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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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704 Words | 3 Pages

Primary Evidence: Jem tells Scout that he thinks that Boo stays in his house because Boo knows that if he was to be seen in public he would be judged by Maycomb citizens (Lee 227). 2. Interpretation: Like a mockingbird, Boo is misjudged and people are scared that he will harm them, but he is actually innocent and loving. B. Claim: Boo radley is a loving giving man who likes to bring joy to

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954 Words | 4 Pages

Mayella accused Tom of rape, which was proven false but the jury decided to choose the voice of a white girl over a black man, which was common during this period of time. The jury then found Tom Robinson guilty, then sentenced Tom to prison. Some may say that Tom Robinson was at fault for entering the Ewell household but Mayella asked tom to come inside, and help her with some tasks which then started the accusations of Tom Raping Maylla Ewell. Tom only helped Mayella because he was black and he wanted to stay on her good side which unfortunately did not happen. Mayella spoke against Tom which caused the jury to find him guilty.

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862 Words | 4 Pages

Because of some mistakes made in his teenage years, Boo was locked inside his family’s house. Although there is no direct acknowledgement of any physical or emotional abuse, Miss Maudie Atkinson vaguely sheds some light on the situation when she tells Scout, “ ‘… that is a sad house. I remember Arthur Radley when he was a boy. He always spoke nicely to me, no matter what his folks said he did.’” (Lee 46) Earlier, Miss Maudie mentioned that the Radley’s were foot-washing Baptists, who believe that most of the pleasures of life were sinful.

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432 Words | 2 Pages

This is a sign of symbolism as Boo Radley is portraying a Mockingbird, he is kind and gentle and is misinterpreted by others judgment, but giving gifts just like with Jem, Scout and Dill doesn't make him one but shows his true colors. He defended both Jem and Scout, he is defenseless and helps out the kids and needs to be protected by the community because then they will just judge him just like shooting down a Mockingbird. Just like a huge comparison with Bob Ewell, we can see a major difference between the two as Boo Radley saves both Jem and Scout from

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868 Words | 4 Pages

Boo is shy and reserved to himself, he doesn’t leave his house and he’s still judged as a monster under false accusations. Boo is passionate about observing. I say this because Boo doesn’t leave his house he observes from inside and stays aware of the things happening around him. Staying in his house away from people and observing is just Boo Radleys way of life. “Having been so accustomed to his absence , I found it incredible that he had been sitting beside me all this time, present.’

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492 Words | 2 Pages

“But you see they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that’s the way I want to live.” Mr. Raymond talks to Dill and Scout about how he pretends to be a drunk, just so people would have an explanation of why he lives the way he does. Mr. Raymond is a “mockingbird”, he is an innocent man living the way he wants to live, but citizens of Maycomb are the evil and could never understand why he is living like that. This can relate to Boo Radley’s situation. He does not like to come outside, he is just not a social man.

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661 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee it demonstrates the loss of innocence in many different situations. As Atticus has to take over Tom Robinson’s case, Jem and Scout witness the difficulties of defending a black man after being accused of raping a white woman. As a result, Scout and Jem lose their innocence throughout this trial. Over time Scout and a Jem realize that the world isn’t just in black and white, and that there’ll be different shades of gray in between. Children lose their innocence after experiencing traumatic events that force them to become more independent.

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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.

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Murdering the Innocence To Kill A Mockingbird, a 20th century novel written by Harper Lee, is narrated by Scout Finch. She and her family live in Maycomb, Alabama which is a prejudice town with prejudice people during the Great Depression. She lives with her brother Jem and her father Atticus who is a prominent lawyer in Maycomb. In this novel Atticus teaches that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because it is an innocent creature.

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The loss of innocence is a difficult experience for many, but it is a challenge we all go through. Jem, Tom, and Boo all relate to the loss of innocence. Boo was labeled as an evil person, Tom was judged by the color of his skin, and Jem was exposed to the adult world. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses a mockingbird to represent innocence in an attempt to portray the cruelty in the world.

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208 Words | 1 Pages

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird uses mockingbirds to symbolize characters and their stations. The mockingbird is used as a symbol of innocence to describe characters. The term of killing a mockingbird or shooting a mockingbird is in direct reference to the people losing their innocence. The mockingbirds in To Kill A Mockingbird are the characters Tom Robinson, Mayella Ewell, Boo Radley, Dill, and Jem.

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855 Words | 4 Pages

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

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1985 Words | 8 Pages

Loss of innocence is when someone comes to a realization through an event that alters their perception and understanding of reality. The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set in the small town of Maycomb in the 1930s, also known as the Great Depression. Many characters play a specific role in the novel, for instance, Boo Radley plays a mysterious character that scares children unintentionally because of events in the past. Atticus Finch, who is a white lawyer, becomes well-known to the black activists in the community because he takes on the case of Tom Robison, a black person accused of raping a white woman. The aftermath of taking the case was sizable.

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665 Words | 3 Pages

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

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1630 Words | 7 Pages

In To Kill A Mockingbird Boo Radley is a man who always stays shut up inside of his house which causes many rumors about him to be spread around the town. For instance, at the end of chapter 14 it’s stated “Dill?”/ “Mm?”/ “Why do you reckon Boo Radley’s never run off?”/ Dill sighed a long sigh and turned away from me./ “Maybe he doesn 't have anywhere to run off to…” This shows how Boo Radley is emotionally struggling because people always are assuming things about him that can cause him to feel uncomfortable around others. At the end of the book Boo Radley acts afraid of everything like when it says “Will You take me home?’ He almost whispered it, in the voice of a child afraid of the dark.”

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