Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

Loss of Innocence in To Kill a Mocking Bird Introduction The theme ‘Loss of Innocence’ outlines the gradual awareness of the harsh reality of evil. Children often fulfil their lives through purity, viewing society with their innocent eyes. However, as they experience the complexities of life, they soon become conscious of the darkness behind humanity, causing the loss of their innocence. This novel remains relevant to a contemporary audience as it reflects on racial injustices and discriminatory aspects shown in the present day. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee has successfully portrayed how innocence is gradually lost as the children encounter racial prejudice and emotional/physical violence in 1930’s America. Through Jem and Scout’s experience,

The trial consisted of a wrongful accusation, prosecuted by Mayella Ewell who testifies that the defendant beat her up, then non-consensually raped her. Jem and Scout uncover this testimony which led to their concern over the topic ‘Rape’. “What’s rape?” Scout asks in complete curiosity which results in Atticus’s definition of how “Rape was carnal knowledge of a female by force and without consent.” (p.149). At this point the audience are positioned to realise that the utilization of Scout’s narration improves the story as it shows her clear thoughts of the inequality in life, including rape, through her and Jem’s observations during trial. Harper Lee has purposefully chosen Scout to narrate the story through her viewpoint as she is still a child who has yet to confront the treatment of race and belonging in the community. Scout describes Tom Robinson’s trial without fully understanding the context behind the situation, forcing the audience to believe her misinterpretations. This allows Scout to look back on her childhood as an adult and realise how her innocence overtook her approach to the trial, with a mature

The kids are initially frightened by all the scary tales they are informed by townspeople about their neighbour, Boo Radley. Jem refers to him as a “malevolent phantom [who] was about six-and-a-half feet tall, he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch” (pp.9 & 14). However, it is implied that Boo had been subjected to false accusations in consideration to a crime he committed during his youth. His father mistreated him while locking him up in the basement for the majority of his life, suggesting he was a victim of physical abuse. Jem and Scout’s perception of Boo Radley gradually evolves as they encounter multiple scenarios where he protects the children. Towards the end of the novel, his nickname transitioned from “malevolent phantom” to “hero”. The metaphor, ‘malevolent phantom’, intends to represent Maycomb’s prejudiced society, emphasizing the damaging effects of misconceptions. Dramatic irony is evident through Boo, provided that the characters owning a significant moral are often the most looked down on, creating a sense of irony. Bob Ewell felt strong hatred towards Atticus after his defence of Tom Robinson and desired retribution upon Atticus’s ‘betrayal’ to the principles of white men. “He was running, running towards us with no child’s steps. The “Run, Scout! Run! Run! Run! Run! Run! Run! Run!