Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

Everyday, people of all ages lose their innocence and develop morally through their daily experiences. Children deal with mishaps on the playground, conflicts with friends and family, and trouble in school. Similarly, Adults deal with conflicts within their own families, problems at work, and the loss of a loved one. In each situation, the person is learning important lessons that impact the way a person thinks, acts, approaches situations, and treats others. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Jem loses his innocence and grows morally through his daily experiences in three stages of understanding in Maycomb, Alabama.

Tom Robinson’s character exemplifies the mockingbird because he is a black man who is denied justice based on racial prejudice. After Mayella Ewell accuses Tom of rape, there is no way for him to be judged fairly because the narrow-minded, white townspeople are unable to get past their prejudices towards blacks. At his trial, Tom’s lawyer, Atticus, argues,

Only a few beings exist as a mockingbird. Mockingbirds exist only for the enjoyment of others; they make other people’s lives brighter. Though in To Kill a Mockingbird Tom Robinson’s character does not hold prominence, he displays many honorable attributes. These qualities define him as a mockingbird. In this story, he enters as a desperate defendant battling for his life. Throughout the trial, however, he still exemplifies a few different, respectable traits. Even before the trial, he displayed a solid work ethic and a courtesy that one cannot deny. His truthfulness, respectfulness, and hard-working attitude make him a reputable character in this story. Permeating his struggle for justice, these characteristics shine through.

Tom Robinson’s case contributes to how he resembles a mockingbird and shows the injustice of society. Tom Robinson, an African-American man accused of raping a girl named Mayella Ewell, has his case taken to court. Tom is tried in front of a jury of twelve white men along with a white judge which does not display a fair representation of his peers. This results in them finding Tom guilty and sentencing him to death, even though all evidence points to him being innocent. Tom later gets shot while trying to escape prison. Atticus Finch, Tom’s lawyer, says in the beginning of the book, “‘It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’” (Harper Lee 119). Using the word “sin” shows harming an innocent being would be a very cruel thing to do, especially coming from Atticus. This relates to Tom Robinson’s situation because every piece of evidence from the trial proves he is not guilty, yet he still gets sent to jail and ends up being shot. The town’s newspaper publisher, Mr. Underwood, writes about Tom’s death and says, “ [I] likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children” (Lee 323). This quote emphasizes the similarities between Tom’s case and a mockingbird. Equally important, it uses words like “senseless” and “slaughter” to further highlight the severity of harming a creature who did nothing wrong. Lee compares Tom Robinson to the “songbirds” because both of them have positive effects on their surroundings and do nothing but be beneficial. Through the case of Tom Robinson, Lee shows the connection with the innocence of Tom to the symbol of a mockingbird.

How Innocent In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, shows how loss of innocence affects two children who live in Maycomb. Scout and Jem are living in Maycomb during the Great Depression and face many situations where they loose their innocence. Scout's first looses her innocence when starts at her first day of school. Scout tries to explain to Miss.

Throughout time the loss of child-like innocence has affected many. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird the loss of child-like innocence is made evident through the main characters Scout and Jem as well as the minor character of Mayella Ewell. There innocence is lost in both daily life and an unfair and unjust court case. Racism, untrue rumors, and discrimination all pay a toll in losing these characters innocence.

Different. Interesting. Slightly confusing. These are all things you think of when you read, “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. The book is set in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. The story is narrated by the main character Jean Louise who goes by Scout and she is talking about her life as a kid from age six to adulthood. She talks about her friends her family and her town, throughout the story she learns a lot of things about the world around her. This is why the theme of this story is, loss of innocence. Many characters through the story show the loss of innocence, some very good examples are Scout, Jem and Boo Radley.

In the book to kill a mockingbird the author Harper lee uses conflict to express the idea that a child's curiosity can cost them to lose their innocence when they are confronted with racist life issues.

This novel is real in its portrayal of the 1930s. As a result, The children in this book are exposed to very graphic things at a young age. This results in a very sped up way of growing up, and Harper Lee gives examples throughout the book that show that loss of innocence or facing harsh realities that exist in the real world. This is shown greatly through the eyes of Jean Louise Finch. She faces the reality of Maycomb’s dark personality and has to see some horrible things. This vastly speeds up how fast she grows up because she has to. It is also to a lesser degree with Jem mostly because he isn't the central focus of the book (To Kill A Mockingbird) so the reader doesn't know his thoughts. The author outlines a great point that the with the loss of innocence comes wisdom and unfortunately hard truth’s.

The characters in To Kill A Mockingbird and the people in our society don’t understand our world until they’ve experienced a loss of innocence. Growing up is a hard part of life. When people are younger, they’re naive and not aware of anything outside their home. When experiencing loss of innocence, people are more aware of right and wrong. People are beginning the rules and concepts of life. Experiencing a life lesson can lead to a loss of innocence. People are finally maturing and understanding situations from others perspectives.

Evolution of Innocence Innocence is something children cling to before realizing the cruelty of the real world. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the main characters Jem and Scout have to face difficult situations that lead them to personal growth. The loss of innocence theme builds throughout the story and is shown by the death experiences they face, Atticus’s teaching’s and hardships from the trial that they go through. Harper Lee uses the characterization of Jem and Scout, symbolism, and the dialogue between Atticus and the children to show that when a child loses their innocence, they begin to accept society’s flaws. The author also provides the unique perspective of being narrated by Scout, and through the first person view of a

Destroyed Innocence Imagine this, you are a young child in Uganda, wars wage all around you. Different tribes are fighting over territory, and everyone you once knew is either missing or killed. And although you don't quite understand what death and suffering are, you are kidnapped and forced to join the local militia. Unrecognizable men hold you at gunpoint and make you do tasks that they would never do themselves. You fight gruesome battles.

The Mockingbird has a very deep and powerful meaning in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird. It represents peacefulness, innocence and kindness which is portrayed through the characters of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. The mockingbird's influence can also be applied to the relationships between humans. The Mockingbird is a powerful symbol that echoes a strong meaning throughout the novel.

The fascinating story To Kill A Mockingbird takes place in a sleepy, southern county of Maycomb in the 1930s. Although this town has a variety of pleasant and honorable citizens who have set morals, there are also people who live in Maycomb County who are unfair, possibly evil, and lack morals.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel written by Harper Lee and published in 1960. It was a very successful book, winning the Pulitzer Prize and becoming a modern American classic. Ostensibly, the title of To Kill a Mockingbird has scant literary connection to the plot of the story, but the recurring mockingbird motif symbolizes the innocent and good characters in this novel. Miss Maudie explains to Scout why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird: “Your father’s right. Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” To Kill a Mockingbird likens three characters, Tom Robinson, Arthur “Boo” Radley, and Atticus Finch, to mockingbirds.