Similarities Between Atonement And To Kill A Mockingbird

Carly Snaden

Mrs. Hudson

ENG-4U

May 13th 2016

Innocent? Not for Long. There are significant moments in life that will change everything. Most of these moments are a part of growing up and in growing up the innocence which is associated with childhood is lost. Both Atonement written by Ian McEwan and To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee cover similar topics like misfortune, deceit, mistaken identity and the loss of childhood innocence throughout the events of the novels. However, these books are different in the way that Atonement is about a series of unfortunate events: a family quarrel, a man wrongly accused for a crime he did not commit which results in ruining a sibling’s relationship and the ultimate separation of star crossed

She reads the letter from Cecilia’s love interest, Robbie Tucker, that she is just supposed to be delivering to her sister. The context of this letter is mature and meant for only Cecilia to read. When Briony reads the letter she is overcome with multiple emotions but most strongly she feels her childhood ripped from her soul. The innocence that once possessed her is gone and it will never return because the contents of the letter severe to recover from. “It was a chilly sensation, growing up. She would never sit on Emily’s lap or Cecilia’s lap again, or only as a joke.” (McEwan116). Her descent into adulthood had begun and there was nothing she could do. Both Scout and Briony are put through situations that they do not foresee and the outcome of both these events results in the loss of their innocent outlook on the world. Both girls begin to see that everything will not always go as

However, the two girls are dissimilar in the way that Briony is the primary cause of a man losing his free will, whereas Scout witnesses bias judgement firsthand. Thomas Robinson is a black man on trial for allegedly raping a white girl. Tom is wrongly accused because of the colour of his skin and the discrimination placed on him by the society that he lives in. Scout and her friends cannot fathom that an innocent man would be committed for something he didn’t do because they don’t understand racism. During the trial Scout, her brother Jem and their friend Dill leave the courtroom because it is too much for their innocent minds to comprehend. They meet a man outside who talks to them about the injustice that is being displayed in the courtroom. He tells them to, “Cry about the simple hell people give other people- without even thinking. Cry about the hell white people give coloured folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people too” (Lee 229). Scout realizes that this man is right and that her father believes the same. Tom is wrongfully tried for a crime he did not commit because of the colour of his skin. The bias judgement made by the white people captures a man’s freedom. They take his life, all because of the colour of his skin. Scout learns, throughout the trial from her father that the world will not always be fair and that judgements are