In a prejudiced southern town, a book's perceivable focus on oppression makes an immense narrative of innocence being surrendered to empathy and where characters met with injustice courageously choose to fight for societal progress. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, is set in the 1930s deep in the South. The town is controlled by social injustices and predicts actions. As the novel unfolds, the necessity of change for social advancement becomes evident, often at the cost of one's innocence. Though the novel appears to focus on the oppressive nature of a prejudiced Southern town, its deeper message lies in the inevitable loss of innocence required for social progress. This loss, often triggered by witnessing prejudice, …show more content…
This case causes Scout distress because she knows what is right and doesn't understand the prejudice in the court's decisions. This leads us to this quote by Lee: "Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed" (Lee 241). This underscores the fact that even though the Ewells are not loved in the town, they will still be favored over a Black man. When Scout realizes this, it shows how her innocence is being destroyed because she knows this decision is morally wrong and is based on the prejudiced views of the town. Furthermore, the author contends that feeling empathetic for the injustices of others can lead people to leave the light of innocence in order to initiate change. At the end of part 1, we are introduced to Mrs. Dubose. She is a mean old lady that Jem and Scout despise. It appears as though she enjoys antagonizing the children about the trial. In a fit of rage, Jem defaces her flowers and as a punishment, he is forced to read to her. After she passes, Atticus talks to Jem about her and what she did; this leads to a powerful statement: “You know, she was a great lady.’ ’A lady?’ Jem raised his head. His face was