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Theme Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

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I've always heard of the story “How to Kill a Mockingbird,” but never understood what that phrase meant or where it came from. As I grew, I figured out that the Author Harper Lee wrote To Kill a Mockingbird at the beginning of the Civil Rights movement. This novel mainly focuses on Scout Finch. Scout’s father, Atticus, her brother Jem, and her Maid, all live in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s, during the great depression. Atticus, (the father) chooses to defend a black man, named Tom Robinson, who has been falsely accused of a crime he did not commit. In, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Harper Lee uses Tom Robinson, Bob Radley, and Jem as human mockingbirds, and therefore, symbols of innocence. To begin, Harper Lee uses Tom Robinson as a mockingbird. Tom Robinson was a hardworking and honest man, who was married with children. He has a crippled left arm that got injured in a cotton gin accident, so he took a break from working as much since he was also working for Mayella Ewell, and helping with chores. He was 25 years old when he was taken …show more content…

Scout and Jem have been greatly affected by their father's agreement to defend a black man in court. Even though they didn't physically do anything, that doesn't stop people from knowing what their father is doing, and bullying them. This develops the character of Jem and Scout at such a young age by showing racism at such a young age. A strong example of a different type of Mockingbird is Boo Radley. He was not liked not because of the color of his skin, but because he was different from other kids. He never went outside to play and was portrayed as scary. But behind closed doors, he was autistic and got abused by his father, who prevented him from having any type of contact with the outside world. Boo Radley's father takes care of him because he is autistic. Boo Radley’s father believes that anything that is pleasure, is a

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Primary Evidence: Jem tells Scout that he thinks that Boo stays in his house because Boo knows that if he was to be seen in public he would be judged by Maycomb citizens (Lee 227). 2. Interpretation: Like a mockingbird, Boo is misjudged and people are scared that he will harm them, but he is actually innocent and loving. B. Claim: Boo radley is a loving giving man who likes to bring joy to

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1348 Words | 6 Pages

Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, wrote the book in 1960’s while the events in the book take place in the early 1930’s. During the 1930’s, the Great Depression just hit the United States, the unemployment rate grew and many families lived in poverty. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee describes the childhood of Scout, also known as Jean Louise Finch, and her older brother Jem which is short for Jeremy Atticus Finch. The Finches were fairly wealthy compared to the rest of the residents of Maycomb County, Alabama, which is due to Scout and Jem’s father, Atticus Finch, being a lawyer. Throughout the beginning of the novel, Harper Lee uses symbols to foreshadow the loss of innocence leading up to Atticus’ big trial with Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell.

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626 Words | 3 Pages

The major theme in To Kill a Mockingbird is the loss of innocence. Not only do Scout and Jem lose their innocence, but other characters do as well. Scout and Jem grow up throughout the book, as they are exposed to the realities of racism, hatred and child abuse. They witness racism in the Tom Robinson case when Mayella Ewell claims he took advantage of her, when it was really Bob Ewell that did it. The court voted Tom Robinson guilty because he was African American, and most of the town would have been furious if a white man was convicted over a black man.

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543 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel "To Kill A Mocking Bird" written by Harper Lee in 1960, innocence is displayed and shown through some of the characters including Tom Robinson, Atticus Finch, and Boo Radley. Although these characters were innocent, they are all accused of doing something erroneous and are caused great shame because of it. The novel relates to a mockingbird because just like the bird, they had caused no harm and being punished was preposterous. One of the main characters in the novel, Tom Robinson, was charged with false accusations of raping the daughter of Bob Ewell, Mayella Ewell. Tom hires Atticus to defend him in court, even though Atticus knew he had a strong chance of being defeated, he still took the case for not only Tom, but his family too.

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582 Words | 3 Pages

Therefore Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and Atticus Finch all symbolize a mockingbird because they all show innocence in their own way, these characters display their innocence through kindness and the truth.

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625 Words | 3 Pages

Innocence is the lack of knowledge of a person understanding towards certain subjects. Which often makes people react in many ways or it changes the person's point of views. Through the children one thing that makes them so pure and beautiful is there quality of being innocent in certain situations of the book. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the author Harper Lee is showing that life is full of innocence whether it be through lack of knowledge, being unaware of the bias, or avoiding the selfishness of others opinions.

