Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is a well-known novel about Jean Louise Finch, a woman who is reminiscing about her childhood days in the Southern town of Maycomb and the several events that took place there. Lee uses the literary device of theme throughout most of the story in order to get her message across to the readers. A story’s theme is it’s main idea or underlying meaning. She reveals the theme of To Kill a Mockingbird by using the words, actions, and reactions of the characters. One of the more known and discussed themes of To Kill a Mockingbird is the loss of innocence. There are several times where this theme is displayed in the novel such as Jem’s reaction to the outcome of the trial of Tom Robinson, Scout’s maturation

Growing up with a lawyer as a father and a role model, Jem has always believed that the court and judicial system will prevail. So when he attends Tom Robinson’s trial he is sure that the court will find him innocent of the crime he was accused of committing, but when Tom is found guilty, despite the amount of evidence to back him up, Jem cannot believe it. Lee writes, “Judge Taylor was polling the jury: ‘Guilty… guilty… guilty… guilty…’ I peeked at Jem: his hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, and his shoulders jerked as if each “guilty” was a separate stab between them… (282). This shows just how badly the final jurisdiction hit Jem with reality. The idea he had his whole life, the job he wished to pursue himself, and his faith in some people had all crumbled right in front of him, his childlike fantasy about how the world worked was gone when he finally realized that people will send an innocent man to death just because of the color of his skin for their own selfish pride. Afterward, Jem’s character seems to change following the trial, he begins to mature quickly and wishes to not even think about the trial, his dreams were crushed and that day seems to be a turning point in his