout the novel, Jem, the brother of Scout, is trying to comprehend in his own mind the darker aspects of human nature. Within the small Southern town he lives in, Jem battles with racism, justice, bravery. It is not until the end of the novel does Jem better understand the world, and is one step closer to becoming a grown man.

One of the incidences of the novel in which Jem reacts to racism is with Mrs. Dubose's white azaleas. The white azaleas can be interpreted as representing racism on behalf of the whites, hence the color. Jem attacks the azaleas, hinting that metaphorically, he is in combat against racism. Mrs. Dubose, being racist, is a prime...