Examples Of Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

A Loss of Innocence And A Gain of Maturity Have you ever experienced something that you still think about today? Or have you experienced something that you wish never would have happened? Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird Scout and Jem face many of these things, and at a young age too. During the story and the situations they find themselves in, a loss of innocence is evident. When the children experience all these things it changes their perspective of the world they live in. Throughout the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout and Jem’s father, Atticus, teaches them many valuable life lessons. One of these many lessons Atticus taught them was when Jem ruined Mrs. Dubose’s camellia bushes in a rage and has to make it up to her. When Mrs. Dubose says that Atticus is not any better than the “niggers and trash he works for,”(Lee 117) Jem loses his temper and breaks Scout’s baton while using it to smash and destroy Mrs. Dubose’s camellia bushes. What Mrs. Dubose said was very out of line and disrespectful. However, Atticus warns Jem about her

As Sheriff Tate is reading the jury’s votes,”Guilty...guilty...guilty...guilty…,”(Lee 240) Scout describes Jem gripping the balcony railing so tight his knuckles turn white and wincing at every “guilty” he heard. The ruling ruling is very unfair. On the other hand , for many reasons, it could have been predicted. Then when Jem makes it outside to Atticus, he is saying,”It ain’t right.”(Lee 242) over and over again. Jem is obviously upset about the outcome of the case. For one, Jem has grown up seeing his father work as a lawyer for many people in many cases, just not like this one. So when Atticus lies it all out there and Jem is satisfied with his father’s work, he does not even really consider the idea that his father would lose this. But when the jury displays its’ biased opinion Jem’s world is flipped upside