A mockingbird is a symbol of innocence, and to kill it would mean the demolishment of one’s innocence—hence the personified title “To Kill a Mockingbird.” A dominating theme depicted in the novel is the destruction of one’s innocence. In this novel, Scout, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley are portrayals of mockingbirds through their development and innocence. In the beginning, Scout, our protagonist, is innocent, naive, and confident; due to facing the issues of injustice and racism, she has matured significantly. Scout had decided to follow her father when he had gone to visit the jail. Immediately, she runs up to the hostile group with no concept that they could be malicious; this is a prime example of Scout’s innocence, assuming that the world is pure. Through the trial, Scout’s belief that everyone is good starts to waver as she is exposed to more serious topics. …show more content…
Living in a racist town, Tom Robinson who was a holy, generous, and hardworking, had to endure racism for his whole life. Mockingbirds are weak, innocent, and gentle; in Maycomb County, Robinson will always be ‘weak’ against a white person because of the racism. “Yes, suh. I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to more ‘n the rest of em—.” This quote from Tom Robinson truly shows his compassion and innocence, even when he is against Mayella in the trial, he continues to sympathize with her. The end verdict of guilty, symbolizes him no longer being innocent—him dying later illustrates the “kill” in the title. Tom Robinson’s innocence was shattered by a guilty verdict when he was falsely convicted of raping