Theme Of Knowing In To Kill A Mockingbird

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To Kill a Mockingbird, a classic tale with a meaning deeper than the simple story of childhood shenanigans, remains a staple in many classes throughout the US. The people of the town consistently express their racist values, and how there prejudice clearly divides white and black people. Beyond that, the contrast between knowing and not knowing consistently appears throughout the story. There are many different types of ‘not knowing,’ ranging from innocence to ignorance. The people of Maycomb are ignorant when it comes to race, and the Finch children are innocent and do not know what’s really involved with the case taken up by their father. In the beginning of the book, the children are fixated and intrigued by Boo Radley. He remains mysterious to the town of Maycomb, and they go around to all their neighbours to gather gossip and stories. Throughout “To Kill a Mockingbird” there are many different ways and times the contrast between knowing and not knowing appears.
In the beginning of the story, the children are obsessed with the mystery of Boo Radley, their neighbour who never leaves his house. They go around to all their neighbours collecting research in the …show more content…

For Jem and Scout, there innocence comes from not being exposed to the world yet because of their age, but Boo Radley has a different kind of innocence. He finds himself uncomfortable around the people and unsure of how to behave when brought to the Finch house. Boo can be sometimes childlike as well, hiding small treasures in the tree in his house for the children, or when he asks Scout to take him home. Scout links their arms in a way that makes it look like Boo decided to help her to his house, not the other way around. After being alone for so long, Boo appears hesitant about everything, and unsure how to

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