Atticus said that Jem was trying hard to forget something, but what he was really doing was storing it away for a while, until enough time passed. Then he would be able to think about it and sort things out. When he was able to think about it, Jem would be himself again.
Harper LeeI was not so sure, but Jem told me I was being a girl, that girls always imagined things, thatโs why other people hated them so, and if I started behaving like one I could just go off and find some to play with.
Harper LeeI know now what he was trying to do, but Atticus was only a man. It takes a woman to do that kind of work.
Harper LeeIf this thing's hushed up it'll be a simple denial to Jem of the way I've tried to raise him. Sometimes I think I'm a total failure as a parent, but I'm all they've got. Before Jem looks at anyone else he looks at me, and I've tried to live so I can look squarely back at him.. if I connived at something like this, frankly I couldn't meet his eye, and the day I can't do that I'll know I've lost him. I don't want to lose him and Scout, because they're all I've got.
Harper Lee