To Kill A Mockingbird Innocence Quotes

Lopez 1 Ashley Lopez Pre AP English 2 Mrs. Wilbanks 22 January 2018 "I thought Jem and I would get grown but there wasn't much else for us to learn"(Lee 162). Jem, Dill, and Scout went through events and experienced things that changed who they were and in doing so, they lost a piece of themselves. When people are exposed to real world problems, they may become more aware of the true nature of the world and at the same time lose a part of them, their innocence. By the end of the book, Jem Finch knows that the world isn't what he thought it was when he was younger.

The ‘mockingbird’ of the story symbolizes several different types of innocence through different characters. One of the ‘mockingbird’ innocence types is displayed by Tom Robinson. During the closing statements in the courtroom (232), Atticus states that “the defendant is not guilty, but someone in this courtroom is.” The quote shows that Tom’s ‘mockingbird’ innocence is the innocence of not being guilty.

The mockingbird is a symbol of innocence because they don’t harm or bother anyone. So why is the title of Harper Lee’s book To Kill a Mockingbird? It means to kill innocence. But what in this novel is innocent? Some of the characters are like Dill, Scout, and Boo Radley.

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the relationship between innocence and guilt is an extremely thin line. The two most innocent characters in this novel (Tom Robinson and Boo Radley), get vilified and condemned for pure concern, helpfulness, and support. Within the book, Atticus, the father within the story that holds morals and is at the top of the pecking order in Maycomb, states that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird: "Atticus said to Jem one day, 'I'd rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. '"That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie

“Tom Robinson’s a colored man, Jem. No jury in this part of the world’s going to say, “We think you're guilty, but not very,’ on a charge like that. It was either a straight acquittal or nothing.” - Atticus pg. 294.

The Downfall of a Mockingbird Mockingbirds are said to be one of the most innocent animals in the world. Although Harper Lee used many instances throughout the novel of mockingbirds being stripped of their innocence. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird the theme of innocence is taken away from certain characters just like a mockingbird being killed. Firstly, Boo Radley was accused of being a crazy man who is never seen. Secondly, Mrs. Maudie had her house get burned down to the ground.

The trial consists of Mayella Ewell, a white woman, and Tom Robinson, a black male. In the Great Depression era, the white juries would have believed a white woman’s word than a black male’s. Even in Tom’s defense, Atticus could not help but say, “But I cannot pity her: she is white” (272). Even though Mayella Ewell is at fault trying to frame Tom Robinson guilty, she is still in a higher power over Tom Robinson. As soon as Tom Robinson was shot, the town of Maycomb killed a mockingbird as well as their innocence.

“Shoot all the Bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird,’’ This is a famous quote from Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. In the book a Mockingbird is a sign of innocence and is the symbol for several characters. Including: Tom Robinson, Scout, Jem, Dill, and other characters. Harper Lee shows that the innocent doesn’t always get what they deserve, and they sometimes lose their innocence, but other times it can help them out in risky situations.

When Atticus first takes the case, he was judged harshly and insulted with such cruelty, Scout heard what people said and she herself, failing to understand, began to judge her father as well. Atticus, realizing that she was just a child and didn’t know what she was talking about, taught her one of the most important lessons in life. Not to judge someone without “walking in their shoes.” (Lee page number). Despite Atticus’ effort, Tom is still unfortunately falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell.

Jem Says “….don’t fret, we’ve won it… Don’t see how any jury could convict on what we heard.” After, Reverend Sykes cautions Jem to not be so confident. Reverend tells him that because he has never seen justice for coloured people. Jem brings himself to tears over the injustice of the verdict, his faith in the legal system shattered and he loses his innocence.

In the book Atticus and the members of the court system express the reach of prejudice, justice, and fairness in the justice system. The justice system was filled with prejudice. In the book it states, “ Now don 't you be so confident, Mr. Jem I ain 't ever seen a jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man…”(279). Reverend Sykes is witnessing the trial of Tom Robinson.

A Mockingbird’s Innocence In society, everyone is born at the same level. Everyone is born with the same innocence as everyone else. It is the experiences of one’s life that determines their outcome of innocence. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, Miss Maudie, an influential character mentions the meaning and symbolism of mockingbirds. She states that mockingbirds are described as “... [those who] don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us” (Lee 103).

“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us”. Miss Maudie, in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, is telling Scout that it is never ok to kill a mockingbird because they do not do any harm to anyone, and they are kind and are a symbol of goodness. Harper Lee uses the mockingbird to symbolize the characters, Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and Mayella Ewell. Harper Lee uses the symbolism of the mockingbird to illustrate the character of Boo Radley.

Tom was accused of raping a white woman who was Mayella Ewell, Mayella said he raped her while he was helping her with chores. She later on tells the readers that it was false allegations. The reason why she didn 't tell the truth at her first trial was because, Mayella was afraid of being embarrassed because she kissed a black male. She rather have an innocent man get charged with a crime than that. “However, Robinson was transferred from the state prison to Maycomb 's county jail on Saturday, two days before he stood trial on Monday, and Atticus had to defend him against a lynch mob”.

In the case that Atticus was defending, Tom Robinson, a black man, was accused for raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman. When speaking to Atticus about the court case, Jem states that there should have been more evidence before deciding whether Tom Robinson was innocent or guilty. He said, “I mean before a man is sentenced to death for murder, say there should be one or two eyewitnesses. Someone should be able to say, ‘Yes, I was there and saw him pull the trigger’” (251).