In the first chapters of the novel, all three children are fascinated with the mythology of Boo Radley, so they develop different schemes to be able to see him. However, it is Dill who really instigates these schemes. In the first chapter, Dill bets Jem that he won't go up and knock on Boo Radley's door. Jem takes the dare and it has little effect. In Chapter 5, the children attempt to give Boo a note attached to a fishing line.
When Scout and Jem start finding things in the knothole of the oak tree, Jem probably suspects that Boo is the one behind it. When Mr. Radley fills in the knothole, Jem is very upset. He still wants to "see" Boo Radley, and this game with the oak tree at least established a kind of communication with Boo.
Over time, the children's interest in seeing Boo wanes.
When the trial begins, Jem is incredibly interested. Of the three children, he is the most emotionally involved. Using another sense of to "see," he certainly wants to see a victory for Atticus and Tom Robinson. When they lose the trial and Tom is convicted, Jem is devastated.
It was Jem’s turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. “It ain’t right,” he muttered, all the way to the corner of the square where we found Atticus waiting. (Chapter 22)
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