ELA 10C–4 Mockingbird Essay 702196501
An Innocent Society Have you ever walked down the street with a toddler? The things they say, and bring up seem absurd to anyone that’s older than they are. You might think, “What a funny thing to say.” And maybe shush them, but in their mind, they’re doing nothing wrong. Everyone is born as an innocent child, kind to everyone, and not knowing any better. But why does this seem to change as we get older? As one gets older, they are exposed to different environments, and begin to lose their innocence, and in turn, gain maturity. In Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”, the idea that innocence is lost as one gets older is displayed many times throughout the book. During the book, Jem is exposed to very ugly situations when he starts paying attention to his father’s court case. He starts to question why Tom Robinson is
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After her school performance showing off what Maycomb has to offer, she and Jem get attacked by Bob Ewell, who wanted to get back at Atticus for defending Tom Robinson. Scout later has to walk Boo Radley home after he helped Jem and her get away from Mr. Ewell, and she starts to look at things differently. “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.” pg. 374. Although Scout may not be showing as high a level of maturity as Jem, this is still her losing part of her innocence because she is looking at things differently than before the incident with Mr. Ewell. “As I made my way home, I felt very old…” pg. 374. While Scout thinks this, you get the idea that she is growing up. You wouldn’t hear a young child say that they felt old, because they wouldn’t. Scout is getting older, and losing her innocence in the process, but she is also gaining experience, and
In that sense, it can be said that Scout is actively losing her purity in that moment. Aunt Alexandra’s view of society and the people in it cause Scout to lose some of her innocence. Another example of classism shaping innocence is when Jem and Scout directly discuss it. Jem firmly believes that he has Maycomb County figured out. He tells Scout about the class system he thinks shapes their society, but Scout argues against his point, saying that everyone is the same no matter their upbringing or skin color.
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
Innocence in To Kill a Mockingbird “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird,” (Lee 119). Mockingbirds are innocent birds who just make music, but evil can destroy their innocence. Atticus warns his children of this evil in this quote but knows that this loss of innocence, in the end, will make them wiser. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the characters Scout, Boo, and Jem all experience a loss of innocence that leads to a greater understanding of human nature and the realities of the world they live in today. This loss of innocence throughout the story ultimately leads them all to more wisdom.
In perspective to the novel as a whole and the biblical view on sin and innocence, I can come to the conclusion that the killing or convicting of the innocent who have done nothing to you to harm or hurt you is a sin. Further evidence for this is first shown in the obvious of the convicting of Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson is black man who works hard for his family to support and he is in the wrong place at the wrong time when Bob Ewell seizes the opportunity to cover his own sin by accusing Tom Robinson of it instead. This is the most obvious evidence backing up this idea and theme for the novel. Tom Robinson is the mockingbird who is innocent of all wrong doing in this situation, yet he still gets accused because of the racism going on in this time
“Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 119). In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch and his children Scout and Jem live in the prejudice town of Maycomb, Alabama. In the town they have many misconceptions of things such as Boo Radley, who has not been seen out of his house for fifteen years ever since he was caught causing a disturbance but the children soon figure out what really occurred after he got into trouble. As the story progresses Atticus accepts the request to defend a colored man named Tom Robinson which affects his family in multiple ways. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee uses characterization to show how in the process of growing up children
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel, Lee demonstrates how a town’s gossip and lies can affect a community deeply; however, the adults of Maycomb have found a way through their oppressive
Have you ever wondered which event in your life made you see everything differently? Everybody faces various experiences with the realities of the world that eventually results in the loss of their innocence. The loss of innocence can be the outcome of an incident witnessed, a final conclusion about an issue, or an understanding of a situation. The loss of innocence is the same thing as maturity. Now, of course, you can’t go to sleep one night and wake up mature.
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.
An innocent perspective of a child has the potential to alter society's beliefs. The unique voice of a child has the ability to change humanity's preconceived ideas as they have not been corrupted by society's prejudice. Harper lee explores this notion within her novel "To Kill A Mocking Bird" through the protagonist Scout, who is a child growing up in the southern states of the U.S.A. During the novel Scout is oblivious to the prejudice that is present in the community around her. Scout is symbolic of the innocence of children and their ability to guide the way to a less discriminatory society. Colloquial language when Scouts teenage cousin said "it aint your fault Atticus is a nigger lover".
A Loss of Innocence And A Gain of Maturity Have you ever experienced something that you still think about today? Or have you experienced something that you wish never would have happened? Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird Scout and Jem face many of these things, and at a young age too. During the story and the situations they find themselves in, a loss of innocence is evident.
'Guilty...guilty...guilty...guilty...' I peeked at Jem: his hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, and his shoulders jerked as if each "guilty" was a separate stab between them… (Lee 211). Jem and Scout Finch from the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Arnold Spirit (Junior) from The Absolutely True Diary by Sherman Alexie all show that innocence is lost when compassion is found. In To Kill A Mockingbird, both Jem and Scout show innocence.
Camila Careaga - Herrera Ms. Newcomb English 2H/Period 6 February 10, 2023 “We don’t mature through age; we mature in awareness”- Byron Katie. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the readers can perceive how children, such as Scout Finch, evolve as they grow up and experience parts of the natural world. Throughout the novel, Scout was able to show bildungsroman as she learns to see things through other's perspectives and learns more about her community through the trial. At the beginning of the novel, we can see Scout's innocence and immaturity as a young child, but also her matureness. Examples of this can be seen with Scout's prejudice against the Cunninghams, or to be exact, Walter Cunningham.
(Need a hook). The author uses of view of a child, Scout Finch, along with two other children, Jem Finch and Dill, to show the innocence of children is taken away from the coming of age. She uses a trial against a black man raping a white girl to show how children are innocent. Harper Lee uses life lessons to show that Scouts coming of age. Scout says, “Atticus had said it was the polite thing to talk to people about what they were interested in, not about what you were interested in” (Lee 129).
The next example of the theme of innocence is yet another mockingbird Jem. Jem’s innocence is a childish one. Although it can be argued that he is not a mockingbird there are also telltale signs that he is. Jem starts out in the book as a child he views the people of Maycomb as all being naturally good. Textual evidence that supports this is "it 's like being a caterpillar in a cocoon, that 's what it is," he said.
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.