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Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

931 Words4 Pages

Imagine a story in which a character starts out blinded to the reality of his/her surroundings, he/she goes through a life-changing event, then he/she ends up realizing the truth about the reality. Lee appoints this baseline structure in her Bildungsroman To Kill a Mockingbird to pave the story of Scout, a second grader, whose father is appointed to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, who is wrongly prejudiced of committing a heinous crime. Scout has a playful beginning, when she aims to make her neighbor Boo show himself, but later, while and after witnessing the aforementioned man's trial, Scout learns the truth about the social motives of the world, both written and unwritten. While doing so, Scout matures, but at a major cost. To emphasize …show more content…

In the beginning of the novel, Scout, Jem, and their partner Dill are thoroughly interested in attempting to "make [Boo] come out" (14) in order to reveal what Boo looks like. Their involvement in this motive is so deep, Atticus believes that they should "stop tormenting [Boo]" (54) and find something else to do instead. Lee employs this childhood example because it builds Scout and Jem's innocence as youth as a prominent feature. Eventually, after Scout's experience seeing Atticus and the group of men at the jail, Jem takes on the responsibility of making sure Scout "[tries] to go to sleep" (177) and certifying that she is alright. Lee incorporates this detail as a turning point in Jem's maturing process; his willingness to take on more responsibilities is in stark contrast to his playful beginnings. Also, in chapter 22, when Aunt Alexandra asks about Jem's total shock at the trial's result that Tom was guilty, Atticus says that he has "made it this way for [Jem]" (243), indicating that he supports Jem's right to see the trial events. This justifies that Atticus encourages Jem to taking on the harsh truth about the world and his responsibilities, showing that from Atticus's point of view, Jem has lost his childhood innocence. Finally, Scout's remark in chapter 26 that "when [Jem is] able to think about it, [he] would be himself again" (283) stabilizes that Jem has changed completely. The buildup of these …show more content…

Gilmer's interrogation of Tom Robinson. Near the end of the cross-examination, Mr. Gilmer asks if Tom is being "impudent" (225) to him while calling Tom "boy" (225), after which Tom responds that he is not. The condescending diction that Mr. Gilmer uses shows that he considers himself superior to Tom, and in addition to him saying that Tom is "scared [of having] to face up to what [he] did" (225), that shows Mr. Gilmer is judging Tom and assessing him as guilty already. Even though there is not enough evidence to determine Tom as innocent, Lee's summation of the testimonies portrays Tom as innocent, yet Mr. Gilmer's assuming accusations cause Tom's apparent innocent aura to shatter. Another case using diction is Scout's experience on Boo's porch. Scout claims that "just standing on the Radley porch [is] enough" (321) to empathize with Boo. Lee profiles the brief diction shown through "just" and "enough" in order to show the impact of the short, yet life-changing, event on Scout's personality. This time, the character loses her innocence through maturity rather than judgment unlike the last

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Examples Of Tolerance In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Another example of Scout's tolerance can be seen in her interactions with her father's client, Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Despite the intense racism and prejudice of the community, Scout is able to see Tom as a person, and not just as a black man. This is demonstrated when Scout says "Tom Robinson, a human being in white men's world" (Chapter 23). Through this statement, Scout is able to see the humanity in Tom and understand the injustice of his situation. In addition, Scout's relationship with her father Atticus Finch, who serves as a model of tolerance throughout the story, also helps her to

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Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

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Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, wrote the book in 1960’s while the events in the book take place in the early 1930’s. During the 1930’s, the Great Depression just hit the United States, the unemployment rate grew and many families lived in poverty. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee describes the childhood of Scout, also known as Jean Louise Finch, and her older brother Jem which is short for Jeremy Atticus Finch. The Finches were fairly wealthy compared to the rest of the residents of Maycomb County, Alabama, which is due to Scout and Jem’s father, Atticus Finch, being a lawyer. Throughout the beginning of the novel, Harper Lee uses symbols to foreshadow the loss of innocence leading up to Atticus’ big trial with Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell.

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He suddenly becomes bothered with just hearing anything about courts which surprises Scout. He is distraught by the fact that Tom was charged guilty after Atticus’ explosive counter argument against the Ewells. Another example of this, was the night Scout was about to squish a roly-poly Jem was offended and yelled at Scout for trying to harm an innocent

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In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, coming of age or for lack of words, loss of innocence is the central theme affecting Jem’s feelings and understanding of the world. He experiences a life-or-death situation by almost being shot at the Radley's house, and he becomes a little closer and more protective of Scout. According to the text, “I tripped the roar of a shotgun that shattered the neighborhood.” Jem says “Fence by the schoolyard!—hurry, Scout!”

