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Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird Essay

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In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee foreshadows a loss of innocence through the symbolic significance of the snowman, fire, and mad dog.
First, Lee uses the snowman as a symbol. It is shown in this passage, “ Jem, I ain’t ever heard of a nigger snowman… He won’t be for long.” (89) When this quote was said jem was patting the dirt down, building the torso of the snowman. It shows a loss of innocence because after they built the dirt snowman they covered it in the snow. It shows racism, that white is a superior race and are on top/better than the rest. It could also be seen as good and evil. The dirt represents black people and they are the foundation of the county and white people are the snow, they built off of the black community. It relates to the trial and tom when Atticus says “ didn’t you think she …show more content…

Scout narrates “ He’s looking for a place to die.”(126). The dog got rabies when his owner was out, He started to wobble down the street. Heck Tate (sheriff) told Atticus to shoot the dog, He had the best shot in Maycomb County. “The rifle cracked...Tim flopped over and crumpled on the sidewalk.” (128). This was one big Foreshadow to Tom’s death. Atticus killed the innocent dog with a bullet of justice. Just like in court, he was trying to prove Tom’s innocence to the jury. He used the law to show he is not guilty. Judge Taylor said “ Guilty..guilty..guilty… guilty...guilty.” The jury had convicted an innocent man of rape. Tom Robinson was later shot 17 times for trying to ‘run away’. They convicted and then killed an innocent man.Scout narrates “ Well it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it.” (370) Tom, was symbolic to a mockingbird. It was a sin to kill a mockingbird because they didn’t do anything but sing, they were there for people to enjoy and listen to.
To conclude, Harper Lee used the snowman, fire, and the mad dog as a symbol to a loss of

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