Jem says that "mixed" children are sad be-cause they don't belong anywhere. what does he mean? is having a sense of belonging im-portant in life? explain your thoughts.

When Jem says that "mixed" children are sad because they don't belong anywhere, he is referring to the difficulty the children have with their race. Especially during this time period, whites and blacks were separated and had different social standing based on their race. Children who are "mixed" aren't white so they are not given the same rights and social status as a white person. However, these children are also not black. The black community does not see them as having the same struggles and problems as the rest of their peers. A sense of belonging is important in life. Everyone must feel that they are loved and wanted by someone. A person may not need an entire community or social group to feel whole, but he or she does need to feel that they belong somewhere.