Examples Of Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

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 the early part of the story, through our narrator Scout, Harper Lee demonstrates the idea that

He gets very upset about things he thinks should have a certain outcome, but doesn’t because he learns that life isn’t fair. This is shown on page 284 when Jem starts crying after the court trial. He thought it was very unfair that Tom didn’t win because everyone knew he was innocent, but Jem doesn’t understand that Maycomb is a racist town and Tom never stood a chance. This is an example of symbolism because the tears symbolize his innocence, and this shows us how Jem still had his innocence and becomes wiser when he realizes that Tom was never going to win. The choice of Jem being like this makes this story much better because it gives us another example of how losing your innocence gives you more knowledge. This shows us a deeper meaning of the theme because Jem is deeply upset about this ruling because he thought that it was self-explanatory that Tom was innocent, but he didn’t realize that the town would never let a black man win a case over a white man. Harper Lee uses effective ideas in this scene because Jem’s outburst of tears shows us how much it means to him instead of not showing how Jem felt at

Throughout the book, Boo has sheltered himself from society and has rarely been seen outside. Boo lost his innocence much earlier in his life, so he is wiser and knows what to do in different situations. This is specifically shown on page 357 when we figure out that Boo saved the kids from being hurt or killed by Bob Ewell. This demonstrates the theme that is being shown throughout the book because Boo shows his experience in life and knew that something was wrong when he heard the kids scream, so he did anything he could to save them. The literary choice used in this scene is foreshadowing because throughout the whole book, we begin to learn more about how Boo isn’t a bad character at all, but a very kind and compassionate one, so that foreshadowed him saving Jem and Scout. Foreshadowing was also used in the fact that Bob Ewell says “one down and about two more to go,” (Lee 323). The choice of Boo Radley is great because it shows us the other side of the perspective in the fact that Jem and Scout are both innocent and are slowly gaining wisdom, but Boo shows the opposite side of it. Boo had lost his innocence at a young age, but it made him a wiser person. Harper Lee made a very effective choice by using Boo Radley because he shows us that people way too often judge others just because of what they have heard, but Boo shows us that sometimes