Overnight, it seemed, Jem had acquired an alien set of values and was trying to impose them on me: several times he went so far as to tell me what to do. After one altercation when Jem hollered, "It's time you started bein' a girl and acting right!"

Overnight, it seemed, Jem had acquired an alien set of values and was trying to impose them on me: several times he went so far as to tell me what to do. After one altercation when Jem hollered, “It’s time you started bein’ a girl and acting right!” I burst into tears and fled to Calpurnia.

– Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 12. Scout observes that Jem is growing up and appears to have gained wisdom overnight. As the two siblings develop, a rift is opening up between them, with Jem adopting a patriarchal role rather than seeing his sister as an equal.

Harper Lee Quotes