In Chapter 4, Dill arrives from Meridian and the children begin to bicker about the Radley Place. Jem says, "Yawl hush...you act like you believe in Hot Steams" (Lee 48). Scout rebuttals by saying, "You act like you don't" (Lee 49). When Dill asks what a Hot Steam is, Jem explains by saying,
"A Hot Steam's somebody who can't get to heaven, just wallows around on lonesome roads an' if...
In Chapter 4, Dill arrives from Meridian and the children begin to bicker about the Radley Place. Jem says, "Yawl hush...you act like you believe in Hot Steams" (Lee 48). Scout rebuttals by saying, "You act like you don't" (Lee 49). When Dill asks what a Hot Steam is, Jem explains by saying,
"A Hot Steam's somebody who can't get to heaven, just wallows around on lonesome roads an' if you walk through him, when you die you'll be one too, an' you'll go around at night suckin' people's breath---" (Lee 49).
Jem continues to elaborate on how to avoid passing through a Hot Steam by reciting an incantation, and Scout tells Dill not to believe a word that Jem says. Jem's superstitious beliefs are typical childhood fantasies. Jem's over active imagination and obsession with mysterious phenomena is depicted by his childhood belief in Hot Steams.
Towards then end of the novel in Chapter 28, Jem and Scout are walking to the Maycomb Halloween festival. As they pass the Radley place, Jem teases Scout by saying, "That yard's a mighty long place for little girls to cross at night...Ain't you scared of haints?" (Lee 341). They both laugh and Scout mentions, "Haints, Hot Steams, incantations, secret signs, had vanished with our years as mist with the sunrise" (Lee 341). Jem then says,
"What was that old thing...Angel bright, life-in-death; get off the road, don't suck my breath" (Lee 341).
Clearly, both Jem and Scout have matured from their childhood beliefs in mysterious phenomena and are able to laugh at themselves when they reminisce.
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