Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, and Pulitzer Prize winner uses her book as a way to write about her own life growing up. Sometimes a sleepy town in Maycomb County has more to the story. Jem and Scout Finch learn this through Atticus’s acts of bravery and by losing their innocence through the Tom Robinson trial. Throughout the book Harper Lee uses many themes including courage, loss of innocence, and walking in someone else’s shoes.

Throughout the book loss of innocence is present in many of the characters, such as, Jem, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson. Jem loses innocence through the Tom Robinson trial, Boo Radley loses innocence by Nathan Radley, and Tom Robinson loses innocence through his conviction. The biggest example of

Jem has learned much more about life and death, through the Tom Robinson trial and his values have changed. The trial made him feel like one should preserve life at all costs, and he learns this through his loss of innocence. Boo Radley has shown loss of innocence his whole life, but the biggest symbol for his loss of innocence is when Nathan Radley plugs up the tree (Lee 83). Boo would leave little gifts for the kids in the hole in the tree, such as gum and indian head coins. By shutting off Boo’s last little bit of happiness and connection with the outside world, Nathan is also shutting off the last bit of innocence Boo had left in him. Tom Robinson has shown loss of innocence through his trial. By being accused of something Tom did not do made him lose his innocence all together. At the beginning of the case Tom was sure of himself and confident, like most people who come into the world are when they haven’t lost their innocence, but towards the end of the case he doubted everything, especially when he was found guilty, like humans are when they are dying. When Tom tried to escape from prison he used his last bit of innocence, and

Dubose. Atticus shows courage by standing up for someone, or something, that no one else would stand up for and Mrs. Dubose shows courage in getting over an addiction no one thought she would be able to get over. Atticus shows courage through the Tom Robinson trial by going “against the stream” or standing up for an African-American in a time of great prejudice. In Atticus’s closing he says, “I'm no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and in the jury system — that is no ideal to me, it is a living, working reality. Gentlemen, a court is no better than each man of you sitting before me on this jury. A court is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up. I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this defendant to his family. In the name of God, do your duty. In the name of God, believe him.” (Lee 275). The courtroom is a place everyone should be equal and Atticus firmly believes that. Atticus also knows in this case, Tom Robinson will not have justice, he knows the jury will be in vote of Mayella’s story, just because she is white. This shows Atticus’s courage not only because he is going against what the jury and state belief in order for Tom Robinson to have justice, but because he is still fighting even when he knows he will lose. Atticus shows courage by doing