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