Innocence in the form of a mockingbird Innocence is a short period in people's lives where they have not done a bad thing, but over time people grow and age, and their innocence dies along the way. In the historical-fiction novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, symbolizes the mockingbird as a form of innocence. Mockingbird are of the few birds that does not cause destruction and should not be killed. As the story progresses, the mockingbirds once living in harmony inside Tom Robinson, Scout Finch, and Arthur “Boo” Radley gets killed along the road though the harshness of racism, the new perspective of the world, and even the past and the future. Back in the 1930’s, the heavy-weighted years in the United States was where the Great …show more content…
Racism was a huge controversy and it was one of the biggest problems people had to face in the disorderly world. Tom Robinson, a compassionate and noble man, is like a mockingbird because he went out of his way to help Mayella Ewell the best he can, but is later killed for his skin was black. The news of Tom Robinson’s death brought forth by Atticus Finch symbolizes the death of the mockingbird which is a sin in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. Tom Robinson’s lawyer, Atticus Finch, tries with all of his might to change the jury's’ mind with the fact that Tom is not guilty, but his arguments could have been interpreted as Tom Robinson is guilty. In Atticus’ closing argument, he states, “This case is as simple as black and white” (271). The trial consists of Mayella Ewell, a white woman, and Tom Robinson, a black male. In the Great Depression era, the white juries would have believed a white woman’s word than a black male’s. Even in Tom’s defense, Atticus could not help but say, “But I cannot pity her: she is white” (272). Even though Mayella Ewell is at fault trying to frame Tom Robinson guilty, she is still in a higher power over Tom Robinson. As soon as Tom Robinson was shot, the town of Maycomb killed a mockingbird as well as their innocence. Tom
Murdering the Innocence To Kill A Mockingbird, a 20th century novel written by Harper Lee, is narrated by Scout Finch. She and her family live in Maycomb, Alabama which is a prejudice town with prejudice people during the Great Depression. She lives with her brother Jem and her father Atticus who is a prominent lawyer in Maycomb. In this novel Atticus teaches that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because it is an innocent creature.
Why do you think a mockingbird represents innocence? In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee makes innocence a big theme. In the 1930’s, Caucasian people didn’t make good decisions with respect to how they treated the black community. In the novel, innocence is one of the themes in the book; there are a variety of characters that show us innocence because they do absolutely nothing wrong.
“Innocence is like polished armor; it adorns and defends.” This was said by Robert South and it portrays the loss of innocence of Scout Finch throughout the book. In the beginning of the book Scout is an immature 6 year old that does not use her head to solve problems she uses either her mouth or her hands, Atticus and Calpurnia are the mature figures in the house and they help her the best they can for her to grow up a mature young lady. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the author uses characterization to reveal that the loss of innocence happens quicker to those who grow up in a more mature environment. Harper Lee demonstrates Scouts character as a young unsophisticated girl that reacts impulsively especially when Walter Cunningham
The loss of innocence is a difficult experience for many, but it is a challenge we all go through. Jem, Tom, and Boo all relate to the loss of innocence. Boo was labeled as an evil person, Tom was judged by the color of his skin, and Jem was exposed to the adult world. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses a mockingbird to represent innocence in an attempt to portray the cruelty in the world.
In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the trial of Tom Robinson serves as the pivotal and highly-anticipated moment in the novel which displays the power a white woman has over a black man. Tom Robinson is accused of raping a young white woman named Mayella Ewell. The Ewell family lacks education and money, representing the lower class. The Ewells were described as living a vile lifestyle, “...behind the town garbage dump in what was once a Negro cabin” (Doc A).
