The Downfall of a Mockingbird Mockingbirds are said to be one of the most innocent animals in the world. Although Harper Lee used many instances throughout the novel of mockingbirds being stripped of their innocence. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird the theme of innocence is taken away from certain characters just like a mockingbird being killed. Firstly, Boo Radley was accused of being a crazy man who is never seen. Secondly, Mrs. Maudie had her house get burned down to the ground. Finally, Tom Robinson was accused of sexually assaulting because of his race. To begin, the innocence of Boo Radley is taken away because he was accused of being a crazy man yet he actually was not. Boo was seen as being a very violent and crazy man only because he was never seen in the Maycomb county and because of the false accusation of stabbing …show more content…
Ms. Maudie's house tragically burned down on a bone chilling winter night. The night was nice and peaceful in the Maudie household. Nice and Peaceful until the cake that was being baked caught on fire. Everybody “stood watching the street fill with man and cars while fire silently devoured the Maudie house.”(92) Her house, possessions, and memories sadly lost in the burning house. Her husband was also slightly injured because he jumped out of the house window. Although Miss Maudie's house burned down she still stayed cheerful even during the next day. Instead of grieving, Mrs Maudie played the house burning down with comic relief. She did this by saying “Thought of setting fire to it a hundred times myself, except they’d lock me up.”(47) Using comic relief to brighten the present situation was a very good decision to brighten up the current mood. Even if she didn’t like the house there were still chances are some items that she cared about. Therefore having Mrs Maudie's house burn down took her innocence