In To Kill A Mockingbird, why is Scout pleased when Jem fights her back? Why is she less pleased when he tells Atticus about Dill?

To Kill A Mockingbird exposes the tragic consequences of racial prejudice and unchecked discrimination. In Maycomb County, the hypocritical churchgoers cannot see their own faults as they are too busy gossiping or criticizing others. Despite this, Atticus always tries to teach his children not to be judgmental and to never presume to understand the opinions of another person unless they have had an opportunity to "climb into his skin and walk around in it."

Now that the children are growing up, things are changing. Aunt Alexandra wants Atticus to send Calpurnia, who has helped Atticus raise his children in the absence of a mother, away, but fortunately Atticus will not hear of it. Scout has noticed though, how Jem is, "positively allergic to my presence," and she does not respond well when he gives her some friendly advice not to antagonize Aunt Alexandra. When Jem puts himself in the adult category, Scout can not bear his "superiority" and intends to do something about his threat to "spank" her. Atticus breaks up the "brawl" and they are both sent to bed, a fact which pleases Scout as she feels like they are a team again.

However, Scout's pleasure at being Jem's "equal" is short-lived. She finds what she thinks is a snake under her bed and elicits Jem's help. To their surprise, it is Dill, hiding after he has run away from home. After a far-fetched version of his escape and a more realistic version of his running away from home, Jem does not hesitate to call Atticus, something Scout feels breaks "the remaining code of our childhood," rendering Jem a "traitor." Fortunately, Atticus takes the matter in stride and Jem knows he has done the right thing so that Dill's mother will not worry about him but Scout, although she forgives him, is not happy that he would do something so adult.