ipl-logo

Examples Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

823 Words4 Pages

To Kill a Mockingbird is widely considered one of the best novels of all time and is known for many things beyond its great instances of symbolism, representation of what life was like during civil rights movements, and its adventurous and sometimes heart wrenching plot. In the years covered in To Kill a Mockingbird most of the characters seem to have a part of innocence taken from them and replaced with an unwanted truth. Most conspicuously Jem and Scout Finch. In the beginning they are innocent and gullible to the bone which is nothing short of normal for kids their age. But as events transpire in their small Southern town of Maycomb they begin to understand the hardships and complexity of life beyond children’s oblivious nature to that of …show more content…

Jem in the beginning is your average always running into trouble adventurous and stubborn boy. (I know this does not maintain the tone of the essay but I essentially just described myself.) He is very similar to Scout beside the fact he begins to mature before her obviously because he is older than her and sometimes offers advice to her. The most influential example of his growing up story is probably the moment when Jem finds that Dill has run away very far from his house without his mother knowing and he responds with this “Atticus can you come here a minute sir…Dill I had to tell him you cannot run three hundred miles off without you mother knowing.” In this instance Jem shows he would rather betray Dill’s trust and tell Atticus he was there instead of risking the chance of his mother worrying which shows he is maturing that he would break a childish code than have someone worried for their son. Also, another instance is where Jem tells Scout not to mash a bug and Scout asks why and he responds with “because they don’t bother you”. Showing Scout just because you want to does not mean you should end an innocent life no matter how tiny it is shows the maturity of Jem continues to

Show More
Related
568 Words | 3 Pages

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem, or Jeremy Atticus Finch, is Scout's brother, and throughout the story he changes and matures a lot through a series of stages. First, you have the event that caused this, the trial, then you have the influence that it put upon Jem ,and lastly, how he had overall changed from the experience. After Tom's Trial, when Tom is deemed guilty and goes to jail, Jem is mad because he feels it's unfair. Jem realizes that his outlook on law was rather naive and that there's much more to it, and that his ways of thinking were childish as shown when he is speaking to Atticus, “How could they do it, how could they?’’

Read More
1068 Words | 5 Pages

To start, throughout To Kill a Mockingbird Jem shows maturity by comforting his little sister. First, after Mrs. Dubose insults Jem, Scout, and Atticus, Scout starts to get really mad and is about to lose her head when Jem reminds her to be a gentleman and keep her head high. This shows that Jem is maturing

Read More
646 Words | 3 Pages

'Guilty...guilty...guilty...guilty...' I peeked at Jem: his hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, and his shoulders jerked as if each "guilty" was a separate stab between them… (Lee 211). Jem and Scout Finch from the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Arnold Spirit (Junior) from The Absolutely True Diary by Sherman Alexie all show that innocence is lost when compassion is found. In To Kill A Mockingbird, both Jem and Scout show innocence.

Read More
434 Words | 2 Pages

When Dill snuck into Scouts room one night and was hiding under the bed, both kids found out about him. Jem had to step up and be the responsible one and tells Dill, "You oughta let your mother know where you are" and proceed to get Atticus (Lee 187). Telling on Dill is definitely a hard thing to do, considering that Jem had to go tell an adult. The biggest change for Jem was during and after Tom Robinson case. As if Jem had not already grown up fast enough, the case showed him the reality of the world around him.

Read More
853 Words | 4 Pages

Still, everything he read he passed along to me, but with this difference: formerly, because he thought I’d like it; now, for my edification and instruction” (Lee 184). Jem feels as if he is much more superior and better than Scout just because he is older. This contributes to him acting as more of an adult figure to Scout just like Atticus. This shows Jem has some negative traits as well. Jem sometimes discriminates people like his sister based on gender and

Read More
707 Words | 3 Pages

This quotes helps show Jem is mature proving scout feels that Jem is showing he doesn’t feel as much connections between him and young children. Scout is not the only one who notices the changes in Jem. Jem also noticed changes in his behavior. “Jem felt his age and gravitated to the adults, leaving me [Scout] to entertain our cousin [Francis]. Francis was eight and slicked back his hair” ( 80).

