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Examples Of Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

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The Killing of Innocence Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, we see more and more innocent characters become victims to the evil in Maycomb County. These characters symbolize the mockingbird, a bird that should not be harmed due to its lack of trouble inflicted on others. These characters had yet to see the evil of the world, or partake in it, and are therefore innocent. Nethertheless, they are brought to reality when they are “killed”, or their innocence is destroyed. This idea first appears when Atticus Finch is talking to his children, Jeremy (Jem) and Jean Louise (Scout) Finch. He says that they should not shoot at mockingbirds, and the children go to Miss Maudie for clarification. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing …show more content…

That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 119). Through the sufferings of Tom Robinson, Jem, Scout, and Arthur “Boo” Radley, Harper Lee teaches the loss of innocence.
The loss of innocence in the novel is evident during the events in the Tom Robinson trial. This was when Mayella and Bob Ewell accused Tom Robinson, a black man, of raping Mayella Ewell. They claimed that Tom beat her and took advantage of her. Later on in the trial, Tom testifies that he came in to help her with chores, as he often did. When he was asked why he helped her, Tom states, “Yes, suh. I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ‘em-” (Lee 264). This quote shows how kind hearted Tom was for helping her. After Tom went into the Ewell’s house, he was asked to get something down from a chiffarobe. …show more content…

Radley. This is done when he is a child. Growing up, Boo got in trouble with the law and as a consequence, his father locked him up in his house. Because of his father’s harsh disciplinary actions, Boo is trapped in his house and remaines that way, besides few exceptions. “The doors of the Radley house were closed on weekdays, as well as Sundays” (Lee 11) This quote is significant because it shows how Boo lived like a prisoner in his own home. He never really had a life and grew up as a recluse and an outcast. He was never truly accepted into society. Mr. Radley denied Boo a chance at a normal life, therefore crushing his

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