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1213 Words | 5 Pages

Tom Robinson best reflects a mockingbird, illustrated through his guilty conviction despite his innocence during the trial, the mob attempting to lynch him at the jailhouse, and his wrongful murder by a prison guard. In the book, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, many characters symbolize a Mockingbird, but Tom Robinson, hands down, most represents the characteristics and traits of a Mockingbird, which shows through his innocence and bravery. Tom Robinson is a Negro man who faces racism throughout his life and never has a fair shot because of the color of his skin. Tom Robinson is on trial, accused of beating and raping a white woman named Mayella Ewell. The prosecution has no substantial evidence to prove Tom was liable, however, a jury

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493 Words | 2 Pages

Innocence is the light in the world and each child is born with it. It’s only a matter of time until it’s ripped from them. In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A mockingbird, Scout, Jem and Dill’s childhood innocence are slowly wore away as they realize the world isn’t as bright as they think. The word “Dibs” can be a child’s downfall or their triumph. Only three letters give a child the security of a certain fate, but in a court trial, Jem’s eyes are opened to the possibility of losing no matter how you play your cards.

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904 Words | 4 Pages

An innocent perspective of a child has the potential to alter society's beliefs. The unique voice of a child has the ability to change humanity's preconceived ideas as they have not been corrupted by society's prejudice. Harper lee explores this notion within her novel "To Kill A Mocking Bird" through the protagonist Scout, who is a child growing up in the southern states of the U.S.A. During the novel Scout is oblivious to the prejudice that is present in the community around her. Scout is symbolic of the innocence of children and their ability to guide the way to a less discriminatory society. Colloquial language when Scouts teenage cousin said "it aint your fault Atticus is a nigger lover".

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699 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a young girl by the name of Jean Finch and her brother Jeremy Finch go through events that teach them multiple different life lessons like changing their perspectives to other peoples before judging them. This ties in the meaning of the mockingbird which represents innocence because it causes no harm to anyone; to judge or to harm it proves that one does not understand its perspective. In the novel, Harper Lee brings up many times where the representation of a mockingbird appears. There is one direct time when their father, Atticus, asks the kids not to shoot any mockingbirds and Ms. Maudie tells Scout “Your father’s right. Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.

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788 Words | 4 Pages

Robert South a man known for his powerful preaching in the English church once said “Innocence is like polished armor; it adorns and defends.” In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird Scout Finch lives along with her insightful father Atticus, and brother Jem in the small town of 1930’s Maycomb, Alabama, a town of people stuck in their ways. Atticus, being one of the best lawyers in town takes on a major case, the rape of a white woman supposedly committed by a black man but the people just can’t seem to sense true innocence through their prejudice. Scout, and Jem as they explore their small town know of a child who everyone is terrified of, and jokes about

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1630 Words | 7 Pages

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a historical fiction novel told in the eyes of a young girl named Scout  as her father, Atticus Finch , a lawyer in the 1950’s in  Alabama, is burdened with the task of defending a black man, Tom Robinson, of harming a white girl, Mayella Ewell. “Caged Bird”

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747 Words | 3 Pages

Innocence is a word used to describe someone 's purity. Children are prime examples of innocence, as they don’t have judgments and don’t understand mature topics. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the reader can interpret innocence as the growing up of the children. Specifically, Jem Finch showed a loss of innocence as he grew up. He showed his loss of innocence by not playing games, his more mature use of words and body language, and his different view of the world around him.

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1037 Words | 5 Pages

Even though Scout displayed innocence but still was excluded from games with Dill and Jem because of her gender, Harper Lee did not intend for her to be perceived as a Mockingbird. On the contrary, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are portrayed as mockingbirds, birds recognized for their innocence but also targeted. Body Paragraph #1 Topic Sentence #1: Tom Robinson, a black man convicted of rape, was an example of à Mockingbird because he was targeted even though he was innocent. Integrated Evidence #1: After the town of Maycomb found out about the tragic killing of Tom Robinson, “[Mr. Underwood] likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children”(Lee 323) in an editorial. Analysis 1: Tom Robinson was wrongfully accused of raping Mayella Ewell.

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1730 Words | 7 Pages

Mockingbirds are an important symbol because they represent goodness and innocence. In this book, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are two innocent men, similar to mockingbirds, who get taken advantage of due to their innocence. Atticus and Miss Maudie teach Scout and Jem that it’s a sin to harm anything innocent by using the example of mockingbirds. Mockingbirds are innocent because they only positively affect people through their singing.

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