Read More
565 Words | 3 Pages

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was a perfect example of the loss of innocence. Innocence is such a pure thing, yet can be injured or destroyed through being around bad things. Pure means many things, but the best definition is being without contamination. Throughout this anecdote the case of Tom Robinson and the introduction to social classes and evil was shown not only to the children, but the adults too. The knowledge shared with them through this story.

Read More
648 Words | 3 Pages

Stories of Innocence “Nice guys finish last,” an unfortunate truth where the innocent are sometimes persecuted, harassed or even killed even though they have done nothing to harm anyone else. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird, A mockingbird symbolizes innocence and is shown through few characters .Tom Robinson and Arthur Radley are the two main mockingbirds. Real life mockingbirds could be found as civil rights activists who fought for the rights of African Americans during the 1960’s. According to Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird, the meaning of the mockingbird as a symbol of innocence is shown through Tom Robinson, Arthur Radley and real life civil rights activist Rev. Bruce Klunder.

Read More
1127 Words | 5 Pages

When Scout didn’t understand something, Jem would try his best to explain or tell her to ask Atticus. Although, as Jem grew up, they slowly grew apart. Jem began to have the same morals as the rest of the town. Before school started, Jem would support Scout not dressing like a lady or telling her to stop acting like a girl as he quotes “you are acting more like a girl every day.” Although, when school began he started to neglect Scout and tell her that she “needs to start acting like a girl”.

Read More
520 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem and Scout 's perception of courage drastically changes their behavior as they mature. They learn a lot about courage throughout the novel from their father Atticus and what they learn from him influences their choices and opinions. Although Jem is older than Scout, they both experience change in their behavior. At the beginning of the novel, Jem is still a young boy. He is defiant towards Atticus, he plays all the usual childhood games with Scout and Dill, and he engages in the younger children’s obsession with Boo Radley.

Read More
437 Words | 2 Pages

Being a lawyer is not the easiest thing to be, trying to prove one’s innocence or even guiltiness in the court of law. In Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird, A man by the name of Atticus Finch is a lawyer for the town of Maycomb County trying to prove the innocence of Tom Robinson for the rape of Mayella Ewell. Atticus’s arguments throughout the case make valid strong points to persuade the jurors to see his innocence by trying to prove that Tom never laid a hand on her and that Tom never raped her. During the first part of the trial in chapter 17, Atticus calls up Mr. Bob Ewell, Mayella father, to testify.

Read More
462 Words | 2 Pages

In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, a Mockingbird is a symbol of innocence. This story has to deal with the taking away of innocence by anything means. There are a couple characters that had their there innocence got taken or will be their innocence will be destroyed and taken away. In the book’s main characters: Tom Robinson, Jem, Scout and also Boo Radley have lost their innocence or have had it taken away.

Read More
592 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem learns to become mature in terms of behavior and attitude due to the influence of the people around him. “Jem, having survived Boo Radley, a mad dog and other terrors, had concluded that it was cowardly to stop at Miss Rachel’s front steps and wait…” (Lee 100). Jem has gone through lots of dangerous things like trying to get a letter over to Boo Radley, meeting Mrs. Dubose, the trail with Tom Robinson and others.

Read More
525 Words | 3 Pages

What is the meaning of innocence? Innocence means the state, quality, or fact of being innocent of a crime or offense. Like the innocence of being accused for something someone did not do or manipulated by force. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee the mockingbird in the story symbolizes innocence. There are three characters in this story who are innocent in a way or two.

Read More
760 Words | 4 Pages

The Truth Behind Edgar Allan Poe’s Death Edgar Allan Poe was a great write, but a mysterious person. Edgar Allan Poe was a famous horror story writer. His stories were known for being morbid, gruesome, and mysterious. But perhaps something that was more mysterious than his stories was his death.

Read More

More about Examples Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

Related Topics

Open Document