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Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

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The title of To Kill a Mockingbird represents how Harper Lee feels about the Southern Society during the 1930s. She uses the term mockingbird to represent the innocent traits, and the loss of innocence that the characters face.In this novel Scout, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson all have the traits and qualities of a mockingbird.

We learn early in the novel that a mockingbird symbolizes innocence when Atticus says that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Many of the events and actions that occurred, caused Scout to represent a mockingbird.Throughout the book we see her innocence, but also her loss of innocence, which is a big quality of a mockingbird. Her innocence is shown when the lynching mob goes to kill Tom, she appeals emotionally to Walter …show more content…

In the beginning of the book we know Boo as the weird person that stabbed his father, but Mrs. Stephanie says “Boo wasn’t crazy, he was high-strung at times.” (11). As the story of Boo progresses, the children keep interacting with Boo without knowing it. His innocence is shown when he brings a blanket for Scout in the event of Mrs. Maudie’s house burning down, and when he saved Jem and Scout from Bob. His loss of innocence is shown earlier in his life when he was in a “gang” that did not always do the right things. “Nobody in Maycomb had nerve enough to tell Mr. Radley that his boy was in with the wrong crowd.” (10) Before Boo came out to save the children many people assumed he was bad from stories they have heard, this shows the unfair maltreatment towards …show more content…

Tom is accused of taking advantage and physically hurting Mayella Ewell, but we learn from what Tom said and Atticus’s evidence that Tom is not guilty. On multiple occasions Atticus proves that Tom could not have hurt Mayella, and Tom testifies that he did not hurt her. “Mr. Finch, I got down offa that chair an’ turned around an’ she sorta jumped on me.” (194) Mayella was beat on the right side of her face, meaning that it needed to be a left handed person. But Tom’s left hand was injured in a cotton machine incident. The case shows Tom’s innocence, but also his loss of it. After the case and Tom is proven guilty, he tries to escape and ends up getting himself killed, Tom’s purity is lost in this event. Even though Atticus had evidence that Tom was not guilty, the prejudice and misconduct is shown, even though Tom was

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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.

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When children are born, they have a certain quality. Everything in the world is new to them, and they see things through a different lens. Eventually, this quality will leave a person as they grow accustomed to the world, but some hold that characteristic longer than others. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, this purity, known as innocence, is one of the main themes throughout the text. In the novel; a mockingbird is a symbol of an innocent person.

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The Theme of Innocence in To Kill a Mockingbird When a person hears the word innocent what do they think of? Children? A kind old neighbor? In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird the mockingbird is the main symbol of innocence throughout the book. As the reader ventures into the lives of Scout, her brother Jem, their father Atticus, and many of their neighbors and other family members we can see many characters embodying the image of the mockingbird.

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The theme in To Kill A Mockingbird is to destroy innocence. One character where their innocence was destroyed is Tom Robinson. The first reason why Tom is a symbol of the theme is because after the trial verdict he was put into jail. Tom did not do what he was accused of doing. The theme of the mockingbird is destroying innocence.

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