Many things lead to a loss of innocence, but they all have something in common. It is the fact that something bad could or has happened. Prejudice is an example of this. Judging people, and even killing them, based on appearances is unimaginable to children. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch, defends an innocent black man named Tom Robinson. Mayella Ewell accused Tom of raping and beating her. There is significant evidence proving his innocence. But, the jury convicts him as guilty. This trial troubles the main character, Scout, her brother Jem, and their friend Dill. This is because they know that the jury put Tom in jail for all the wrong reasons. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows that exposure to prejudice can lead to a loss of innocence by writing the novel in Scout’s point of view. …show more content…
In the beginning of the book, Lee introduces Boo Radley, Scout 's neighbor. Boo hasn 't gone out of his house in year, and this troubles the children. In chapter five, Dill said, “We’re asking [Boo] real politely to come outside and tell us what he does in there” (Lee 62). The children don’t understand why Boo would want to stay in his house. Later on, Jem says, “I 'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley 's stayed shut up . . . it 's because he wants to stay inside” (Lee 304). Jem says this after Atticus exposes him to the trial. This shows that he now knows that there are bad things to hide from. The trial changed him because he saw the bad in the world. The children’s characters developed from curious and innocent to understanding and