Every child lives in a fantasy world, they believe that everyone will always do the right thing with no hesitation. No one can say when a child will begin to mature and lose focus with this world they have allowed to believe is the same one, that everyone else is living in. Everyone goes through that one life altering moment as a child, that makes them realize their innocence has been taken, and it is only then that they are forced to see the world for its true colors. In the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, Jem Finch was once living in a fantasy world, he then was force to lose his innocence by hearing the verdict of Tom Robinson’s trial, and by losing his innocence he gained knowledge that allowed him to understand Society better
In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the relationship between innocence and guilt is an extremely thin line. The two most innocent characters in this novel (Tom Robinson and Boo Radley), get vilified and condemned for pure concern, helpfulness, and support. Within the book, Atticus, the father within the story that holds morals and is at the top of the pecking order in Maycomb, states that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird: "Atticus said to Jem one day, 'I'd rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. '"That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie
In “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, an innocent young girl Named Jean Louise Finch [Scout] is growing up in a racist southern town and is exposed to a very heavy conflict that she doesn’t quite grasp yet but must go through anyway, showing that innocence can be blind to the most obvious problems but may unknowingly manage to solve them in positive ways. Scout is a young girl and sometimes doesn’t grasp adult situations correctly “Don’t you remember me Mr. cunningham? I’m Jean Louise Finch. You brought some hickory nuts one time remember...
Loss of innocence is when someone comes to a realization through an event that alters their perception and understanding of reality. The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set in the small town of Maycomb in the 1930s, also known as the Great Depression. Many characters play a specific role in the novel, for instance, Boo Radley plays a mysterious character that scares children unintentionally because of events in the past. Atticus Finch, who is a white lawyer, becomes well-known to the black activists in the community because he takes on the case of Tom Robison, a black person accused of raping a white woman. The aftermath of taking the case was sizable.
According to the dictionary, innocence is the quality in a person or thing that lacks impurity which makes a person innocent of a crime or offense. Innocence itself in a person should not be tested or forgotten because it is what makes a person free of wrong doings and hatred. In her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the symbol of the mockingbird to portray how innocence should be preserved and protected from the discrimination and prejudice of the world. Harper Lee uses Boo Radley in her novel to portray her own understanding of innocence by showing how innocence can be the victim of prejudice which can be saved. The beginning of the book talks about how Boo lived in an eerie house and stayed in his house all day which led kids to believe there was a phantom inside (10).
In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird the author Harper Lee creates a strong theme showing how two of the main characters represent the innocence of a mockingbird. The two characters that are portrayed as sinners are accused of by men who are blinded by pride to the point where lives are taken. The virtue of Tom Robinson is displayed throughout the course of this story. For example, a witness from the audience at Tom Robinson’s trial speaks out and announces, “I just want the whole lot of you to know one thing right now.
When one grows up, it is inevitable they will lose their innocence. Seeing the world through rose colored glasses can only take one so far, and eventually they will have to open their eyes to real issues in their lives. While this happens at different ages for everyone, Atticus in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee believes that his kids should not be sheltered from the real world. As Scout and Jem, Atticus’ children, grow up, especially in a time where Maycomb is so segregated, Atticus teaches his kids real life lessons and to not become like the rest of their town; racist and judgemental. This comes with a cost, however, as the kids “grow up” at an expedited rate.
In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the prominent theme of loss of innocence reoccurs throughout the book in certain characters dialect and actions. Jem, Scout, and Boo Radley show the theme of loss of innocence many times through the book. Loss of innocence is an important theme and helps the reader understand what these characters are thinking. As shown in the book, Jem gets older and more mature through the book, and by doing that, he loses his innocence. Before the trial, Jem had a childlike perspective of the world and played like a normal kid would.
The Mockingbird Spirit of Innocence How do you define innocence? Is there someone out in the world who is purely innocent? To understand innocence you should look at what a mockingbird does, because all they do is sing. In Harper Lee’s classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus and Miss Maudie teach Scout and Jem that it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.
Innocence is a word used to describe someone 's purity. Children are prime examples of innocence, as they don’t have judgments and don’t understand mature topics. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the reader can interpret innocence as the growing up of the children. Specifically, Jem Finch showed a loss of innocence as he grew up. He showed his loss of innocence by not playing games, his more mature use of words and body language, and his different view of the world around him.