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Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

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The major theme in To Kill a Mockingbird is the loss of innocence. Not only do Scout and Jem lose their innocence, but other characters do as well. Scout and Jem grow up throughout the book, as they are exposed to the realities of racism, hatred and child abuse. They witness racism in the Tom Robinson case when Mayella Ewell claims he took advantage of her, when it was really Bob Ewell that did it. The court voted Tom Robinson guilty because he was African American, and most of the town would have been furious if a white man was convicted over a black man.

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How Does Jem Change In To Kill A Mockingbird

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This event shows Scout’s intolerance of people at the beginning of the novel. During Tom Robinson 's trial, Scout learns a great deal more about tolerance. She learns to accept the way other people live. As well, she learns about the intolerance that some other people have. Scout’s perception of tolerance throughout the novel changes her behavior.

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In the 1940s, many that were innocent people would end up being hurt because of their difference from others. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson, an African American who gets accused of a crime he didn’t commit, gets hurt because of his difference from others. The central idea of the book is that people should not hurt those who are innocent, there are several examples throughout the book that help represent this main idea such as symbolism, similes, and characters. To Kill a Mockingbird shows many examples of symbolism that supports the main idea of the book. An example of this, is the character Tom Robinson.

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Because of this event, Jem starts to act more empathetic towards others, and he learns to stand by his beliefs even if all the odds push against him. The latter lesson ties in to the scene when the children visit the jailhouse to find Atticus defending Tom Robinson from a lynch mob. Atticus demands Jem to “Go home... [And] [t]ake Scout and Dill home…” but to Scout’s notes with surprise that “... from the way [Jem] stood Jem was not thinking of budging” (152).

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Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Tom was explaining what he had said and what he did to the jury when he said, “Mr.Finch, I tried. I tried to ‘thout bein’ ugly to her. I didn't wanta be ugly, I didn’t wanta push her or nothin’” (Lee 221). Tom Robinson clarifies his innocence when he tries to prove that he did not touch Mayella. Because of his race, everyone is trying to blame him for something he did not do.

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Examples Of Maturing In To Kill A Mockingbird

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So I left Jem alone and tried not to bother him”(Lee, 65). Scout is putting herself in Jem’s shoes and that allows her to understand Jem isn’t feeling normal after that night in Radley Place. Scout has gotten into a fight with her cousin which Scout is then punished for without sharing her reasoning, “You’re real nice, Uncle Jack, an’ I reckon I love you even after what you did, but you don’t understand children much” (Lee, 97). Scout puts herself in Uncle Jack's shoes and understands why he did what he did and teaches him about understanding children. Scouts looking through the perspective of others is not the only thing that can be applied by Atticus’s

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Why do they still care? A Discussion of why the Odyssey is still Entertaining Today A story of cunning, heros, romance, action, and loyalty sounds like a pretty good story. The right amount of everything. Just think, this was from thousands of years ago.

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Character Analysis Of Atticus In 'To Kill A Mockingbird' By Harper Lee

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Jem and Scout begin to worry about Atticus’ well-being after he was threatened by Mr. Ewell. Atticus confronts Jem one night and Jem reveals to his father what has been bothering him, to which Atticus replies by asking Jem if he could “‘stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes,’” pointing out that “‘[Atticus] destroyed [Ewell’s] last shred of credibility in [the] trial,’” and “Jem nod[s]” to confirm that he understands (218; ch.23). Atticus helps Jem realize that another person may have a different view on things, and that if you empathize with them you can understand their actions and decisions better. After Jem and Scout are attacked by Bob Ewell, Sheriff Tate and Atticus try to decide how much to tell the townspeople about Arthur Radley’s involvement.

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2668 Words | 11 Pages

In "To Kill a Mockingbird," written by Harper Lee, the growing awareness from childhood to the age of adulthood is the looming threat of life and touches the most empathetic part of the readers. As a growing, smart young girl, what Scout Finch learns from things that happen to her or around her provides the best clarity for her on the true colors of the world. During Chapter 11, the reader observes a life-changing experience of the main character, Scout, who learns from her lawyer father, Atticus Finch, that compassion and tolerance are the right methods to treat people. By conveying that scene so powerfully, it not only determines something that is going to change Scout's life, but also confirms the whole book's central idea of the role that

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Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

1522 Words | 7 Pages

In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee tells a poignant coming-of-age story about the loss of innocence in the character of Scout. Three significant events illustrate this fact. The first example portrayed in the novel occurred when Scout went to the jail to find out what Atticus was up to, only to find that a mob had arrived to lynch Tom Robinson. This event left Scout with the notion of a mob mentality. Another event was the turning point of the story, the trial of Tom Robinson; this defining moment taught Scout of prejudice and injustice.

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And eventually, after Boo saves Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell, and she takes him home, Scout realizes that “... Just standing on the Radley front porch was enough (Lee 374),” for her to see through Boo’s eyes. She finally begins to understand Boo and why he acts the way that he does. Ultimately, teaching her that she shouldn’t listen to rumors or judge someone simply because they are different. The town of Maycomb is a perfect setting for To Kill a Mockingbird.

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