Examples Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

To be innocent means to be someone that has no hate or grudges towards anyone, someone who doesn't do one thing to disturb peace or security, or someone that is not guilty of a crime. The novel To Kill A Mockingbird is written by Harper Lee who wrote about a story in the 1930s in southern Alabama. In the novel there are only a few that are innocent and un-prejudice as it takes place in a time of racism these people are referred to as Mockingbirds. Furthermore Miss Maudie describes Mockingbirds as “ [Innocent birds that] don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us” (Lee 119). Mockingbirds represent innocence as they only sing for people and nothing less. In the novel there are three characters that are symbolic of a Mockingbird Boo

Boo Radley is an innocent anti-racist man that locks himself up in his own house to stay away from the racism in the town. This is evident when Jem tells Scout he thinks he figured out why Boo stays inside his home “I think i'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley stayed shut up in the house all this time… it's because he wants to stay inside” (Lee 304). Boo Radley is an innocent man as he does nothing but minds his own business like a Mockingbird. Regardless, Boo Radley is a innocent man because he neither disturbs the peace or the security in Maycomb rather he lives amongst himself like a Mockingbird. The reason Boo stays shut up in his house is because he can't handle the racism and Jem compares Boo with himself, as Jem does not like the racism either. Boo Radley helps people and nothing more just like a Mockingbird he only does good. After all this is evident as we see Boo save Jem’s life from an attack from Bob Ewell. “By the time I reached the corner the man was crossing our front yard. Light from our front door framing Atticus for an instant, he ran down the steps and together he and the man took Jem inside” (Lee 352). Boo radley saves Jem’s life and does nothing more as he is a Mockingbird because he is an innocent man that watches over the kids and helps them. Then again Boo radley represents a Mockingbird in various ways that many of the people in Maycomb can

Atticus is another character in the novel that can be described as a Mockingbird. Atticus is a man who focuses on helping others as he defends a black man during a time of racism. This is evident in the event that Scout asks Atticus about his court case after Cecil Jacobs bullies her about it. ‘“do you defend niggers Atticus’ I asked him that evening ‘of course I do. Don't say nigger, Scout thats common”’(Lee 99). Atticus is an unprejudiced man as he doesn't judge people by the color of their skin rather the content of their character. This is proven as he tells scout that he defends niggers which in his time is a big deal as black people were discriminated against. Correspondingly Atticus tells Scout to not say the word nigger which further proves that he is an in prejudice man because he retains from using a racist word and warns his children about it. In the novel Atticus never does anything to intentionally hurt anyone which is why he mocks a Mockingbird as Mockingbirds do not either. Atticus is a kind and sympathetic person that symbolizes a Mockingbird he is symbolic of a Mockingbird by his actions and by how he sees things from other people's point of view. In the novel, Atticus tells Scout she has to be able to be the person to understand others in a positive manner “you never really understand a person until you