Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

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. She had only a vague notion of prejudice until the trial. Lastly, she experienced a real shock when Bob Ewell attempted to kill both her and Jem. This was malice in its purest form. Ultimately,

“Don’t call that a blind spot. He’da killed you last night when he first went there.”
“He might have hurt me a little,” Atticus conceded, “but son, you’ll understand folks a little better when you’re older. A mob’s always made of people, no matter what. Mr. Cunningham was part of a mob last night, but he was still a man. Every mob in every little southern town is always made of people you know… “(157).
Scout was beginning to learn about the unbending prejudice of people who have been raised in a racist environment. Through this event, she learned that people in groups are capable of doing things that they wouldn’t ordinarily do on their own. Similarly, Lee hyperbolizes the stress the case inflicts upon Atticus by comparing it to dying: “It’s Tom Robinson’s case that’s worryin’ him to death” (138). The descriptive diction of “death” indirectly characterizes Atticus’ seriousness towards the case. Lee also uses foreshadowing when she states “...One of these days we’re going to pay the bill for it. I hope it’s not in your children’s time” (221). In view of this, Lee refers to the mistreatment of African Americans by the whites. The descriptive diction of “children’s time” foreshadows that something bad will happen to Jem and Scout. Scout and Jem will be attacked by Bob Ewell to get back at Atticus for defending a black man, exposing Ewell’s anger towards women. Therefore, Scout, Atticus’ child must “pay the bill for

Bob was furious at the way Atticus had defended the black person, Tom Robinson. He wanted retribution for something that was, according to his world view, a heinous act against the principles of white men. He knew that he couldn’t get to Atticus directly, so he went after the next best thing—his children. Scout and Jem’s guardian angel, Boo Radley, saved them and they got home alive, if not uninjured. They got home to find that their assailant was none other than Bob Ewell. During the attack, Scout described her attack as “his stomach was soft but his arms were like steel” (262). Here, Lee uses a simile to compare Bob Ewell’s arms to steel to amplify the physical strength of Bob at the time. Bob’s strength during the attack made Scout find it difficult to escape. Who could possibly hold such a grudge against one person that he’d do anything to get even? Heck Tate had a clear and concise way of describing such a person: “Mr. Finch, there’s just some kind of men that you have to shoot before you say howdy to ‘em. Even then, they ain’t worth the bullet it takes to shoot ‘em. Ewell ‘as one of ‘em” (269). Later in the book, Tate also states: “Let the dead bury the dead this time, Mr. Finch. Let the dead bury the dead” (274), Here, Lee uses repetition to exaggerate the fact that Tate believes justice has been done by Ewell’s