Bad Habits

Jem lost a bet to Dill. This may not sound like much on the surface, but below it is really concerning for Jem. He played poker with Dill for his shirt, and he lost. Dill has the shirt now. Atticus and Miss Rachel now know about this bet and they scolded the two on betting. Atticus tells Jem and Scout never to try to gamble and bet on anything in a nice tone, but Miss Rachel is a little more strict. She tells Dill that if anymore of this stuff happens, he will get a severe punishment. This behavior from Jem and Dill show that they are falling victim to peer pressure and extra steps need to be taken to subdue them. Most teenagers experience them, with me being in that group of people, so I understand what the two are going through. I am concerned about Dill though. He is not a teen, but he is already experiencing the negative changes. This may be due to his parents divorce, and their wanting for him to be gone.

It seems like Dill and Jem have not learned their lesson for messing with Boo Radley's life. The very next day, they try to sneak into the house. When they get in, they are greeted by Nathan Radley, Boo's brother, holding a shotgun, who walks into the front door. Miss Maudie is in there with him, as well as Miss Rachel and Atticus. They are told about a story that Nathan shot at a black man, but didn't kill him, because he thought he was going to be robbed. The next thing that he hears, he will shoot at, and kill. At night, Jem thinks it is a good idea to sneak into the Radley house again, but Atticus catches him, and sends him back. This is another bad habit both Jem and Dill have. They did not learn their lesson, even after getting caught. Jem even risked his life for it. This is another thing that teens have a problem with. They try to do stupid stuff for popularity, and they would risk their life for belongings, like a phone.